Yes. Microlink can capture a page behind a login by forwarding the session cookie or authorization token to the target site. The documented workflow uses Microlink’s Pro endpoint and requires a Pro plan for forwarded headers. Keep credentials in HTTP request headers, not in the screenshot URL, and make authenticated capture calls from your backend.
How Microlink handles an authenticated capture
A screenshot browser needs the same valid session that lets a user see the signed-in page. Microlink’s official guide describes forwarding the session to the target site and says, “To screenshot pages behind a login, the browser has to carry a session, and that session has to stay out of any URL.” (Microlink’s guide to screenshots behind a login, accessed 2026-10-03.)
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For this workflow, send the request to pro.microlink.io and include your Microlink API key in the x-api-key request header. Header forwarding requires Pro; the documented free endpoint is not sufficient. Microlink removes the x-api-header- prefix from forwarded header names before passing them to the target site.
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Session cookie
Send the cookie in a request header named x-api-header-cookie, with the cookie name and value the target site expects. For example, the forwarded header value might be session=YOUR_SESSION_VALUE. Microlink strips its prefix and sends an ordinary cookie header to the target.
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Bearer token
For a site that authenticates with a bearer token, send x-api-header-authorization with a value such as Bearer YOUR_TOKEN. Microlink forwards it as the target’s ordinary authorization header.
The header names and examples below are patterns, not usable credentials. Use only a session or token you are authorized to use, and do not put a third party’s session into a capture request.
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Node.js example
Microlink’s official guide shows this Node client pattern. Set the key and cookie in server-side environment variables; replace the illustrative URL and cookie name with values appropriate to your application.
import createClient from 'microlink.io'
const microlink = createClient({
apiKey: process.env.MICROLINK_API_KEY
})
const { url } = await microlink.screenshot('https://app.example.com/dashboard', {
headers: {
'x-api-header-cookie': `session=${process.env.SESSION_COOKIE}`
}
})
console.log(url)
The API key and session value stay out of the target URL in this pattern. Microlink’s guide reserves the public headers query parameter for non-sensitive values and recommends keeping authenticated capture calls on your backend. See the official guide for its cURL example and current request details.
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Wait for the signed-in page, not just page load
A browser can finish loading while the app is still rendering its authenticated interface. Use Microlink’s waitForSelector option to wait for an element that appears only in the signed-in view, such as a dashboard heading. Choose a selector that distinguishes the intended page from the login screen; otherwise a capture may complete before the useful content is visible.
Keep captures and cache entries separated by user
Microlink says each capture runs in its own isolated browser. If your application captures the same URL for different users, set a user-specific cacheKey so one user’s cached result is not reused for another. Do not use a shared cache key for captures whose content depends on different sessions.
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Troubleshooting: why the login form still appears
- Check the endpoint and plan: authenticated header forwarding uses
pro.microlink.ioand requires Pro. - Check the API key: send it as the
x-api-keyrequest header. - Check the forwarded header name: use the
x-api-header-prefix, such asx-api-header-cookieorx-api-header-authorization. - Check cookie details: confirm the cookie name and value, its domain, and whether it has expired. A cookie valid for one host or path may not authenticate a different target URL.
- Check token format: for bearer authentication, include the expected
Bearerprefix and a currently valid token. - Wait for the right UI: use
waitForSelectorfor an element unique to the signed-in page. If that element never appears, inspect whether the target still shows a login form before changing the wait condition.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is an alternative website screenshot API with custom headers, cookies, and Authorization support. Its GET endpoint returns a screenshot or PDF; the example below shows a basic capture. For authenticated captures, check the ScreenshotNeo documentation for the supported request parameters for your headers and cookies.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://app.example.com/dashboard -o shot.webp
ScreenshotNeo removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are not billed; and an MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.
Sources
- Microlink: Screenshot pages behind a login with cookies or tokens, accessed 2026-10-03.
- Microlink API overview, accessed 2026-10-03.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I capture a page if I do not control its login system?
Only if you have authorization to use the account session or token and to capture the resulting data. Do not forward another person’s session.
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Does Microlink’s documented login workflow use a password field?
The documented method forwards an existing cookie or authorization token; it does not describe submitting a username and password into the page.
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