October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsWindows FixRecommendedWindows errors stealing your time? Find the fix fastScan stability, cleanup and performance issues.Fix NowOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
World desk4 min

Can Microlink Capture Screenshots of Pages Behind a Login?

Microlink can screenshot signed-in pages by forwarding a cookie or bearer token through its Pro endpoint. Here’s how to set it up safely and troubleshoot login screens.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

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.)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Forward a cookie or bearer token

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.

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.

Rank #2
Free Fling File Transfer Software for Windows [PC Download]
  • Intuitive interface of a conventional FTP client
  • Easy and Reliable FTP Site Maintenance.
  • FTP Automation and Synchronization

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.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
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.

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.

Troubleshooting: why the login form still appears

  • Check the endpoint and plan: authenticated header forwarding uses pro.microlink.io and requires Pro.
  • Check the API key: send it as the x-api-key request header.
  • Check the forwarded header name: use the x-api-header- prefix, such as x-api-header-cookie or x-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 Bearer prefix and a currently valid token.
  • Wait for the right UI: use waitForSelector for 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.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
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

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

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.

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.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Wire

  1. World desk4 min
    How to Spot an AI Voice Scam Before Sending MoneyDon’t rely on how a caller sounds. Pause, call back through a known number, and verify the emergency with another trusted person before sending money.
  2. Mountain View desk4 min
    Google’s SynthID Detector: How to Check AI-Generated Images, Video and AudioGoogle’s SynthID Detector looks for an embedded watermark in supported images, video and audio. Here is what its results do—and do not—show.
  3. Redmond desk20 min
    How to create a link to File or Folder in Windows 11Windows 11 gives you several ways to point to a file or folder without moving or duplicating it. You can create a desktop shortcut,…
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.