To add a delay to a ScreenshotMachine screenshot request, pass the API’s delay parameter in milliseconds through curl. In the documented Bash workflow, set a value such as 2000 and add --data-urlencode "delay=$DELAY" to the curl arguments. Screenshot Machine documents this as an API parameter; the available documentation does not establish a separate ScreenshotMachine CLI executable or dedicated CLI delay flag.
Add the delay to the Bash and curl request
Start with Screenshot Machine’s documented Bash/curl example, including its required customer key and target URL. Add the delay to the same argument array as the rest of the request, then send the request to the documented API endpoint:
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DELAY="2000"
ARGS+=(--data-urlencode "delay=$DELAY")
curl -Gs "https://api.screenshotmachine.com" "${ARGS[@]}" > output.pngThis is the delay addition and request invocation; it assumes ARGS has already been initialized with the required customer-key and screenshot-URL arguments from Screenshot Machine’s official Bash example. Keep those required arguments in the array when you add the delay. The redirect writes the response to output.png.
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- Set
DELAYto the desired supported value in milliseconds. - Append
--data-urlencode "delay=$DELAY"to the curl argument array. - Run the curl request with the required customer key and target URL already present in
ARGS.
Using --data-urlencode passes the parameter as a URL-encoded value. Follow Screenshot Machine’s API documentation for the parameter and units.
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Choose a delay value in milliseconds
Screenshot Machine’s API documentation specifies milliseconds, a default delay of 200 ms, and the following listed values:
| Delay value | Wait time | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
0 |
Immediate capture | When you do not want an added wait. |
200 |
200 ms | The documented default. |
400, 600, 800 |
0.4–0.8 seconds | Short additional waits. |
1000 |
1 second | A modest wait for page rendering. |
2000 through 10000, in 1000 ms steps |
2–10 seconds | Longer waits; Screenshot Machine suggests 2000 ms or more as an example for full-length pages with more images or animations. |
The listed sequence is 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, then 2000 through 10000 in 1000 ms increments. For example, 2000 means two seconds. The higher values are examples to try, not a guarantee that every image, animation, or script will finish.
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Understand what the delay does—and does not do
The parameter requests a timed wait before the screenshot is created. It is not documented as a wait-until-selector, network-idle condition, or proof that the page has completed all activity. If a particular element appears late, increasing the delay may help, but it cannot ensure that the element will appear under every page or network condition.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →For full-length pages with many images or animations, Screenshot Machine suggests considering a larger delay, such as 2000 ms or more. Adjust the value based on the page and the result you need rather than treating two seconds as a universal setting.
Common problems and fixes
- The request still captures too early: Increase the delay using a value from the documented list, then check whether the specific late-loading content is present. A timed wait is not a readiness guarantee.
- The delay appears to be interpreted incorrectly: Use milliseconds as specified by Screenshot Machine. A third-party Splunk SOAR connector describes the value in seconds, which conflicts with the API page’s explicit millisecond examples; use the API documentation for this request.
- The request no longer works after adding the parameter: Confirm that the required customer-key and target-URL arguments are still in
ARGS, and that the delay line is appended before the curl command runs. - You expected a CLI flag: The documented method is to include the
delayAPI parameter in the curl request. The available documentation does not establish a dedicated ScreenshotMachine CLI command or flag.
Or skip the browser setup
If you want a screenshot API instead of assembling a browser or curl workflow, ScreenshotNeo accepts one GET request and returns an image or PDF. Its API supports a configurable delay as well as other capture options; see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools for taking screenshots, getting page information, and capturing PDFs. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan: 1,000 screenshots a month, no card required.
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