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To run ScreenshotAPI.net captures on a recurring schedule, write a script that makes one screenshot request and exits, then schedule that script with cron on a server that stays available. For a daily run at 08:00, ScreenshotAPI.net’s tutorial gives the cron entry 0 8 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/capture.py. If you do not want to operate a server, ScreenshotAPI.net also offers a dashboard-based recurring scheduler.
Make a one-shot capture script
ScreenshotAPI.net documents a GET request to https://shot.screenshotapi.net/v3/screenshot. The request uses token for the API key and url for the page to capture. Keep the token in server-side configuration, not browser code or a public repository.
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Here is a runnable Python example. Set the two environment variables before running it; it checks for an HTTP error and writes each successful response to a timestamped file so a later run does not overwrite it.
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from datetime import datetime, timezone
from pathlib import Path
import requests
api_token = os.environ["SCREENSHOTAPI_TOKEN"]
target_url = os.environ["TARGET_URL"]
response = requests.get(
"https://shot.screenshotapi.net/v3/screenshot",
params={"token": api_token, "url": target_url},
timeout=120,
)
response.raise_for_status()
output_dir = Path("captures")
output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
timestamp = datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ")
output_path = output_dir / f"capture-{timestamp}.png"
output_path.write_bytes(response.content)
print(f"Saved {output_path}")Install the dependency with python3 -m pip install requests. The example saves the response as PNG; if you request a different output format through ScreenshotAPI.net’s documented render parameters, change the file extension to match. Review the render documentation for supported capture settings and response behavior.
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Run and verify it before scheduling
- Set
SCREENSHOTAPI_TOKENto your API token andTARGET_URLto the page you want to capture. - Run the script directly on the server using the same Python interpreter you intend to use in cron.
- Confirm that the request succeeds, the
capturesdirectory is writable, and the resulting file opens as an image. - If the page is dynamic or the capture is incomplete, review the API’s rendering options, including waiting and delay controls, before scheduling repeated requests.
Schedule the script with cron
ScreenshotAPI.net’s tutorial, updated June 23, 2026, uses this example for a daily invocation at 08:00: 0 8 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/capture.py. Edit the crontab for the account that should run the job with crontab -e, then add an entry suited to your server:
0 8 * * * cd /path/to/project && SCREENSHOTAPI_TOKEN='your-token' TARGET_URL='https://example.com' /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/capture.py >> /path/to/capture.log 2>&1Replace the example paths, URL, and secret handling with your own. For production, prefer a protected environment file or secret manager rather than putting a long-lived token directly in a crontab. Ensure the cron account can read the script and configuration and write the output and log paths. Cron typically has a smaller environment than an interactive shell, so use absolute paths and explicitly set any required working directory or environment values.
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Choose a cadence deliberately
The example runs once daily. Cron expressions can schedule other intervals, but every invocation makes another API request and may create another stored file. Set a frequency that matches how quickly the target changes and your account’s applicable limits. The sources cited here do not establish current request quotas or plan limits.
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| Approach | Where it runs | What you operate | Output and history |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted cron | Your server or other always-on host. | You maintain the host, script, logs, environment and output storage. | Your script must save or route the response. ScreenshotAPI.net’s render documentation warns that reusing a non-unique result filename can overwrite an existing file. |
| Managed recurring scheduler | ScreenshotAPI.net’s service, configured in its dashboard. | You configure and manage the job in the dashboard rather than maintaining a cron host and script. | The service says managed captures are stored and viewable in its system. |
Choose cron when you need to integrate captures with your own processing or storage, or want control over the script and run environment. Choose the managed scheduler when you want ScreenshotAPI.net to run recurring captures without depending on your own machine being online. This is an operational distinction, not a claim that one approach is faster or more reliable.
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Configure a managed recurring capture
- Open Query Builder in the ScreenshotAPI.net dashboard.
- Enter the target URL and select the capture settings you need.
- Choose the scheduled screenshot option and select a preset or enter a custom cron expression.
- Open Schedule Requests to view screenshots or start, stop, or delete the job.
ScreenshotAPI.net describes recurring schedules as hourly, daily, weekly, or custom. The cited pages do not establish the scheduler’s timezone behavior, so confirm it in your account or with current vendor guidance if the exact local run time matters.
Stopping is not the same as deleting
Stopping a job pauses future executions without removing the job. Deleting it permanently removes screenshots associated with that job, according to the schedule documentation. Download captures you need to retain before deleting the job.
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Reliability, security, and troubleshooting
- Authentication errors: Verify the token is present in the cron process environment and passed as the documented
tokenparameter. Do not expose it in client-side code or a public repository. - Works manually, fails in cron: Check the cron user, absolute interpreter and script paths, working directory, environment configuration, and write permissions. Inspect the redirected log for the actual error.
- No output file or overwritten captures: Confirm the output directory is writable and each run uses a unique filename. The render documentation warns that a non-unique result filename can overwrite an existing result.
- Incomplete dynamic page: Check the API’s documented wait and delay rendering controls and test them manually before increasing the schedule frequency.
- Unclear failures or retries: Log each run and its exit status. The cited vendor pages do not document cron-side retry behavior, scheduler retries, failure notifications, or alert guarantees; add monitoring appropriate to your operation rather than assuming a failed run will be retried.
- Unexpected schedule time: Check the server’s cron timezone for self-hosted jobs. For managed jobs, verify timezone semantics with ScreenshotAPI.net; the cited schedule pages do not specify them.
ScreenshotAPI.net’s API documentation and schedule pages do not establish current plan quotas, pricing, retry behavior, or scheduler timezone semantics. Check the current account dashboard or official vendor support for details that affect your deployment.
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ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers. A single request returns an image or PDF; it can accept cookie and consent banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Each of those cleanup steps can be turned off. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, with page verdict and billing information included in response headers. Its MCP server gives AI agents screenshot, page-info, and PDF-capture tools.
For example, this cURL request saves a WebP capture. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for the key and options:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to keep my own computer on for cron captures?
Yes. A self-hosted cron job runs only while its host is available. ScreenshotAPI.net’s managed scheduler runs through the service instead.
Can I schedule captures every few minutes?
Cron can be configured for recurring intervals, but choose the cadence with request volume and your account’s current limits in mind. The cited vendor sources do not state current quotas.
What does deleting a managed schedule do to its screenshots?
The schedule documentation says deleting a job permanently removes its related screenshots. Stop the job instead if you only want to pause future captures.
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