Use Google Sheets to hold the page URLs and report rows, Google Apps Script to call Microlink’s screenshot API, and an installable time-driven trigger to refresh the report. The script below stores Microlink’s screenshot asset URL and status for each row; you can also display each image in the sheet. This is a documentation-based implementation recipe, not a tested script, so validate it against your account, current API terms, and the pages you need to capture.
How the automated screenshot report works
A spreadsheet is the input list and report. Apps Script reads each target URL, requests a screenshot from Microlink, then writes the capture date, screenshot URL, and outcome back to the matching row. A time-driven trigger runs the same function on a recurring schedule.
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- Put one page URL per row in a URL column.
- Use separate columns for capture date, screenshot URL, status, and notes.
- Have Apps Script call Microlink and parse
data.screenshot.urlfrom the JSON response. - Store that URL as a link or insert the public image into the spreadsheet.
- Schedule the refresh function with an installable trigger.
Microlink documents the screenshot endpoint and options in its API documentation and screenshot guide. Apps Script’s UrlFetchApp makes HTTP and HTTPS requests; the service may prompt you to authorize external requests. See Google’s URL Fetch Service reference.
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1. Set up the report columns
Create a sheet named Report with these headings in row 1: URL, Captured at, Screenshot URL, Status, and Notes. Put one absolute URL, including https://, in column A on each subsequent row. Do not leave blank rows between targets: the sample processes rows through the last non-empty cell in column A.
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2. Add the Apps Script
In the spreadsheet, open Extensions > Apps Script and replace the starter code with the following. Set MICROLINK_API_KEY if your chosen Microlink configuration requires a key. The sample uses Microlink’s documented API pattern, asks for a screenshot response, and records the returned screenshot asset URL. Review Microlink’s current API instructions for the precise authentication and option names available to your plan before running it.
const SHEET_NAME = 'Report';
const MICROLINK_API_KEY = ''; // Set if required by your Microlink plan/configuration.
function refreshScreenshotReport() {
const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName(SHEET_NAME);
if (!sheet) throw new Error(`Sheet not found: ${SHEET_NAME}`);
const lastRow = sheet.getLastRow();
if (lastRow < 2) return;
const urls = sheet.getRange(2, 1, lastRow - 1, 1).getValues();
urls.forEach((row, index) => {
const sheetRow = index + 2;
const pageUrl = String(row[0] || '').trim();
if (!pageUrl) return;
const capturedAt = new Date();
try {
const params = {
url: pageUrl,
screenshot: true
};
if (MICROLINK_API_KEY) params.key = MICROLINK_API_KEY;
const endpoint = 'https://api.microlink.io/?' +
Object.keys(params)
.map(key => encodeURIComponent(key) + '=' + encodeURIComponent(params[key]))
.join('&');
const response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(endpoint, {
method: 'get',
muteHttpExceptions: true
});
const statusCode = response.getResponseCode();
const text = response.getContentText();
if (statusCode < 200 || statusCode >= 300) {
sheet.getRange(sheetRow, 2, 1, 4).setValues([[
capturedAt, '', `HTTP ${statusCode}`, text.slice(0, 500)
]]);
return;
}
const result = JSON.parse(text);
const screenshotUrl = result && result.data && result.data.screenshot && result.data.screenshot.url;
if (!screenshotUrl) {
sheet.getRange(sheetRow, 2, 1, 4).setValues([[
capturedAt, '', 'No screenshot URL', text.slice(0, 500)
]]);
return;
}
sheet.getRange(sheetRow, 2, 1, 4).setValues([[
capturedAt, screenshotUrl, 'OK', ''
]]);
} catch (error) {
sheet.getRange(sheetRow, 2, 1, 4).setValues([[
capturedAt, '', 'Error', String(error).slice(0, 500)
]]);
}
});
}Google’s Spreadsheet class reference documents the spreadsheet service used to read and write cells. The code writes the outcome to columns B–E on the corresponding target row. Its error handling records non-success HTTP responses, invalid or missing screenshot output, and exceptions instead of silently discarding them.
3. Authorize and run once
Save the project, select refreshScreenshotReport in the Apps Script editor, and click Run. The first run may request permission to access the spreadsheet and make external requests. Approve only if the script and requested access are appropriate for your account. Check the report rows and Apps Script execution log before creating a recurring trigger.
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Choose what the report stores or displays
Store the screenshot URL
The script writes Microlink’s data.screenshot.url into the Screenshot URL column. This is the simplest option for reports that need a clickable capture reference, and it avoids embedding image data in the script. Confirm that the asset URL remains accessible for the period your reporting process requires.
Insert an image in a cell or over cells
Google Apps Script’s Sheet.insertImage(url, column, row) inserts an image from a publicly accessible URL. For example, after validating the returned URL, you can add sheet.insertImage(screenshotUrl, 6, sheetRow) to the success branch to place an image in column F. See the Spreadsheet class reference for the method and its behavior.
Google also offers blob-based insertion, but the blob insertion method has a 2 MB maximum. A URL-based image insert requires a publicly accessible image URL; if an asset is private or inaccessible to Google Sheets, keep it as a link or choose an authorized storage and display approach instead.
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Configure the screenshot for the page
A default viewport capture is suitable when the report should show what a visitor sees at a particular screen size. Microlink’s screenshot guide documents full-page capture, element targeting, and image type options. Choose deliberately: a full-page capture may be much taller than a viewport shot, while an element capture focuses the report on a specific region.
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Wait for dynamic content when needed
Pages that render after JavaScript runs may need more than the initial navigation. Microlink’s dynamic-content screenshot guide describes selector waits and page interactions such as clicks and scrolling. Prefer a condition tied to the content you need—for example, waiting for a results container—over an arbitrary fixed delay when the page provides a reliable selector. A fixed delay can be too short on a slow load and waste time on a fast one.
The reviewed Microlink guide lists a 30-second request timeout on the free plan and 60 seconds on Pro. Those limits can change; check the current plan terms before designing captures that depend on a long wait.
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Schedule recurring captures
Use an installable time-driven trigger for unattended refreshes. In Apps Script, open Triggers (the clock icon), choose Add Trigger, select refreshScreenshotReport, select Time-driven as the event source, then choose the interval and time window that suit the report. Google’s Installable Triggers guide covers trigger setup and behavior.
- Triggers may run as frequently as every minute or as infrequently as monthly, subject to quotas and available scheduling choices.
- The trigger runs under the Google account that created it. If that account loses access or is closed, the automation can be disrupted.
- Google says the exact execution time can be randomized within an hourly scheduling window; do not treat an hourly trigger as a guaranteed run at a particular minute.
- Document the trigger owner and ensure that account retains spreadsheet and authorization access.
Estimate capacity, quotas, and cost
Each processed URL generally requires a Microlink request, so estimate calls as target pages multiplied by refreshes, then leave headroom for retries and manual runs. Microlink’s API page, reviewed 2026-10-03, lists 25 requests per day on its free tier and a Pro configuration with 46,000 requests per month at $49 per month. The same page reports a 99.9% uptime SLA for paid plans only. These are the terms listed on that page when reviewed, not permanent guarantees; verify the live Microlink API page before selecting capacity or relying on service terms.
Google for Developers’ Apps Script quotas page, reviewed in 2026, lists daily URL Fetch limits of 20,000 calls for consumer accounts and 100,000 for Workspace accounts, and trigger runtime limits of 90 minutes per day for consumer accounts and six hours per day for Workspace accounts. Google says quotas vary by account type and can change. Apps Script can therefore be the limiting factor even when the Microlink plan has request capacity.
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For a rough workload estimate, multiply the number of nonblank URL rows by the number of scheduled refreshes per day. Then account for manual runs, retries, and execution time. A report with many pages, long waits, or frequent schedules should be tested against both services’ current limits rather than assuming that the theoretical API request allowance is the only constraint.
Troubleshoot failed or incomplete report rows
- Authorization error: run the function manually from the editor and review the requested scopes. Confirm the Google account has access to the spreadsheet and permission to make external requests.
- HTTP error recorded in Status: inspect the Notes cell for the response body. Check the URL, Microlink authentication and plan limits, and whether the target site is reachable.
- Status says “No screenshot URL”: the API response did not contain the expected screenshot asset field. Inspect the response recorded in Notes and compare the request options with Microlink’s current screenshot guide.
- Capture misses content that appears later: add a page-appropriate selector wait or documented interaction; confirm that the selected element exists and is available to the capture process. See Microlink’s dynamic-content guide.
- Image does not appear in Sheets: check that the URL is publicly accessible and points to an image. Use the URL as a link if the image cannot be fetched by Sheets; blob insertion has a 2 MB limit.
- Trigger stops running or results arrive late: check Apps Script executions and quota errors, confirm the trigger still exists, and verify the trigger creator’s account retains access. Do not assume an hourly trigger executes at the start of the hour.
- Rows are skipped: the sample ignores blank URL cells and only reads through the last non-empty row in column A. Remove unintended gaps or adjust the input logic if your sheet has a different layout.
Or skip the browser setup
If you would rather call a screenshot API directly, ScreenshotNeo accepts one GET request with a URL and returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Its API accepts familiar parameter names used by other screenshot APIs, which can make switching easier.
Example with cURL; see the ScreenshotNeo documentation for the API options:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Google Sheets take a screenshot of a website by itself?
Not with the workflow described here: Apps Script requests the capture from Microlink, then Sheets stores its URL or inserts the returned image.
Can I schedule screenshots more frequently than once a day?
Yes. Installable time-driven triggers support recurring schedules as frequently as every minute, subject to Google’s current scheduling options and quotas.
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