Use PagePeeker’s V2 thumbnail URL as the src of an image in WordPress. Encode the website address you want captured, choose a thumbnail size, then place the image URL in a Custom HTML block or your theme. PagePeeker calls V2 its current recommended version; its V1 endpoint is discontinued and redirects to V2. India-specific billing, taxes, payment methods and localized terms are not established here, so check PagePeeker’s current account and billing details before choosing a plan.
Build a PagePeeker V2 thumbnail URL
PagePeeker documents this direct-link format for its thumbnail image endpoint:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
http://{entrypoint}.pagepeeker.com/v2/thumbs.php?size={size}&code={code}&refresh={refresh}&wait={wait}&url={url}
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe values in braces are parameters, not text to paste literally. The target page’s URL must be encoded as a query parameter. PagePeeker’s documentation describes V2 as “V2 – Current Version. Recommended for use.” See the Website Thumbnails API documentation for the current endpoint and parameter details.
#1 Best Overall
Choose a size
| Code | Documented size |
|---|---|
t |
Tiny, 90 × 68 px |
s |
Small, 120 × 90 px |
m |
Medium, 200 × 150 px |
l |
Large, 400 × 300 px |
x |
Extra large, 480 × 360 px |
These are standard sizes; premium accounts may have additional sizes. Set the size to suit the space in your layout, and avoid stretching a small thumbnail to a much larger display size.
Encode the target URL
For a simple URL such as https://example.com, the value can be placed after url=. For a URL with query parameters, ampersands, spaces or other reserved characters, percent-encode the entire target URL so its characters are not mistaken for parameters of PagePeeker’s request. A free-endpoint pattern, without an account code, looks like this:
http://free.pagepeeker.com/v2/thumbs.php?size=m&url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11PagePeeker documents optional parameters including code, refresh and wait. Consult its API page for their supported values and behavior. Do not expose an account code in browser HTML: PagePeeker advises using the code only for server-side calls because a client-side code could let other people consume the account quota.
Add the thumbnail to WordPress
The examples below use the documented image URL as a remote image source. They are implementation patterns, not a claim that a particular WordPress version or plugin was tested. Replace the example target with the page you want to capture, and ensure its URL is encoded.
Option 1: Custom HTML block
- In the WordPress editor, add a Custom HTML block where the thumbnail should appear.
- Paste an image element with the PagePeeker URL in
src, for example:<img src="http://free.pagepeeker.com/v2/thumbs.php?size=m&url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com" alt="Screenshot of Example" width="200" height="150" loading="lazy"> - Change the encoded target address, size and alternative text to match your content, then preview the page and confirm the remote image loads.
In HTML, query-string ampersands should be written as & inside the attribute. If using WordPress’s image interface instead, enter the full remote image URL as the image source where that editor workflow permits it.
Option 2: A shortcode in a small custom implementation
If editors need to enter different target URLs without editing HTML, a developer can register a shortcode that constructs the image URL and escapes its attributes. The following PHP illustrates the approach; add it through a site-specific plugin or another maintained code path, not by pasting PHP into a post. This implementation is a general WordPress pattern, not a PagePeeker-provided or tested plugin.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
function site_pagepeeker_shortcode( $atts ) {
$atts = shortcode_atts( array(
'url' => '',
'size' => 'm',
'alt' => '',
), $atts, 'pagepeeker' );
$allowed_sizes = array( 't', 's', 'm', 'l', 'x' );
if ( ! in_array( $atts['size'], $allowed_sizes, true ) || ! filter_var( $atts['url'], FILTER_VALIDATE_URL ) ) {
return '';
}
$image_url = add_query_arg( array(
'size' => $atts['size'],
'url' => $atts['url'],
), 'http://free.pagepeeker.com/v2/thumbs.php' );
Rank #3
return '<img src="' . esc_url( $image_url ) . '" alt="' . esc_attr( $atts['alt'] ) . '" loading="lazy">';
}
add_shortcode( 'pagepeeker', 'site_pagepeeker_shortcode' );
An editor could then use [pagepeeker size="m" url="https://example.com" alt="Screenshot of Example"]. A production implementation should validate allowed URL schemes and consider how to handle invalid input, dimensions and styling for the site’s needs.
Option 3: Existing plugin
The WordPress.com Pagepeeker listing shows historical shortcode syntax such as [pagepeeker size="t" url="google.com" alt="Google"] and lists thumbnail sizes. However, the listing says it was last updated February 19, 2013 and tested up to WordPress 3.5.2. That documents old syntax, not compatibility with a current WordPress installation. The WordPress.org listing for Hover Preview describes a PagePeeker API-key integration, but current maintenance and support were not verified. Before installing either, check its present update history, compatibility, permissions and support status. For the legacy listing, see Pagepeeker Plugin on WordPress.com.
Choose a PagePeeker account with its terms in view
PagePeeker’s pricing and free-plan pages checked in 2026 list the following service specifications. They are provider-listed figures and can change. Prices are in USD; the available evidence does not establish India-specific conversion, taxes, payment methods or billing terms.
| Option | Branding or backlink | Monthly calls | Maximum listed size | Cache | Typical rendering | Listed price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free branded | PagePeeker branding | No monthly limit listed | 480 × 360 px | 20 days | 30–60 seconds | Free, no expiration listed |
| Free unbranded | No thumbnail branding; backlink required | 100,000 | 480 × 360 px | 20 days | 10–20 seconds | Free |
| Basic | Not stated on the cited pricing details | 100,000 | 480 × 360 px | 7 days | 10–20 seconds | $5.99/month |
| Advanced | Not stated on the cited pricing details | 1,000,000 | 480 × 360 px | 5 days | 5–15 seconds | $39.99/month |
| Premium | Not stated on the cited pricing details | Unlimited, as listed | Size as listed | Customizable | Under 5 seconds | Custom pricing |
The Premium listing also includes mobile/tablet and full-length screenshots and HTML-to-PDF conversion. PagePeeker’s pricing page and Free Thumbnails page describe plan specifications; confirm current terms directly before committing.
Rank #4
Understand the free-plan trade-offs
The free branded option avoids a listed monthly call limit but includes branding. The free unbranded option lists 100,000 calls per month and requires a backlink. PagePeeker’s FAQ says the backlink must appear on the account site’s homepage and be validated. If that condition does not suit your site, do not assume an unbranded free thumbnail is available without it; check PagePeeker’s current FAQ.
Estimate API-call use and refresh behavior
PagePeeker says each of these operations adds one API call: displaying an already generated thumbnail, generating a thumbnail that is not cached, checking whether an image is available, and calling any exposed API. A page view therefore does not necessarily equal exactly one call; your implementation may perform multiple counted operations. Quota is monthly and does not roll over. The FAQ describes premium pay-as-you-go as intended for customers above five million API calls per month.
For a rough estimate, count the operations your integration actually makes: image displays across visitors, uncached generations, readiness checks and any additional API calls. Caching can reduce repeated generation work, but displaying a thumbnail is itself listed as a counted call. Each option’s listed cache period differs, so plan for refreshes and traffic rather than assuming a thumbnail is generated only once. See the PagePeeker FAQ for call-counting details.
Performance, reliability and privacy considerations
- Rendering is not necessarily immediate. PagePeeker’s 2026 plan pages list typical rendering times from 30–60 seconds on the free branded option to under 5 seconds on Premium. These are provider-stated typical times, not a guarantee for every page.
- Use a sensible display size. The documented standard sizes top out at 480 × 360 px. A layout requesting a larger visual area may upscale the image and appear soft.
- Keep the target URL stable and encoded. Query strings and special characters in the target address can otherwise be parsed incorrectly.
- Consider remote-service dependency. The browser fetches the image from PagePeeker, so an unavailable or slow remote response can affect the displayed thumbnail. Do not make essential page content depend solely on a third-party preview image.
- Protect account credentials. Do not put an account code in a public image URL or client-side markup if your account requires it; PagePeeker warns that exposed codes can be used to consume quota.
Troubleshoot a missing or incorrect thumbnail
- The image is broken: open the image URL directly and check that the endpoint is V2, the size code is supported, and the target URL is correctly encoded.
- The captured site is not the intended page: inspect the decoded
urlparameter. An unescaped ampersand or malformed query string may have truncated the address. - A thumbnail is branded: the free branded option includes PagePeeker branding. Check the selected account option and its current branding terms.
- An unbranded free image is unavailable: verify the backlink requirement, including the homepage placement and validation described in PagePeeker’s FAQ.
- Rendering appears slow: compare expectations with the plan’s listed typical rendering time and cache period. Those published figures are not a per-request guarantee.
- Usage is higher than expected: account for displays, uncached generations, availability checks and other API calls; a single WordPress page can trigger more than one such operation.
- A plugin fails on current WordPress: the historical Pagepeeker listing only reports testing through WordPress 3.5.2. Check current compatibility and maintenance, or use a custom block or maintained shortcode implementation instead.
For site owners: opt out of PagePeeker crawling
If you operate a website and do not want PagePeeker’s robot to capture its pages, PagePeeker documents adding these lines to the site’s robots.txt:
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →User-agent: PagePeeker
Disallow: /
See About the PagePeeker robot for the provider’s instructions.
Best Value
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot from code rather than a PagePeeker thumbnail embed, ScreenshotNeo offers a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request can return PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF; its parameter names also work with those used by other screenshot APIs. For example, save a WebP screenshot of a page with cURL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
For the full options, see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation. It removes cookie banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PagePeeker’s WordPress shortcode still work?
The cited Pagepeeker listing documents a legacy shortcode but only reports testing up to WordPress 3.5.2. Current compatibility is not established; verify the plugin before relying on it.
Does a PagePeeker thumbnail update automatically when the target page changes?
The plan pages list cache periods that vary by account option. The sources do not establish a universal immediate-refresh behavior; consult the API documentation for refresh controls.
Quick Recap
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.
