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How to Pass Custom Headers to a Website Screenshot API

Pass target-site headers through a screenshot provider’s rendering options, not its outer API authentication headers. The right field and scope depend on the provider.

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Put headers meant for the website being captured in the screenshot API’s documented browser or rendering options—not automatically in the headers you send to authenticate with the screenshot service. The field name and request format differ by provider, so use its documented schema and keep the two sets of credentials separate.

Separate screenshot-service authentication from target-page headers

A screenshot request can involve two destinations. Your outer HTTP request goes to the screenshot provider; its remote browser then requests the page you want captured. A provider API token authenticates the first request. A target-site token or other custom header must be passed through the provider’s capture options so the remote browser can send it to the page.

Putting Authorization on the outer request does not, by itself, mean the target page receives that header. Likewise, do not put a target-site credential in the provider-authentication field. Cloudflare’s documentation explicitly describes adding custom authorization headers with setExtraHTTPHeaders. Cloudflare Browser Run screenshot documentation

Cloudflare Browser Run: send target headers in the JSON body

This example uses a Cloudflare API token on the outer request and a separate bearer token for the target page. Replace the placeholders with credentials you are authorized to use.

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curl -X POST 'https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/accounts/<accountId>/browser-run/screenshot' 
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer <apiToken>' 
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' 
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/protected-page",
    "setExtraHTTPHeaders": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer your-target-site-token"
    }
  }' 
  --output "authenticated-screenshot.png"

The outer Authorization header is for Cloudflare. The Authorization value nested inside setExtraHTTPHeaders is for the rendered browser’s request to the target page. This JSON shape and endpoint are Cloudflare-specific, not a universal screenshot API format.

Check the provider’s exact header format

Screenshot providers expose target headers differently; do not copy a field name from another service and assume it will work.

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Provider Documented target-header option Important scope or format note
ScreenshotNeo Custom headers are among its capture options; see its API documentation. The available product facts do not specify a parameter name or request encoding for custom headers. Check the current docs for the exact syntax.
Cloudflare Browser Run setExtraHTTPHeaders as a name/value object in POST JSON. The documentation also shows cookies and an authenticate object for HTTP Basic Auth. Cloudflare documentation
Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net) headers object in its POST capture example. Its docs say headers are sent only to the target host, are not followed to another host after a redirect, and that Host, Cookie, and hop-by-hop headers are refused. It recommends POST for credentials because query strings may be recorded in access logs. Provider documentation
ScreenshotCenter header array, with each header represented as an object, such as [{"X-Request-Id":"abc123"},{"Authorization":"Bearer token"}]. The help page separately lists referer, user_agent, cookie, and post_data. Its article says it was last updated March 27, 2026; verify the endpoint method and body format for your deployment. ScreenshotCenter help
Screenshot API (screenshot-api.org) No target-page header option is listed in its capture parameter table. Its documented outer API-key authentication options include Authorization: Bearer ... or X-API-Key; do not assume either is forwarded to the target. Provider documentation

Use a safe request pattern

  1. Identify the intended recipient. Decide which target website needs the header, and identify the screenshot service’s documented browser/rendering option for target headers.
  2. Use the documented method and encoding. If the provider documents POST JSON, place the target URL and capture options in that body. Match its exact property name and value shape.
  3. Keep credentials separate. Send the screenshot API credential only through its documented authentication mechanism. Place target-site credentials only in the target-header option.
  4. Protect secrets. Avoid embedding credentials in public source code, browser-side applications, URLs, logs, or error reports. Prefer a POST body over a query string when the provider supports it and documents that approach.
  5. Check what loaded. Inspect the image or PDF and, if available, the target-page status. A successful screenshot API response can still contain a login, denial, or error page.
  6. Verify where headers apply. Check the provider’s behavior for redirects, other origins, and subresources. Do not infer one provider’s rules from another’s.

Choose the right authentication mechanism

A custom header is useful when the target application expects that header on its page request. It is not interchangeable with every login method. If the site expects a session cookie or HTTP Basic Auth, use the corresponding option if your provider supports it. Cloudflare’s screenshot documentation describes cookies and an authenticate object for Basic Auth in addition to custom headers. Cloudflare Browser Run documentation

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ScreenshotNeo offers a website screenshot API and MCP server. Its product information lists custom headers among its capture options, along with PNG, JPEG, WebP, and PDF output. Check the ScreenshotNeo API docs for the exact request parameter and encoding for target headers.

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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

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Troubleshoot when the protected page does not appear

  • The image shows a login or access-denied page: The screenshot service may have captured successfully while the target rejected the request. Confirm the token is valid for that target URL and inspect any target status the API returns.
  • The target never receives the header: Check that it is nested under the provider’s target-page option, not merely sent as an outer API request header. Verify the provider’s exact property name and body encoding.
  • It works on the first URL but fails after a redirect: Header forwarding across host changes is provider-specific. Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net), for example, documents that its custom headers do not follow redirects to another host. Check the redirect destination and the provider’s policy.
  • A cookie or authorization value is rejected: Confirm the target’s expected authentication type. A header, cookie, and Basic Auth flow are distinct; use the matching documented capture option.
  • Some page assets remain unauthorized: Find out whether the provider applies target headers to subresource requests and across origins. The cited providers do not establish a universal rule.
  • The API rejects a header: Providers can block particular names. Screenshot API (screenshot-api.net) says it refuses Host, Cookie, and hop-by-hop headers; use its documented cookie option where appropriate, or consult the selected provider’s rules.
  • A credential appears in logs or a URL: Move it out of query parameters where POST is supported, restrict access to request logs, and avoid exposing secrets in client-side code or diagnostics.

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