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How to Set Cookies and Headers in an HTMLCSStoImage API Request

Pass cookies and custom headers to an HTMLCSStoImage URL screenshot through the headers parameter, using a flat JSON object or repeated form fields.

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To send cookies or other custom headers with an HTMLCSStoImage screenshot request, add them to the headers parameter. For a JSON request, pass a flat object whose keys are header names and whose values are strings. For a form request, repeat headers once per header in name:value form. This applies to URL screenshots, not HTML/CSS or template renders.

Set headers in a JSON request

Send a POST request to https://hcti.io/v1/image, authenticated with HTTP Basic authentication: use your API ID as the username and API key as the password. Set url to the page to capture and provide a flat headers object:

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{
  "url": "https://example.com/account",
  "headers": {
    "Cookie": "session=short-lived-session-value",
    "X-Preview-Mode": "enabled"
  }
}

Header names are object keys; values must be strings. Nested objects and arrays are unsupported. Supply either url or html for image creation, not both. Custom request headers are for URL screenshots.

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Send headers with a form request

With form-encoded data, repeat the headers field for every header. The service splits each value at its first colon, so colons after that point remain part of the header value.

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curl -X POST https://hcti.io/v1/image 
  -u 'API_ID:API_KEY' 
  --data-urlencode 'url=https://example.com/account' 
  --data-urlencode 'headers=Cookie:session=short-lived-session-value' 
  --data-urlencode 'headers=X-Preview-Mode:enabled'

Replace the example credentials and URL with your own. Keep the API ID and key on the server side rather than exposing them in browser code.

Control which origins receive headers

By default, custom headers accompany top-level navigation to the requested URL’s origin. To send them to another authorized origin, include that exact origin in additional_header_origins. An origin includes its scheme, host, and optional port; changing the scheme or port means a different origin.

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Headers reach CSS, image, JavaScript, and other subrequests only if include_headers_on_subrequests is true. They are then limited to the requested origin and any listed additional origins. Leave this option false if only the main page needs the header; doing so helps avoid sending credentials to third-party resources or cross-origin redirects.

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Respect header limits and restrictions

The API documentation sets these limits for custom headers:

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  • Up to 20 headers per request.
  • Header names must be unique without regard to case and can be up to 512 ASCII characters.
  • Values can be up to 8,192 UTF-8 bytes.
  • Control characters are disallowed except horizontal tab.

Hop-by-hop, proxy, forwarding, connection, host, infrastructure-controlled, and certain prefixed headers are restricted. Invalid, duplicate, restricted, or oversized headers produce a request error.

Use session cookies for authorized pages

For a page you are authorized to access, send a short-lived session cookie or authorization token in headers. HTMLCSStoImage states: “The API does not automate an interactive login flow.” If the page offers an embed that provides the content you need, using that may avoid rendering a signed-in page.

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Treat the API key like a password, and scope it to the operations your application needs. Use narrowly scoped, short-lived page credentials when possible. Avoid placing secrets in create-and-render URLs: URLs can appear in browser history, access logs, analytics, and referrer data.

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Sign requests containing headers carefully

If you use a signed create-and-render URL, represent headers as repeated query parameters in name:value form. Every repeated headers parameter must be included in the HMAC calculation in its exact order and encoding. Keep signing on your server and do not expose the API key in client-side code. See the HTMLCSStoImage documentation for the service’s API guidance.

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Troubleshoot header requests

  • The request is rejected: Check for duplicate header names (including case differences), restricted headers, control characters, or values beyond the documented size limits.
  • A subresource does not receive the cookie or header: Confirm that include_headers_on_subrequests is enabled and that the resource’s exact origin is the requested origin or appears in additional_header_origins.
  • A redirect or third-party resource does not receive the header: Header delivery is origin-scoped. Verify the scheme, host, and port and add only an authorized origin where needed.
  • A sign-in page still asks you to log in: The API does not automate interactive login. Use an authorized session cookie or token, or an available embed.
  • A form request parses a header incorrectly: Send each header as its own repeated headers=name:value field; the first colon separates the name from the value.

Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo provides a one-request screenshot API. For example, this cURL request captures a URL as WebP:

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

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for the request options. Its captures remove cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed. It also has an MCP server with screenshot tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn about ScreenshotNeo, then sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.

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