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You can capture a password-protected page with ScreenshotAPI if you provide the same kind of authentication the target site expects: HTTP Basic Authentication, a valid session cookie, or a supported custom header. Send credentials in a POST request rather than putting them in a URL, then check the final-page status: a 401 or 403 means the capture shows a login or error page, not the protected content.
Choose the credential type the site actually uses
There is no universal “logged-in” credential that works for every protected page. Identify how the target site authenticates before building the request. ScreenshotAPI documents three relevant inputs: basic_auth, cookies, and custom request headers. Its Screenshot API documentation describes these options; its help page also emphasizes that the method depends on the site.
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- HTTP Basic Authentication: Use
basic_authwhen the target origin presents a Basic Auth username-and-password challenge. - Session cookie: Use
cookieswhen access depends on an already-authenticated session represented by cookies for the target host. - Custom header: Use
headeror the documentedheadersobject when the staging or preview site expects a custom header. These headers are scoped to requests for the target host; they do not follow a redirect to a different host.
These mechanisms are not interchangeable. A credential field cannot complete every interactive login, multi-step sign-in, or bot challenge.
Send credentials in a POST request
For requests containing authentication material, use ScreenshotAPI’s POST form and put the target URL and credentials in the JSON request body using the field appropriate to the site. The service documentation warns that query-string values may appear in access logs; a JSON body avoids putting credentials in the URL. Keep the request in trusted server-side code, not in browser JavaScript or page source.
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Use the field names documented by ScreenshotAPI for your request: basic_auth for Basic Auth, cookies for session cookies, or headers for custom request headers. Follow the documentation for the exact POST endpoint and payload shape rather than assuming these fields can be combined to bypass an unrelated login flow.
Verify that the capture reached the protected page
Receiving image bytes does not prove authentication worked: a renderer can successfully screenshot a login or error page. Inspect the final-page HTTP status reported by the response. ScreenshotAPI’s documentation says, “A 401 or 403 means the image is a login or error page, not the content.” If you see either status, do not treat the image as a successful capture of the protected page.
When a hosted screenshot service is the wrong fit
Server-side capture works when the service can make the required request to the target using the supported credential mechanism. It may not work for a page that exists only inside your local browser’s authenticated session or depends on an interactive sign-in flow the API does not support. ScreenshotAPI’s documentation points users toward a browser capture workflow for pages tied to a local session. In that case, use a trusted local browser automation setup and avoid sending session secrets to a hosted renderer.
Troubleshoot failed or incorrect captures
- The image shows a login screen: Check the final-page status. Confirm whether the site requires Basic Auth, a cookie, or a custom header, and send the matching input.
- The final status is 401 or 403: The page request was not accepted as authenticated. Recheck that the credential is current and belongs to the target site, and confirm the site uses the mechanism you supplied.
- A custom header works on the first host but not after redirect: ScreenshotAPI documents target-host scoping for custom headers; they do not follow a redirect to another host. Check the redirect destination and its authentication requirements.
- The page works in your browser but not in the API: Your browser may have a local session or use an interactive login flow that the server-side capture cannot reproduce. Use a local browser workflow where the session remains on your machine.
- You are considering putting credentials in the URL: Don’t. Use POST with a JSON body so secrets are not exposed as query-string values that may be logged.
Or skip the browser setup: use ScreenshotNeo
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server; for a simple public-page capture, one GET request returns an image or PDF. Its clean-shot options accept cookie and consent banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture, with each step configurable. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools to take screenshots, inspect page information, and capture PDFs.
For example, a basic public URL capture with cURL is:
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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.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for the request options and authentication details. This one-call example is for a public target URL; it does not establish that ScreenshotNeo can authenticate to every password-protected site, so match any protected target’s authentication requirements against the documentation before sending credentials.
The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan to try it.
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