After signing up for a Thumbalizr account, find your API key and secret in the member section. For the Embed API, put the Embed API key in the request path and generate a token by hashing the request query string followed by your secret. Encode parameter values—especially the page URL—and keep the secret on a server, not in visitor-visible code.
Where to find your Thumbalizr API key and secret
Thumbalizr’s documentation says the API key and secret are available in the “member section” after you sign up for an account. Its demo page also describes registering for a free account to get an API key. The docs do not specify dashboard clicks beyond the member section, so there is no verified menu path to give. Thumbalizr API documentation · Thumbalizr demo and account information
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The official Python/Django page likewise places the credentials in the member section. Thumbalizr Python and Django documentation
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The documented Embed API request places the Embed API key and token in the endpoint path. The token is the MD5 hash of the query string followed directly by the secret. For example, for url=https://www.google.com/&mode=page, the input to the hash is url=https://www.google.com/&mode=pageSECRET, where SECRET represents your actual secret.
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Thumbalizr’s documented request pattern is:
https://api.thumbalizr.com/api/v1/embed/EMBED_API_KEY/TOKEN/?url=https://www.google.com/&mode=page
The URL in the token input must match the encoded query string sent in the request. Build the query string in the same order for both operations, encode parameter values correctly, then append the secret before calculating the MD5 digest. A mismatch in encoding, parameter order, or values can produce a token that does not match the request.
Runnable Python example
This example requires Python 3 and uses only its standard library. Set the credentials as environment variables rather than putting them in a public webpage or source repository.
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import hashlib
import os
from urllib.parse import urlencode
from urllib.request import urlopen
api_key = os.environ["THUMBALIZR_API_KEY"]
secret = os.environ["THUMBALIZR_API_SECRET"]
params = [("url", "https://www.google.com/"), ("mode", "page")]
query = urlencode(params)
token = hashlib.md5((query + secret).encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
request_url = f"https://api.thumbalizr.com/api/v1/embed/{api_key}/{token}/?{query}"
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with urlopen(request_url, timeout=60) as response:
image = response.read()
print("HTTP status:", response.status)
print("Thumbalizr status:", response.headers.get("X-Thumbalizr-Status"))
print("Thumbalizr error:", response.headers.get("X-Thumbalizr-Error"))
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output.write(image)
Run it after setting THUMBALIZR_API_KEY and THUMBALIZR_API_SECRET in your environment. The output file has no extension because this minimal example does not assume a particular output format; use the format option documented for your account if you need a specific file type. Treat the downloaded response as an image only when the API status and response indicate a successful capture.
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Choosing the API for embedding versus offline use
Thumbalizr’s docs recommend the Embed API when placing thumbnails on a website. They warn that the old API should not be used to embed a screenshot directly on a webpage unless the API key can be hidden from visitors. In either flow, a secret used to compute the token must remain server-side. Do not put it in browser JavaScript, HTML source, or a public repository. The old API is described as better suited to offline downloads; consult the current official documentation for the applicable endpoint and parameters rather than reusing the Embed API pattern.
Request options and account-dependent features
The API documentation lists url as the required parameter. Other settings include width, format, JPEG quality, timestamp, size, delay, browser width and height, and country. The profile supplies defaults for omitted options. Some values depend on membership level, and the available documentation does not establish that old tier examples or features remain current for every account. Check the current API docs and your account settings before depending on a particular option.
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Reading the response and diagnosing failures
Thumbalizr documents these response headers: X-Thumbalizr-Status can be QUEUED, OK, or FAILED; X-Thumbalizr-Error provides failure details. Check these headers rather than treating any returned body as a completed screenshot.
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- Token rejected or request fails authentication: Confirm that you used the Embed API key and matching secret, built the token from the exact query string followed by the secret, and used the same encoding and parameter order in the request.
- The target page or options are not reflected: Verify that the encoded
urlis correct and that optional settings are supported for your membership level. Omitted options may use profile defaults. - Status is
QUEUED: The response is not yet marked complete. Do not treat it as a finished screenshot; follow the current API documentation for the handling appropriate to your integration. - Status is
FAILED: ReadX-Thumbalizr-Errorfor the reported failure detail and correct the request or target accordingly. - You cannot locate or recover credentials: The cited documentation establishes the member section as their location but does not document a recovery, rotation, or account-navigation procedure. Use Thumbalizr’s account support rather than guessing a dashboard path.
Or skip the browser setup
For a screenshot request without building this authentication flow, ScreenshotNeo accepts one GET request. Its service removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. It also provides an MCP server for AI agents, and includes 1,000 screenshots per month free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000.
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 request options. ScreenshotNeo is an alternative if you want clean captures and billing limited to clean shots. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo to get 1,000 screenshots a month free with no card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Thumbalizr document a way to rotate or recover an API secret?
The cited Thumbalizr documentation does not specify a credential recovery or rotation workflow.
What does an X-Thumbalizr-Status value of QUEUED mean?
It indicates the response is queued rather than marked complete; consult the current API documentation for how your integration should handle it.
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