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How to take a screenshot of a website in Make (HTTP module)

If you automate with Make (formerly Integromat), sooner or later some scenario needs a screenshot of a web page: a link thumbnail, a preview of a client's site, or archiving how a page looked. You don't need to run a browser or install odd apps. With the HTTP module and the Cofferdock API you can set it up in a couple of minutes.

One honest thing to know, because a lot of people search for it that way: Make has no dedicated module to capture website screenshots. You do it with the generic HTTP module calling an API that opens the page and takes the shot. Here's how, field by field.

What you'll get

You send the URL of any public website and it returns the screenshot in PNG or JPEG, ready for the next module in the scenario. Unlike the HTML-to-image tool, here the page's JavaScript actually runs, so you capture the site the way a real visitor would see it.

Typical uses in Make:

• A link thumbnail before sharing it.
• Watching how a client's website looks and getting alerted if something important changes.
• Archiving how a page looked on a given date.
• Automatic previews for a link catalog or a newsletter.

What you need

• A Cofferdock account. The free plan includes 50 uses a month with no card, great for testing.
• Your API key, created in your dashboard with "+ Create key". It's shown once, so copy and save it.
• The HTTP → Make a request module in your scenario.

Step by step in the HTTP module

Add the HTTP → Make a request module and set it up like this:

• URL: https://api.cofferdock.com/screenshot
• Method: POST
• Headers: add two → x-api-key with your key, and Content-Type with the value text/plain.
• Query String: add width = 1280 and height = 800.
• Body type: Raw
• Content type: text/plain
• Request content: paste the URL of the site you want to capture.
• Leave Parse response off: the response is an image, not JSON.

The module's output is already the image file. Wire it straight into Google Drive (Upload a file), Email as an attachment, or wherever you need it. One module, done.

A quick example

Say you keep a link catalog in a spreadsheet and want a thumbnail for each one. The scenario would be:

1. A Google Sheets module (Watch Rows) that detects new rows with links.
2. The HTTP module above, which captures the URL from that row.
3. A Google Drive → Upload a file module that stores the image (mapping the file the HTTP module returns).

Every run gives you a screenshot of a different site, automatically.

Options you can tweak

Add them to the Query String in the same module:

The page opens with JavaScript enabled, so it renders just like in a real browser.

Prefer to see it in code?

The same call with curl, in case you want to try it on its own:

curl -X POST "https://api.cofferdock.com/screenshot?width=1280&height=800" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: text/plain" \
  --data-binary "https://cofferdock.com" \
  -o screenshot.png

How much does it cost?

Each screenshot uses 1 credit from your plan. Every Cofferdock tool shares the same pool of credits, so you're not paying for a separate service for each thing.

FAQ

Does Make have a native module to capture a website? No. You do it with the generic HTTP module calling the Cofferdock API, which opens the page and takes the shot.

Do I need to turn on "Parse response"? No. The response is an image (a file), not JSON, so leave it off and map the file to the next module.

Does it run the page's JavaScript? Yes. Unlike the HTML-to-image tool, here JavaScript is enabled so the site renders as it would for a regular visitor.

Can I generate several screenshots at once? Yes. If the previous module returns several items, Make runs the HTTP module once per item.

Try it yourself

You'll find the full instructions, with copy-paste examples, on the website screenshot tool page. And if you don't have an account yet, you can create one for free and build your first scenario today.