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Getting Started

This guide will walk you through setting up BoltShot and taking your first screenshot.

Prerequisites​

  • A BoltShot account (sign up at boltshot.dev)
  • Basic knowledge of HTTP requests
  • A HTTP client (browser, Postman, or your preferred tool)

Step 1: Create Your Account​

  1. Visit the BoltShot website and click Sign Up
  2. Fill in your details:
    • Email address
    • Password
    • First and Last name
  3. Verify your email address (check your inbox)

Step 2: Generate an API Key​

API keys are required to authenticate your screenshot requests. You can create them in your BoltShot dashboard.

  1. Log in to your BoltShot dashboard
  2. Navigate to API Keys section
  3. Click Create API Key
  4. Give it a name (e.g., "Production API Key")
  5. Click Create
  6. Important: Copy the API key - you'll need it for all screenshot requests!

Step 3: Take Your First Screenshot​

Now let's capture your first screenshot! BoltShot uses GET requests with query parameters.

Basic Screenshot​

GET https://api.boltshot.dev/capture?url=https://example.com&apiKey=your_api_key_here

Response: The screenshot will be returned as a PNG file. Save it to see your captured image!

With Additional Options​

GET https://api.boltshot.dev/capture?url=https://example.com&format=png&fullPage=true&viewportWidth=1920&viewportHeight=1080&apiKey=your_api_key_here

JSON Response (for Preview)​

If you want to get the screenshot as base64-encoded data for preview, set returnFile=false:

GET https://api.boltshot.dev/capture?url=https://example.com&format=png&fullPage=true&returnFile=false&apiKey=your_api_key_here

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "requestId": "uuid",
  "fileName": "screenshot.png",
  "processingTime": 2500,
  "fileSize": 1024000,
  "url": "https://storage.example.com/screenshots/screenshot.png",
  "imageData": "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANS..."
}

Step 4: Configure Storage (Optional)​

By default, BoltShot returns screenshots directly. However, if you want to store screenshots in your own S3-compatible storage, you can configure this in your dashboard:

  1. Navigate to Storage in your dashboard
  2. Click Add Storage Configuration
  3. Fill in your storage details
  4. Click Test Connection to verify
  5. Set as Default if you want all screenshots to use this storage

Next Steps​

Now that you've taken your first screenshot, explore more:

Quick Reference​

Base URL​

https://api.boltshot.dev

Minimal Screenshot Request​

GET https://api.boltshot.dev/capture?url=https://example.com&apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY

Support​

Need help? Check out:

Happy screenshotting! 🎉