JavaScript Rendering APIs: Compare Settings, Waits & Costs

HTML, JSON

Token types

Normal tokens fetch static responses; JavaScript tokens enable browser rendering. javascript=true can switch a normal-token request to the JavaScript path.[1]

Browser controls

JavaScript requests support page_wait, ajax_wait, scroll and css_click_selector.[1]

Extended scrolling

The first 8 seconds of page-load plus scrolling count as one request; each additional started 5-second interval adds one billed request.[1]

HTTP-method limitation

POST is supported with the normal token only; JavaScript-rendered requests use GET.[1]

Successful requests; JavaScript request configuration and extended scrolling affect billed usage.

HTML, JSON

HTTP integration

The official Dify guide sends POST requests to https://scraper-api.decodo.com/v2/scrape using Basic authentication and a JSON body.[1]

JavaScript rendering

The documented payload uses headless=html to receive HTML after rendering.[1]

Proxy selection

The request can select proxy_pool=premium.[1]

Cost model

The current pricing page separates standard and premium proxies, with and without JavaScript rendering.[2]

Request credits vary by request complexity, including proxy pool and JavaScript rendering.

markdown, HTML, JSON, screenshot

Known page or whole site

POST /v2/scrape reads one URL. For a site traversal, /v2/crawl starts an asynchronous job. Give crawl an explicit page limit and path scope before starting.[1][5]

Markdown response

Request formats: ["markdown"]. Raw HTTP returns content in data.markdown inside a success/data envelope; SDKs return the data object directly.[1]

HTML choices

Use formats: ["html"] for cleaned page HTML at data.html. Use formats: ["rawHtml"] for unmodified page HTML at data.rawHtml. These formats preserve markup; Markdown is the text-oriented choice.[1]

Structured fields

Use a formats object with type: "json" and a prompt or JSON Schema for fields from a known page. Raw HTTP returns the extracted object at data.json. A JSON response envelope alone does not request extraction. Agent is a separate choice when source URLs must be discovered.[1][2]

Freshness

The documented cache default permits data up to two days old. Set maxAge: 0 when the task needs a fresh fetch; this does not guarantee that the target returns the desired page.[1]

Accepting the response

An API HTTP 200 or success: true is not sufficient. Inspect data.metadata.statusCode and the requested content: a captured target 403 or 404 can be returned and billed.[1][3]

Credit decision

For an ordinary returned page, Markdown uses the 1-credit base. JSON extraction totals 5 credits before other options. Extra modifiers stack; optional browser sessions have a separate billing basis.[3][2]

No-document exceptions

Ordinary scrapes that return no document generally cost 0 credits. Paid guards, threat scans and other documented options have exceptions; a returned error page is still a document.[3]

Authentication and capacity

Anonymous Scrape has daily per-IP limits. An account API key uses the team plan and shared request limits. Crawl, Map and batch requests require authentication.[4]

Rate limits versus target errors

A Firecrawl 429 can mean request-rate or concurrency limits. Inspect the response, respect Retry-After when provided and reduce load; repeating a captured target error is a separate decision.[4][6]

Credits per returned page, with option charges. An ordinary scrape is 1 credit; schema-guided JSON adds 4. Account plans and anonymous limits are separate. Check detailed billing before enabling extra options.

markdown, text, HTML, JSON

Known URL first

Prefix a complete URL with https://r.jina.ai/ to read that page, for example https://r.jina.ai/https://example.com. The separately authenticated s.jina.ai search endpoint has its own terms.[1][2]

Main content or full page

The default content mode extracts readable page content as Markdown. X-Respond-With: markdown returns full-page Markdown without the readability filter. Use the default for an article body; choose full-page mode when surrounding page text matters.[2][3]

JSON wrapper versus fields

Accept: application/json requests a JSON response with page URL, title and content. It does not ask Reader to extract your own JSON Schema fields. X-Respond-With selects the content representation inside the response.[1][2][3]

HTML and text choices

Set X-Respond-With: html for HTML or X-Respond-With: text for plain text. Select the representation your application will process before comparing output size or token usage.[2][3]

Freshness

Use X-No-Cache: true or X-Cache-Tolerance: 0 when cached output is unsuitable. Published sources give different cache lifetimes, so do not rely on one universal default TTL.[1][2][3]

Missing dynamic content

For a page that needs browser rendering, explicitly choose X-Engine: browser. X-Wait-For-Selector waits for an expected element; X-Target-Selector limits returned content and X-Remove-Selector removes unwanted elements.[1][2][3]

Hash-based routes

A URL fragment after # is normally kept by the HTTP client. For a route such as https://example.com/#/route, POST the full URL in the request body to https://r.jina.ai/ so Reader receives the fragment.[2][3]

Reject or truncate

X-Token-Budget rejects a request when the resulting token cost would exceed the limit. X-Max-Tokens truncates returned content. Choose rejection when completeness matters; use truncation only when partial output is acceptable.[2][3]

Authentication and limits

Basic Reader requests can omit credentials. Send Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JINA_API_KEY for the supplied key’s token balance and rate limits. Anonymous limits are tracked by IP; keyed requests use the key’s limits.[1][3]

Basic anonymous URL reading is rate-limited. Keyed Reader usage draws from the supplied API key’s output-token balance; optional modes can change token usage. Jina documents no token deduction for failed requests. Check the current key quota and rate table.

HTML, JSON, markdown, PNG

Formats

The formats array selects HTML, Markdown, Base64 PNG screenshots and response headers.[1]

Rendering

render defaults to false; true enables JavaScript and auto lets Nimble select the configuration.[1]

Parsing and actions

CSS parsing schemas, browser actions and network-capture rules are supported.[1]

Async processing

Async and batch submissions return before processing finishes; poll task or batch progress for completion.[2]

Billing

Extraction Tools are listed at USD 1 per 1,000 URLs, with charges only for successful requests.[3]

Successful URL extractions; public API pricing lists USD 1 per 1,000 URLs for Extraction Tools.

HTML, JSON, PNG

Authentication

Use a Web Scraper API user's username and password with HTTP Basic authentication, rather than dashboard credentials.[1]

Rendering and parsing

render=html enables JavaScript rendering. Dedicated supported targets accept parse=true for structured JSON.[1]

Delivery choices

Realtime keeps the connection open; Push-Pull retrieves jobs asynchronously; Proxy Endpoint offers a proxy interface.[2]

Batch size

Push-Pull accepts up to 5,000 query or URL values per batch; Realtime and Proxy Endpoint do not support batch.[2]

Screenshots

render=png returns a Base64-encoded screenshot.[2]

Product-specific plan and target rates; exact costs and failed-request rules were not verified in this pilot.

HTML, JSON, markdown, screenshot

Billing outcomes

The credit policy counts both HTTP 200 and 404 responses as successful, billable requests.[1]

Rendering costs

Standard rendering costs 10 credits; residential plus rendering costs 25; render_js_cheap costs 5 using a limited provider set.[1]

Extraction add-on

llm_extract adds 25 credits on top of base proxy costs.[1]

Cheaper rendering tradeoff

render_js_cheap is intended for simpler sites and does not provide the full upstream provider pool.[2]

Response options

The feature list documents screenshot capture and JSON or Markdown LLM extraction responses.[3]

Monthly API credits determined by target and options; HTTP 200 and 404 responses consume credits.

HTML, JSON

Rendering

render=true returns HTML after JavaScript execution; wait_for_selector requires rendering.[1]

Credit examples

The documented parameter table lists 10 credits for rendering, 25 for premium plus rendering, and 75 for ultra-premium plus rendering.[2]

Billable outcomes

HTTP 200 and 404 responses are charged, as are client-cancelled requests when the client allows less than 70 seconds.[2]

Cost inspection

The account/urlcost endpoint estimates request cost and the sa-credit-cost response header reports actual credits.[2]

Concurrency

Concurrency is plan-dependent; the Async API supports batch requests.[3]

Structured extraction

autoparse=true and dedicated structured-data endpoints parse supported sites and target types; ordinary URL fetching is not a universal field-extraction contract.[1][4]

API credits determined by target domain and request options.

HTML, JSON, screenshot

Rendering and actions

render_js enables browser rendering; js_scenario defines page interactions before results return.[1]

Result handling

Examples return scraped content and browser data through the API result rather than exposing a browser connection.[1]

Credit model

A scrape can consume multiple credits depending on browser, proxy and protection configuration.[2]

Concurrency examples

Published monthly plans list 5 concurrent requests for Discovery, 20 for Pro, 50 for Startup and 100 for Enterprise.[2]

Quota expiry

Unused subscription quota does not roll over to the next subscription period.[2]

Integrated extraction

extraction_model, extraction_prompt and extraction_template select documented model, prompt and template extraction approaches within a scrape.[3]

API credits per scrape; proxy network, rendering and protection settings affect consumption.

HTML

Rendering and response

The /v2/general endpoint returns HTML. Set browser=true explicitly for rendering: the request reference and product page disagree about its default. return_page_source=true skips JavaScript rendering while using the browser.[1][3]

Timeout

The request reference documents a 60-second timeout default and 5–60-second range, while the product page states different limits. Confirm supported values before relying on a longer request.[1][3]

Credit examples

The reviewed credit table lists JavaScript-rendered datacenter requests at 10 credits and rendered residential requests at 125 credits.[2]

Usage inspection

The Ant-credits-cost response header reports request credit consumption; unused credits expire at the subscription boundary.[2]

API credits based on browser use and proxy network.

HTML, JSON, markdown, text, screenshot

Rendering default

render_js defaults to true. HTML, page text, Markdown and screenshots are documented output options.[1]

Request credits

Classic requests cost 1 credit without rendering or 5 with it; premium with rendering costs 25 and stealth with rendering costs 75.[1]

Extraction and interaction

CSS extract_rules and js_scenario support structured extraction and page interactions.[1]

Custom proxy

The own_proxy parameter supports a user-supplied proxy provider.[1]

Automatic cost control

GET-only mode=auto chooses a successful rendering/proxy tier; max_cost caps eligible tiers and all-failed auto attempts cost zero.[1]

Monthly API credits; rendering and proxy tier determine base credits, with AI extraction add-ons.

HTML, PNG

Request interface

The official example posts form-encoded fields to universalapi.thordata.com/request with a Bearer token.[1]

Rendering

js_render=True enables JavaScript rendering for dynamic content.[1]

Output

The type parameter selects HTML or PNG; HTML is the documented default.[1]

Resource controls

block_resources restricts fetched resources; country selects the scraping proxy location.[1]

Not verified; request multipliers, failed-request billing and plan pricing require further evidence.

HTML, JSON, screenshot

HTTP output

httpResponseBody=true returns the response body Base64-encoded; decode it before parsing.[1]

Browser output

Browser requests return rendered HTML, screenshots or both, and support browser actions and network capture.[2]

Structured extraction

The API supports dedicated extraction types including articles, products, job postings and SERPs.[3]

Billing

Unsuccessful and rate-limited responses are free; browser actions, screenshots and extraction can add costs.[4]

Request model

The /v1/extract endpoint blocks until its single-URL result is ready.[3]

Successful responses, priced by target and HTTP/browser tier, with feature add-ons.