Website Screenshot APIs: Compare Capture, Output & Limits

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.

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, 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, 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.