Screenshots have become an important means of communication, making them crucial to certain business processes, how-to tutorial creation, web design, and even cybersecurity.

Most tools require you to visit a website to take a screenshot. However, with the proliferation of risky websites that may contain malware or serve as a phishing page or spam host, it is often safer to avoid accessing a website and taking screenshots manually. That said, we’ll discuss how to screenshot a web page here.

3 Ways to Take a Screenshot of a Page

Option #1: Using a Screenshot Lookup Tool or API

Website screenshot tools like Screenshot Lookup and Screenshot API let users capture high-quality, full-sized screenshots of web pages without visiting their URLs.

Users don’t need to be particularly tech-savvy to enjoy the benefits our screenshot products provide. Here are simple step-by-step instructions on how to screenshot a web page via Screenshot Lookup.

• Sign up for a WhoisXML API account: Register for free and log in with your newly acquired credentials.

• Enter the domain name: Type the domain name into the input field and click Capture. We used whoisxmlapi[.]com for this demonstration.

• View the screenshot: After a few seconds, you should see a preview like the one below.

• Set the device emulation setting: Configure this setting to see what the web page looks like on a specific device. Options include BlackBerry Q10, HTC One, iPhone X, iPad Pro, and Desktop Full HD.

• Download the screenshot: Click Download and save the resulting JPG file. Screenshot Lookup has the added benefit of creating a custom URL you can share with others who want to access the report.

Screenshot Lookup API and its web-based version keep you safe from visiting potentially malware-laden or phishing websites while allowing you to see how a page looks on different devices and screen resolutions. You can register for free and immediately test these tools using the free credits here.

Option #2: Use an Internet Archive

The Wayback Machine is an Internet archive that saves screenshots of old home pages so you can look at them without actually visiting the sites. It wasn’t designed to test a site’s security but as a means to obtain images of now-defunct pages.

Here’s a snippet of the full-page screenshot of http[:]//abcnews[.]com[.]co/ (dubbed a fake news site that is no longer operational) obtained from the service.

Option #3: Download a Browser Extension

One-Click Screenshot is among many browser extensions that users can install and use free of charge. However, since it wasn’t designed with cybersecurity in mind, you’ll need to visit a website to capture screenshots with it. You could potentially risk computer infection should a site turn out to be dangerous.

Here’s a cropped version of a full-page screenshot of the Apple website taken with the tool.

Option #4: Use Built-In Screenshot Tools

Another way to take website screenshots is to take advantage of tools and methods built into your device. For example, if you are using a Windows PC, press the Windows logo key + Shift + S. The screen will darken while you set the screenshot shape and perimeter.

If you need to take a screenshot of the whole page displayed on the screen, you can also press the Print Screen button on your keyboard.

For Macs, take screenshots by pressing the Shift + Command + 3 keys at the same time.

Take note that these options can only take screenshots of a portion of the web page and can’t capture its entirety. They also require you to visit the website.

How to Integrate Website Screenshot API into Existing Solutions

Screenshot API works in any environment that allows the use of RESTFul application programming interfaces (APIs) and is easy to integrate into Splunk and Postman. We also provide client libraries that help reduce coding on your developers’ part.

In addition, we wrote a Python script that will let you get the screenshots of several websites in one go. Check out the tutorial here.

What Features Do Our Website Screenshot Tools Have?

Let’s take a look at the features our products offer.

• Full-page screenshot: Using our tools lets you get fully scrollable web page screenshots that perfectly capture target websites’ details. You can also scroll to the top or bottom of a web page and take a screenshot from your preferred position or view.

• Minimum required input: Screenshot Lookup is easy to use and does not require installation. Meanwhile, Screenshot API can be easily integrated into existing applications using our code libraries as a starting point.

• Adjustable capture timing: Apart from giving you real-time screenshot captures, Screenshot API also has a delay capture feature that lasts up to 10 seconds.

• Varied download formats: All screenshots taken with Screenshot API can be downloaded in different forms, including PDF, JPG, or PNG. Screenshot Lookup’s reports, however, are only downloadable in JPG format.

• Multiple device emulation options: Screenshot API and Screenshot Lookup allow you to match a screenshot’s dimensions with your target screen size. Options include None (captures only the visible part of the website with a 800 x 600 resolution), BlackBerry Q10 (720 x 720), HTC One (1080 x 1920), iPhone X (1125 x 2436), iPad Pro (2048 x 2732), and Desktop Full HD (1920 x 1080).

• Chrome support: Screenshot API and Screenshot Lookup use a Google Chrome rendering engine that supports CSS3, JavaScript, and Web fonts. That translates to screenshots that are exact representations of browser outputs.

How Can Our Screenshot Tools Help You?

Now that you know how to screenshot a web page, you can start using our tools for various processes.

Well-formatted web page screenshots have different use cases, ranging from simple presentations to legal documentation. More specifically, a screenshot tool can help in any of the following ways.

Case #1: Phishing Investigation

Many data breaches start when victims’ open phishing emails and click an embedded link. So, while you may have been tricked into viewing a phishing message, do not click the link if you believe it is suspicious. Query the site first to make sure it is safe to access.

Let’s say you opened a supposed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) email. Its sender embedded the URL https[:]//irs-gov-ein-tax-id-us[.]com in the message and is urging you to click it to settle an issue with your Employer Identification Number (EIN).

A Screenshot Lookup or Screenshot API query for the site should give you this result.

A comparison with the real IRS website would tell you that the page is untrustworthy and doesn’t look anything like the official IRS site shown below.

Case #2: IoC Exploration

Among the indicators of compromise (IoCs) of a new XLoader variant are 15 domains, seven of which continue to host or redirect to live pages. A screenshot lookup for the domains provided the following results:

By investigating the pages the IoCs host, security researchers can better understand an attacker’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

Case #3: UX and UI Design Testing

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designers can use our screenshot tools to check how websites appear on different devices with varying screen sizes. That allows them to see if the sites are responsive and dynamically adjust depending on the device on which users view them.

We tested our screenshot tools’ various device emulation formats on a fintech company’s site, specifically https[:]//nubank[.]com[.]br/en, to illustrate their UI and UX design capabilities.

BlackBerry Q10 (720 x 720)

HTC One (1080 x 1920)

iPhone X (1125 x 2436)

iPad Pro (2038 x 2732)

Desktop Full HD (1920 x 1080)

Case #4: Digital Marketing

Effective digital marketing efforts are crucial to any business’s success. Digital marketers can use website screenshots to send visual data to clients in an easily digestible format, thus enabling them to gain more significant insights and make timely decisions. For example, gathering screenshots of different versions of a site can help monitor the progress made for branding and other marketing aspects.

Meanwhile, search engine optimization (SEO) professionals can use Screenshot API to capture PDFs with embedded links as proof of backlinking. An example would be this threat report written for our company and published on a third-party site. The screenshot can be saved as a PDF with a live link embedded in the text. 

With Screenshot Lookup, digital marketers can do away with heavy file attachments, which can be a problem for clients that limit email attachment sizes for security and other reasons. Instead of sending the image above, they can send the lookup report custom URL.

Conclusion

With instant screenshot facilities, easy sharing and integration capability, and a host of customizable features, Screenshot Lookup and Screenshot API aim to create rich and safe visual experiences as part of web-based processes.

From a cybersecurity standpoint, screening unknown websites before visiting them is often better. Learning how to screenshot a web page can lessen an organization’s chances of letting threats into their networks. When used alongside cybersecurity solutions like Threat Intelligence Platform, the products can demonstrate how unsafe accessing a website can be.

Integrating Screenshot API and malware check API into existing solutions, including those currently in development, can also help companies improve their cybersecurity posture and offerings.

From a business angle, Screenshot Lookup and Screenshot API can land your website on A lists in terms of design. That may boost your digital marketing efforts and give your visitors the best UX possible. Taking websites in development for a test drive to ensure excellent UX and UI for any user is easily doable, too.

Would you like to see how our products work? Start using our Screenshot Services today. We are also available for any information you need, so don’t hesitate to contact us.