CurlShot

CurlShot renders any web page as a screenshot or PDF through a browser tool or an HTTP API, with an MCP server that lets AI agents request and view page captures directly.

CurlShot is a screenshot service built around a single idea: paste a web address and get back an image or PDF of the page, either through a browser interface or through a developer API. It renders a page the way a normal browser would, then returns the result as a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF, capturing the full scrolling length of a page or just the visible top, and simulating how the page looks on a computer, phone or tablet screen. The tool serves two overlapping audiences. Non-technical users can grab a one-off screenshot for recordkeeping, like saving how a price or a set of terms looked on a given day, checking how a site renders on mobile, or converting an article into a tidy PDF. Developers and teams with recurring needs use the same engine through an HTTP API: one request with a URL and a few parameters returns the finished file, which supports use cases like website thumbnails, Open Graph image generation, bulk captures and scheduled jobs. A notable addition is an MCP server with a take_screenshot tool, which lets AI agents request and receive screenshots as part of an automated workflow rather than relying on a person to click through a UI. In practice, setup is minimal: there is nothing to install, and a free account unlocks 100 screenshots a month without requiring payment details. The API supports authenticated pages (via cookies or headers), webhook based async requests, and signed URLs for embedding screenshots directly into pages without exposing an access key. It automatically strips ads and cookie banners from most sites before capturing, though the documentation notes this doesn't catch every case. Among alternatives in the screenshot API space, CurlShot distinguishes itself less through raw rendering fidelity and more through its explicit focus on agent accessibility, positioning the MCP server, OpenAPI spec and llms.txt map as first-class citizens rather than an afterthought.