Use Case

Screenshot API for Directories & Listings

Automatically generate live website thumbnails for tool directories, startup listings, and curated collections.

The Problem

Directory thumbnails are a maintenance nightmare

Tool directories and listing sites need visual previews of every entry. Asking submitters to upload screenshots gives you inconsistent quality. Taking them manually doesn't scale. And static screenshots go stale as listed sites redesign.

User-submitted screenshots are inconsistent in size, quality, and format
Manual screenshot capture doesn't scale beyond a few dozen listings
Static thumbnails go stale as listed websites redesign
No easy way to refresh thousands of preview images on a schedule

The Solution

Live thumbnails for every listing, automatically

Point the API at any listing URL and get a consistent, up-to-date thumbnail. Schedule refreshes so previews always match the live site.

Step 1

Add a listing URL

When a new tool or site is submitted, pass its URL to the API.

Step 2

Generate a thumbnail

A single API call returns a consistent, correctly-sized preview image.

Step 3

Schedule refreshes

Run a weekly cron to re-capture all listings so thumbnails stay current.

Code Example

Get started in minutes

A single API call is all you need.

node.js

// Generate thumbnails for all directory listings
const listings = [
  { id: "1", url: "https://linear.app" },
  { id: "2", url: "https://vercel.com" },
  { id: "3", url: "https://supabase.com" },
];

for (const listing of listings) {
  const res = await fetch(
    `https://api.porto.dev/v1/screenshot?url=${encodeURIComponent(listing.url)}&width=1280&height=720&block_ads=true&format=webp`,
    { headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" } }
  );
  const buffer = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
  // Save as /thumbnails/{listing.id}.webp
}