Advanced Features

FreshShots offers advanced features for users who need more control over their screenshot automation workflows.

Device and Browser Options

FreshShots supports multiple browsers and device emulations using Playwright:

Supported Browsers

Chromium: Best compatibility with modern web apps (default)
Firefox: Alternative rendering engine for cross-browser testing
WebKit: Safari-based rendering for iOS-like screenshots

Device Emulation

Choose from Playwright’s built-in device profiles including:

Desktop: Various screen resolutions and browser configurations
Mobile: iPhone, Android device emulation with touch events
Tablet: iPad and Android tablet screen sizes

You can also set custom viewport dimensions using the viewport_size parameter in your workflow steps.

Advanced Screenshot Options

Image Processing

Fine-tune your screenshot capture with these options:

Zoom Factor: Scale screenshots up to 3x using the image_zoom parameter
Padding: Add consistent spacing around captured elements with the padding parameter
Element Clipping: Capture precise element boundaries using data-freshshots-id selectors
Full Page: Capture entire page height by omitting the selector parameter

Example with Advanced Options

{
  "action": "take_screenshot",
  "selector": "main-content",
  "save_screenshot_to": "content.png",
  "viewport_size": { "width": 1280, "height": 720 },
  "image_zoom": 1.5,
  "padding": 20
}

Error Handling & Reliability

Fault Tolerance

Configure steps to handle errors gracefully:

{
  "action": "click_element",
  "selector": "optional-button",
  "skip_if_error": true
}

When skip_if_error is true (default), the workflow continues even if the step fails.

Timeout Configuration

Set custom timeouts for slow-loading pages or elements:

{
  "action": "visit_page",
  "url": "https://slow-loading-site.com",
  "execution_timeout": 15000
}

Automatic Retry Logic

Failed jobs are automatically retried up to 3 times
Uses exponential backoff to prevent overwhelming target servers
Detailed error logs help debug workflow issues

Batch Screenshot Operations

Capture multiple screenshots in a single workflow execution:

[
  {
    "action": "visit_page",
    "url": "https://example.com"
  },
  {
    "action": "take_screenshot",
    "selector": "header",
    "save_screenshot_to": "header.png"
  },
  {
    "action": "scroll_to",
    "selector": "main-content"
  },
  {
    "action": "take_screenshot", 
    "selector": "main-content",
    "save_screenshot_to": "content.png"
  },
  {
    "action": "take_screenshot",
    "selector": "footer",
    "save_screenshot_to": "footer.png"
  }
]

This workflow captures three different sections of the same page in one execution.

Performance Optimization

Concurrent Processing

Multiple workflows can run simultaneously
Queue system with concurrency control prevents resource conflicts
Intelligent job scheduling optimizes processing times

Browser Session Efficiency

Browser contexts are reused within workflows for faster execution
Page assets are cached between steps when possible
Optimized image processing pipeline for fast screenshot generation

Security Features

Private Screenshot Storage

All screenshots are private by default
User-specific file organization prevents data leakage
Secure CDN delivery with controlled access

Safe Browsing Environment

Sandboxed browser environments protect against malicious websites
Automatic cleanup of sensitive data after workflow completion
Isolated execution prevents cross-user contamination

API Integration

Webhook Notifications

Receive real-time notifications when workflows complete:

{
  "webhook_url": "https://your-app.com/webhook"
}

FreshShots will POST the results to your endpoint with detailed job information.

Programmatic Access

RESTful API with API key authentication
Trigger workflows from CI/CD pipelines
Monitor job status and retrieve results programmatically

Usage Analytics

Basic Metrics

Track your FreshShots usage through the dashboard:

Screenshot count per billing period
Success/failure rates for workflows
Processing time statistics
Active workflow monitoring

Billing Integration

Real-time usage tracking against plan limits
Automatic notifications when approaching limits
Easy plan upgrades for increased capacity

Best Practices

Workflow Design

Start workflows with a visit_page step
Use descriptive filenames for save_screenshot_to parameters
Test workflows with the manual run feature before automating
Set appropriate timeouts for slow-loading content

Element Targeting

Use unique data-freshshots-id values for reliable element selection
Avoid generic selectors that might match multiple elements
Test element selectors in your browser’s developer tools

Error Handling

Use skip_if_error: true for optional interactions
Set reasonable timeout values based on expected page load times
Monitor error logs to identify and fix workflow issues

Performance

Combine related screenshots into single workflows when possible
Use appropriate viewport sizes for your use case
Consider using webhooks instead of polling for job completion

Limitations

Current Restrictions

Screenshot format: PNG only
Image compression: Not configurable
Custom HTTP headers: Not supported in workflows
Cookie/session handling: Limited to what the automated browser can access

Browser Behavior

Some websites may detect and block automated browsers
JavaScript-heavy sites may require additional wait times
Single-page applications may need specific navigation handling

Getting Help

For questions about advanced features or workflow optimization:

Documentation: Review the Workflow Steps guide
API Reference: See the complete API Endpoints documentation
Support: Contact [email protected] for technical assistance

Include specific workflow JSON and error messages when requesting support for the fastest resolution.

Documentation