FAQ

Frequently asked questions about RendShot — image rendering, pricing, security, and troubleshooting.

General

What image formats does RendShot support?

PNG and JPEG. PNG is the default and best for sharp text and UI screenshots. JPEG is smaller and good for photos or when file size matters.

What's the maximum image size?

4096 × 4096 CSS pixels. With device scale, the actual pixel output can be up to 4096 × 4096 × 3² — but the total pixel budget is capped at 16,777,216 pixels.

Does RendShot support Chinese / Japanese / Korean text?

Yes. Pass the appropriate Google Font in the fonts parameter:

Simplified Chinese: fonts: ["Noto Sans SC"]
Traditional Chinese: fonts: ["Noto Sans TC"]
Japanese: fonts: ["Noto Sans JP"]
Korean: fonts: ["Noto Sans KR"]

Can I use custom fonts (not on Google Fonts)?

Not directly via the fonts parameter. As a workaround, you can embed fonts as base64 data URIs in your CSS within the HTML.

How long are images stored?

Depends on your plan: 7 days (Free), 30 days (Pro). After the retention period, the image URL returns 410 Gone.

Can I download images immediately?

Yes. The url in the response is a direct link to the image file. Use the CLI's --save flag, or fetch the URL in your code right after rendering.

No. RendShot validates all URLs through DNS resolution. If the URL resolves to a private IP address (10.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x, 127.0.0.1, etc.), the request is blocked with SSRF_BLOCKED. This is a security measure.

Not directly — RendShot doesn't support cookies or authentication headers for target URLs. For authenticated pages, render the HTML content directly using the /v1/image endpoint instead.

What does "full page" mean?

The fullPage option captures the entire scrollable content of a page, not just the visible viewport. The resulting image height will match the full scroll height.

How long does rendering take?

HTML → Image: Typically 1–3 seconds depending on HTML complexity and fonts loaded. URL → Screenshot: Typically 2–5 seconds, depending on the page's complexity and how many external resources it loads.

Both operations default to a 10-second timeout, configurable from 1 to 30 seconds via the timeout parameter.

Billing & Limits

What counts as one request?

Each successful call to /v1/image or /v1/screenshot counts as one request toward your monthly quota. Failed requests (validation errors, rate limits) do not count.

What happens when I hit my monthly limit?

The API returns 429 with error code QUOTA_EXCEEDED. You can upgrade your plan or wait until the next billing month.

What happens when I exceed the rate limit?

The API returns 429 with error code RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED and a Retry-After header. Wait the indicated duration before retrying.

Can I get higher limits?

Pro plan supports 100 requests per minute and 10,000 per month. If you need higher limits, contact us at rendshot.ai.

Troubleshooting

I'm getting `SSRF_BLOCKED` — what does this mean?

The URL you're trying to screenshot resolves to a private/internal IP address. RendShot blocks this for security. Make sure the URL is publicly accessible.

I'm getting `PIXEL_BUDGET_EXCEEDED`

Your width × height × deviceScale² exceeds the 16,777,216 pixel limit. Reduce the dimensions or use a lower device scale.

My image looks blurry

You're probably displaying a 1× image on a Retina screen. Set deviceScale: 2 to generate a 2× resolution image.

The fonts don't look right

Make sure you're passing the exact Google Fonts family name in the fonts parameter. For example: fonts: ["Inter"], not fonts: ["inter"]. Check Google Fonts for exact names.

I get `RENDER_TIMEOUT`

The render is taking too long to complete. Common causes:

External resources (images, scripts) that are slow to load
Heavy JavaScript execution
Large HTML content

Try increasing the timeout parameter (max 30000ms) or simplifying your HTML.

Still stuck?

Check the API Reference for all error codes
Review Concepts for how things work under the hood
Contact support at rendshot.ai