Getting Started with Pixashot

A comprehensive introduction to Pixashot, including system requirements, prerequisites, and initial setup guidance.

Welcome to Pixashot! This guide will help you get up and running with our high-performance screenshot service. Whether you're setting up a development environment or deploying to production, this section will guide you through the process.

What You'll Need

Before getting started with Pixashot, ensure you have:

System Requirements

  • CPU: 1 core minimum (2+ cores recommended for production)
  • Memory: 2GB minimum (4GB+ recommended for production)
  • Storage: 1GB available space
  • Operating System: Any Docker-compatible OS (Linux recommended)
  • Network: Outbound internet access
  • Docker: Version 20.10.0 or higher (if using Docker deployment)

For Cloud Run Deployment

  • Google Cloud SDK installed
  • Google Cloud project with billing enabled
  • Required APIs enabled:
    • Cloud Run API
    • Container Registry API
    • Secret Manager API (if using secrets)

Development Tools

  • curl or similar HTTP client for testing
  • Text editor for configuration files
  • Basic command line knowledge

Core Concepts

Before diving into installation, it's helpful to understand these key concepts:

Single Browser Context

Pixashot uses a single browser context architecture where:

  • One browser instance serves all requests
  • Resources are efficiently shared
  • Extensions are configured globally
  • Memory usage is optimized

Authentication

Every Pixashot can have authentication, which is ideal for production:

# Example authentication token setup
export AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)

Request Flow

A basic screenshot request follows this pattern:

  1. Authentication validation
  2. Parameter processing
  3. Browser interaction
  4. Screenshot capture
  5. Response delivery

Quick Verification

After installation, you can verify your setup with this simple request:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/capture \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_token" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com",
    "format": "png"
  }'

What's Next?

Follow these steps to get started:

  1. Installation

    • Docker setup
    • Cloud Run deployment
    • Health check verification

  2. Quick Start Guide

    • First screenshot
    • Basic customization
    • Error handling

  3. Configuration

    • Environment variables
    • Template setup
    • Rate limiting

  4. Best Practices

    • Resource optimization
    • Error handling
    • Performance tuning

Common Questions

How much will it cost?

Most users stay within Google Cloud Run's free tier:

  • 2 million requests/month
  • 360,000 vCPU-seconds
  • 180,000 GiB-seconds

What browsers are supported?

Pixashot uses Chromium through Playwright, offering:

  • Modern web standards support
  • Consistent rendering
  • Extensive feature support

Can I run Pixashot behind a proxy?

Yes, Pixashot supports proxy configuration through environment variables:

export PROXY_SERVER="proxy.example.com"
export PROXY_PORT="8080"
export PROXY_USERNAME="user"
export PROXY_PASSWORD="pass"

How do I handle high traffic?

Pixashot scales automatically on Cloud Run. For other deployments:

  • Adjust worker count (WORKERS)
  • Configure memory limits
  • Set appropriate rate limits
  • Enable response caching

Resource Checklist

Before proceeding with installation, ensure you have:

  • Chosen deployment platform (Docker or Cloud Run)
  • Met minimum system requirements
  • Generated secure authentication token
  • Prepared environment variables
  • Enabled required cloud APIs (if using Cloud Run)
  • Basic understanding of screenshot requirements

Available Features

Pixashot supports various capture options:

  • Formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP, PDF
  • Capture Types: Full page, element specific, viewport
  • Customization: Custom viewports, pixel density, headers
  • Interactions: Click, type, wait, scroll actions
  • Output: Direct binary, base64 encoding, or saved files

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check the troubleshooting guide
  2. Review common issues
  3. Search GitHub Issues
  4. Contact support@pixashot.com

Security Note

While getting started, remember to:

  • Keep authentication tokens secure
  • Use HTTPS in production
  • Configure appropriate rate limits
  • Follow security best practices from our security guide

Next Steps

Ready to begin? Head to the Installation Guide to set up your Pixashot instance.

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