How to Capture Website Screenshots in Directify

Directify can generate a listing cover image from the listing’s website URL after you connect a screenshot provider. The setup requires ScreenshotOne credentials in Settings → Integrations, then you can capture one listing, selected listings, every valid URL during CSV import, or regenerate images later.

What you need before starting

A Directify account with access to Settings → Integrations.
A ScreenshotOne account with its Key and Secret.
Valid, publicly accessible website URLs for your listings. HTTPS URLs generally render more reliably.

Directify stores the resulting, compressed screenshots in its media library. Invalid or unreachable URLs will not produce the expected image, so validate URLs before a large operation.

Connect ScreenshotOne to Directify

Create or sign in to your ScreenshotOne account and copy the account Key and Secret.
In Directify, open Settings → Integrations.
Find ScreenshotOne, paste both credentials, and save.
Open a listing and test a capture before starting a bulk import.

Directify describes this integration as rendering screenshots in one click instead of requiring manual listing-image uploads.

Capture an individual listing

Create a listing or open an existing listing for editing.
Enter a complete website URL, including https:// where available.
Click the camera icon beside the cover-image field.
Wait for Directify to capture the website and review the preview.
Save the listing with the generated image.

This is the best workflow when you need to verify one URL, replace a single outdated cover image, or troubleshoot a page before processing many listings.

Generate screenshots for selected listings

Open the Listings table.
Select the listings using the table checkboxes.
Open the bulk-actions menu and choose Generate Screenshot.
Let Directify process the selection.
Review listings with missing or unexpected images and correct their URLs.

Bulk generation is useful after a directory redesign, when imported listings have no cover images, or when you need to refresh a defined group. Select only listings with valid, accessible URLs to reduce failures.

Generate screenshots during CSV import

Prepare a CSV with a website URL column for each listing.
Check that every URL is complete, correctly formatted, and reachable from the public internet.
Start the CSV import in Directify.
Enable the auto-screenshot option.
Run the import and inspect records that did not receive an image.

This workflow suits migrations and launches where many directory records arrive at once. Test a small sample first when the source data comes from another system.

Regenerate screenshots when websites change

Source pages change, so a previously generated image can become stale. Regenerate a screenshot from the individual listing editor or select multiple listings in the Listings table and run Generate Screenshot again. A recurring refresh process should be based on how often the source sites change and how current your directory previews need to be.

URL and page-readiness checklist

Use the canonical public page rather than an internal preview or localhost address.
Include the scheme, preferably https://.
Remove accidental whitespace and CSV quoting errors.
Confirm the page loads without a login, VPN, or private network.
Check redirects and make sure the final destination is still live.
For bulk work, test representative domains before importing the full file.

Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo provides a direct screenshot API, so your import or maintenance script can request an image without configuring a browser. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for all parameters.

cURL

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

Python

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
    params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
    timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Screenshot failed: ${res.status}`);
const bytes = await res.arrayBuffer();
await Bun.write('shot.webp', bytes);

ScreenshotNeo removes cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and each response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Its MCP server includes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.

For Directify-style workflows, useful options include full-page capture with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element capture, custom viewport or device presets, retina scale, custom CSS and JavaScript, click actions, selector or network-idle waits, request and resource blocking, custom headers and cookies, timezone and geolocation, image resizing, caching with a chosen TTL, signed links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture for up to 100 URLs per call, and a usage API. Every plan includes every feature: 1,000 shots per month are free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.

Create a free ScreenshotNeo account and use the resulting images in your Directify import or refresh workflow.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
No screenshot appears	The listing URL is missing, malformed, private, or unreachable.	Open the URL in an unauthenticated browser, correct the scheme and spelling, then retry.
Bulk generation skips listings	Some selected records do not contain usable URLs.	Filter or review the selection, repair URLs, and run Generate Screenshot again.
CSV import creates listings without images	The URL column is incorrect, empty, or contains inaccessible pages.	Verify the column mapping, remove whitespace, and test a small CSV before reimporting.
Credentials cannot be saved	The ScreenshotOne Key or Secret is incomplete or copied from the wrong account.	Copy both values again from ScreenshotOne and save the integration before capturing.
Image is outdated	The source website changed after the original capture.	Regenerate the individual listing or select the affected listings and run the bulk action.
Page looks cluttered	Consent dialogs, ads, or other overlays are present in the source render.	Use ScreenshotNeo’s cleanup options, or review the source page and capture again after it is accessible.

Performance, reliability, and cost considerations

Start small: test one listing or a small CSV sample before a large import.
Reduce retries: validate URLs and prefer HTTPS before bulk actions.
Keep images current: schedule regeneration around redesigns or source-content changes.
Control volume: choose individual, selected bulk, or CSV capture based on the number of records and trigger you need.
Track failed records: retain a list of URLs that need correction so they can be retried without rerunning successful captures.
Check provider terms: ScreenshotOne pricing, quotas, and partner terms should be verified in its current account documentation.

FAQ

Can Directify capture a listing without a website URL?

No. The screenshot workflow uses the listing’s website URL, so a valid accessible URL is required.

Can I refresh many screenshots at once?

Yes. Select the listings in the Listings table and choose Generate Screenshot.

When should I use CSV auto-screenshots?

Use it during migrations or launches when your CSV already contains website URLs for many listings.

Does Directify keep the generated image?

Directify’s tutorial says screenshots are compressed and stored in its media library.

Can an AI agent create the screenshots?

ScreenshotNeo includes an MCP server with screenshot, page-information, and PDF-capture tools that MCP-compatible agents can call.