Fix Thumbalizr Screenshots That Stop Halfway Down a Page

If a Thumbalizr screenshot stops around the first screen, first check whether the request asks for size=page or size=screen, then confirm that your plan supports full-page capture. Thumbalizr documents its free tier as screen-size only; Silver and higher tiers support full-page capture. A screenshot ending at the viewport can therefore be expected behavior rather than a failed capture. Thumbalizr API documentation · Thumbalizr plan and feature information.

1. Check the capture mode and plan

Thumbalizr uses the size parameter to distinguish a visible-screen capture from a full-page capture:

Setting	What to expect
size=screen	Captures the browser screen or viewport.
size=page	Requests a full-page capture, subject to plan eligibility.

Check both the request and any profile setting it inherits from. If you omit a setting, Thumbalizr says that some parameters can use the profile’s chosen option. Its demo describes the free membership as “Screen size, no full page”; the feature matrix lists full-page capture for Silver, Gold, and Platinum. If you are on Free, changing the request to size=page does not override the plan limit.

2. Inspect the API request

For an API capture, verify the exact URL and parameters sent. Thumbalizr requires parameters to be encoded correctly, especially the target url. Use your account’s documented authentication and request format; the following is a diagnostic shape, not a substitute for the current API’s required credentials or endpoint details:

curl -G 'THUMBALIZR_API_ENDPOINT' \
  --data-urlencode 'url=https://example.com/' \
  --data-urlencode 'size=page' \
  --data-urlencode 'delay=5'

Replace the endpoint and add the authentication parameters required by your Thumbalizr account. Do not include credentials in shared logs or screenshots. If the account is Free, first-page-only output may be the documented tier behavior even when you request page capture.

3. Allow time for content to render

If the page content appears after initial load, inspect the delay setting. Thumbalizr documents a delay from 1 to 30 seconds; Free and Silver have a five-second default, while Gold and Platinum permit a custom delay. Where your plan allows it, try a longer delay and compare results. The documentation does not say that waiting fixes every incomplete page, and a delay cannot enable full-page capture on a plan that does not include it.

4. Read the response status and error headers

Do not diagnose a failed job from the image alone. Thumbalizr documents these response headers:

Header value	Meaning	Next step
X-Thumbalizr-Status: QUEUED	The request is still processing.	Wait and retrieve the completed result using the documented workflow.
X-Thumbalizr-Status: OK	The requested thumbnail is done.	Check the requested size and plan if the successful image is shorter than expected.
X-Thumbalizr-Status: FAILED	The screenshot failed.	Read X-Thumbalizr-Error for the reported reason.

Save the status and error headers alongside the request parameters when investigating. A result marked FAILED needs the reported error addressed; a successful screen-sized result points you back to capture mode and eligibility.

5. Treat viewport dimensions as a separate setting

bwidth and bheight set the browser viewport dimensions. They affect the browser context and how much of a screen-sized capture is visible, but changing them does not establish that full-page mode is enabled. Thumbalizr lists these plan limits:

Plan	Browser dimensions listed	Full-page capture
Free	1280 × 1024	No
Silver	1280 × 1024	Yes
Gold	Width and height from 1 to 1600	Yes
Platinum	Width and height up to 2000	Yes

Use dimensions within your account’s documented range. The figures above come from Thumbalizr’s published feature information and may change; verify the live plan page before making an account or pricing decision.

6. Use this troubleshooting checklist

1. The image ends near one viewport: inspect size in the request and profile; make sure it is page.
2. The request says page, but the output is still screen-sized: confirm the account tier supports full-page capture. Free is screen-size only in Thumbalizr’s published information.
3. Lower content is missing or appears late: if your plan allows it, increase delay within the documented 1–30 second range and compare.
4. The API response is not a finished image: inspect X-Thumbalizr-Status. A QUEUED status means processing is ongoing.
5. The job failed: read X-Thumbalizr-Error and resolve the stated failure before changing unrelated capture settings.
6. The API receives an unexpected URL or option: correctly encode all parameters, especially url, and check for profile defaults.
7. You changed browser width or height but not the page length: restore valid dimensions for your plan, then check size and eligibility separately.

7. If full-page capture is still unavailable

Thumbalizr’s documented service-level choices are to use an eligible tier, request full-page mode, adjust the permitted delay, and ensure your request matches your profile and plan. Its feature page points to Browshot for mobile browser options and other service capabilities. The available documentation does not identify a specific cause for an individual cutoff without the target URL, request, plan, and response headers, so avoid assuming that a particular site behavior caused it.

Or skip the browser setup

ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API: one GET request takes a URL and returns an image or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation. For example, save a screenshot with cURL:

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

ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners like a visitor, then removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server offers take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Every feature is on every plan.

Sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card required.

FAQ

Does a larger browser height turn a screen capture into a full-page capture?

No. The viewport dimensions and full-page mode are separate settings. Check size=page and whether your plan includes full-page capture.

Does OK guarantee the image is full-page?

It means the requested thumbnail is done. Check what size was requested and whether your tier supports it.

Can you identify my exact cause from the symptom alone?

No. The request or profile settings, account tier, and response headers are needed to distinguish a plan limit, queued or failed job, and other configuration issues.