Express.js Screenshot API: Add Web Capture to Your Node.js App in Minutes

Express.js Screenshot API: Add Web Capture to Your Node.js App in Minutes You're building an Express.js app. Your users need to export pages as PDFs, share preview images, or capture content for later reference. You could: Install Puppeteer — adds 200MB to your project, complexity to your code Use a headless browser library — adds dependencies, deployment friction Build it yourself — infrastructure nightmare Or you could use an API. Here's the thing: adding screenshot/PDF capabilities to Express should be simple. And it can be. The Express Problem: Screenshots Without Bloat Express doesn't come with built-in screenshot or PDF generation. Your options have traditionally been: Option 1: Puppeteer (Heavy) const puppeteer = require ( ' puppeteer ' ); const express = require ( ' express ' ); const app = express (); let browser ; // Initialize browser on startup ( async () => { browser = await puppeteer . launch (); })(); app . get ( ' /screenshot ' , async ( req , res ) => { const { url } =