# Quickstart

Source: https://docs.screenshotlens.com/docs/quickstart
Summary: Create an API key and send your first ScreenshotLens request.

Follow this once to get a successful capture, then tune the parameters.

### Create an API key

Sign in at [app.screenshotlens.com](https://app.screenshotlens.com) and open **API keys**. New accounts start with 100 credits, which is enough to cover this page.

Name the key after the environment that will call the API (`Production`, `Staging`, `CI`) so usage stays easy to trace.

### Send a screenshot request

While integrating, set `response_type=json`. The response gives you the stored asset URL and the credits charged instead of raw image bytes.

```bash
curl -G "https://api.screenshotlens.com/v1/screenshots" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://example.com" \
  --data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "response_type=json"
```

```json
{
  "screenshot_url": "https://cdn.screenshotlens.com/captures/example.png",
  "credits_charged": 1
}
```

### Try a rolling video

Rolling video records the page as it scrolls, and returns an MP4 by default.

```bash
curl -G "https://api.screenshotlens.com/v1/videos/rolling" \
  --data-urlencode "url=https://example.com" \
  --data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "response_type=json"
```

```json
{
  "video_url": "https://cdn.screenshotlens.com/captures/example.mp4",
  "credits_charged": 5
}
```

### Move the request into your app

Keep the API key on your server. Production keys do not belong in browser JavaScript, mobile apps, public repositories, or client-side build artifacts.

## Next steps

* [Screenshot API](https://docs.screenshotlens.com/docs/api/screenshots) and [Rolling Video API](https://docs.screenshotlens.com/docs/api/rolling-video) list every parameter, default, and limit.
* [Responses and Errors](https://docs.screenshotlens.com/docs/api/responses-errors) covers status codes and retry behavior.
* [Authentication](https://docs.screenshotlens.com/docs/api/authentication) explains how to rotate and scope keys.