The Scrnify CLI Is Here: Captures from Your Terminal

Hey there! Laura and Heidi here from SCRNIFY!

We just released the new scrnify CLI: a command-line client for creating screenshot and video Captures through the Scrnify API.

If you already use Scrnify from code, this gives you a faster path for terminal work. If you have never used Scrnify before, this is now the quickest way to try a Capture without writing a script first.

We wanted this because we kept reaching for the API for tiny jobs: a deploy preview, a docs screenshot, a quick "does this page still look sane?" check. Writing a mini client every time was silly. So now it is one command.

Try the SCRNIFY open beta and review current pricing.

Why a CLI?

Not every Capture needs application code around it.

Sometimes you want to capture a deploy preview. Sometimes you want a fresh screenshot for docs. Sometimes you want a short video of a page before sending a bug report. In those moments, opening a browser automation project can feel like overkill. Nobody should be debugging Chrome sandbox flags to get one clean PNG.

The CLI keeps that workflow small:

scrnify capture https://example.com

Under the hood, scrnify sends the Capture to the Scrnify API. Your machine does not need Chrome, Playwright, browser dependencies, sandbox flags, or cleanup logic. The terminal gets the nice part; our infrastructure gets the browser mess.

Install Scrnify

Install the Homebrew Formula:

brew install scrnify/tap/scrnify

Then set your API key:

export SCRNIFY_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Run your first Capture:

scrnify capture https://example.com

You can also download macOS and Linux archives from the scrnify CLI GitHub releases.

Capture a Full-Page Screenshot

Need a full-page PNG for docs, QA, or monitoring?

scrnify capture https://example.com \
    --type image \
    --format png \
    --full-page

This is the command we expect people to use most: quick snapshots from local dev, scheduled jobs, and CI pipelines. It is not glamorous, which is why it should be fast.

Capture a Short Video

The CLI also supports video Captures:

scrnify capture https://example.com \
    --type video \
    --format mp4 \
    --duration 5

Videos are useful when a screenshot misses the important part: animations, loading states, transitions, product flows, or a bug that only appears after interaction or time.

Use It in CI

Because scrnify runs as one command, it fits cleanly into CI:

scrnify capture https://preview.example.com \
    --type image \
    --format png \
    --full-page \
    --cache-ttl 86400

For workflows that need signed requests, pass an API secret too:

scrnify capture https://example.com \
    --api-key "$SCRNIFY_API_KEY" \
    --api-secret "$SCRNIFY_API_SECRET" \
    --cache-ttl 86400

This keeps Capture logic out of your app and out of your test runner. CI asks Scrnify for the result, and Scrnify handles the browser work remotely.

What It Is Good For

We built this first release around practical Capture workflows:

Website screenshots for visual QA
Full-page captures for docs and changelogs
Preview snapshots from CI pipelines
Short videos for demos and bug reports
Social images, archives, and monitoring checks

The theme is the same across all of them: get repeatable website captures without managing browser infrastructure yourself.

What's Next

This release is the foundation. Next, we'll keep shaping the CLI around how developers already work: previews, CI, documentation, monitoring, and repeatable product captures. Small commands, few surprises.

If there is a flag, output mode, or workflow you want next, tell us. The CLI is new, and we want it to become the fastest way to use Scrnify from day to day.

Try the SCRNIFY open beta and review current pricing. scrnify.com

If you try the CLI, we'd love to hear what you build with it. Drop us a line at support@scrnify.com or find us on Twitter @scrnify.

Cheers, Laura & Heidi