SnapSharp + n8n

n8n is the open-source, self-hostable answer to Zapier — fair-code licensed, runs on your own infra, and has none of the per-task billing that makes high-volume automation expensive elsewhere. SnapSharp ships an official community node (`@snapsharp/n8n-nodes-snapsharp`) that exposes every public endpoint of our API as a typed n8n action. If you are already running n8n for ETL, marketing ops, or internal tooling, generating screenshots, OG cards, PDFs, and visual diffs becomes a drag-and-drop step. This page covers installation (cloud and self-hosted), the available actions and triggers, the AGPL-licensing quirks that matter if you want to use n8n inside a SaaS, and a side-by-side with the other ways to automate SnapSharp.

How it works

A typical end-to-end flow takes 1–3 seconds.

1. 1

   Install the SnapSharp node

   Add `@snapsharp/n8n-nodes-snapsharp` from the n8n community-node UI (cloud) or via npm (self-hosted).

2. 2

   Authenticate once

   Create n8n credentials of type "SnapSharp API" and paste your API key — every workflow can reuse them.

3. 3

   Drop a SnapSharp node into a workflow

   Pick the operation (Screenshot, OG Image, PDF, Site Audit, Extract, Diff) and map fields from upstream nodes.

4. 4

   Run on your schedule

   Trigger via cron, webhook, manual, or any other n8n trigger — no per-task fees, no platform timeout cap.

Setup guide

Follow these steps in order. Each one stands alone, so you can copy code blocks directly without re-reading earlier ones.

1. 1Spin up n8n (skip if you already have it)

   Easiest path is `npx n8n`, or use the official Docker image `docker run -p 5678:5678 n8nio/n8n`. n8n cloud also works — pricing starts free for two active workflows.

   docker run -it --rm \
     -p 5678:5678 \
     -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
     n8nio/n8n
   

2. 2Install the SnapSharp community node

   In n8n, open Settings → Community Nodes → Install. Paste the package name and confirm. Self-hosted users can also install via npm at the command line.

   # n8n UI:  Settings → Community Nodes → Install
   #         @snapsharp/n8n-nodes-snapsharp
   
   # Or self-hosted via npm:
   cd ~/.n8n/nodes && npm install @snapsharp/n8n-nodes-snapsharp
   

3. 3Create SnapSharp credentials

   Click Credentials → New, search "SnapSharp API", paste your key from the SnapSharp dashboard. The node validates the key by hitting `/v1/usage` so you know immediately if it works.

4. 4Build your first workflow

   Drag a Cron node, then a SnapSharp node. Pick "Take Screenshot", reference the URL with an n8n expression, and execute. The downstream nodes receive the binary image plus headers (`X-Cache`, `X-Request-Id`, `X-Response-Time`).

   // Workflow JSON (truncated for clarity)
   {
     "nodes": [
       { "type": "n8n-nodes-base.cron",        "parameters": { "triggerTimes": { "item": [{ "mode": "everyHour" }] } } },
       { "type": "snapsharp-nodes-snapsharp.snapsharp", "parameters": {
           "operation": "screenshot",
           "url":       "https://example.com",
           "width":     1200,
           "fullPage":  true
       } }
     ]
   }
   

5. 5Hand off to downstream actions

   Common follow-ups: upload the binary to S3, post the image URL into Slack/Discord, write a row to Airtable, attach to a Notion page, or run a visual diff against a baseline.

Trigger examples

Real-world patterns where n8n fires and SnapSharp produces the asset.

Action examples

Each card shows the operation and the inputs you'd typically map from upstream.

operation: screenshot
url: ={{$json.url}}
width: 1920
fullPage: true
blockAds: true

operation: ogImage
templateId: blog-card
variables.title: ={{$json.title}}
variables.author: ={{$json.author}}

operation: pdf
url: ={{$json.invoice_url}}

operation: siteAudit
url: ={{$json.competitor_url}}

Limitations to know

• •n8n's fair-code license (Sustainable Use License) restricts certain SaaS resale scenarios. Read the licence before embedding n8n in a paid product.
• •Community nodes run in the same Node.js process as n8n itself. If you self-host on a tiny VM, large screenshot binaries (10MB+ PDFs) can pressure memory.
• •The community node currently exposes the v1 API only. Newer beta endpoints arrive in the node a release behind the API.

How SnapSharp compares to other apps in n8n

Quick reference — every alternative listed below is also available in n8n.

FAQ