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Caching

DomShot caches screenshots to reduce costs and improve response times.

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How it works

Every request is assigned a unique cache key. The API first checks if a cached screenshot exists for this key:
  1. Cache found → Returns cached screenshot immediately (free)
  2. Cache not found → Captures new screenshot and saves to cache (1 credit)

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Cache key generation

By default, cache keys are generated from:
  • HTTP method (GET)
  • Full URL path with all query parameters
This means identical requests (same URL and parameters) share the same cache.

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Custom cache keys

Override automatic cache key generation with the cacheKey parameter: 
curl "https://api.domshot.com/shot?key=YOUR_API_KEY&url=https://example.com&cacheKey=my-custom-key"
The cacheKey is hashed before use, so any string value works.

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Cache duration

Screenshots are cached for 4 hours. After expiration, the next request generates a new screenshot and refreshes the cache.

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Cache behavior

ScenarioCreditsDescription
Cache hitFreeCached screenshot returned
Cache miss1 creditNew screenshot captured and cached
With fresh=true1 creditCache bypassed, new screenshot captured

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Bypassing cache

Use fresh=true to force a new screenshot and ignore cached results: 
curl "https://api.domshot.com/shot?key=YOUR_API_KEY&url=https://example.com&fresh=true"
This always consumes 1 credit, even if a cached screenshot exists.

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Best practices

  • Leverage cache - Identical requests within 4 hours are free
  • Use fresh=true sparingly - Only when you need updated content
  • Custom cache keys - Group related screenshots under shared keys

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See also