Authentication

All API requests require authentication using your access key.

Get Your API Key

1. Create an account or sign in
2. Go to your Dashboard
3. Copy your Access Key and Secret Key

Authentication Methods

You can provide your access key in three ways:

1. Query Parameter

https://api.lambdashot.com/take?url=https://example.com&access_key=YOUR_ACCESS_KEY

2. Request Header

GET https://api.lambdashot.com/take?url=https://example.com
X-Access-Key: YOUR_ACCESS_KEY

3. JSON Body (POST requests)

POST https://api.lambdashot.com/take
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "access_key": "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY",
  "url": "https://example.com"
}

    
Access Key vs Secret Key
    

      

        
Key Type
Purpose
Keep Secret?
      
      

        

          
Access Key
          
Identifies your account, used in all requests
          
Semi-public (can be in URLs)
        
        

          
Secret Key
          
Signs requests, verifies webhooks
          
Yes, never expose
        
      
    

    
Signed Requests
    

      For public-facing URLs (like embedding screenshots in web pages), use
      signed requests to prevent unauthorized usage.
      Signed requests require both your access key and secret key to generate.
    

    
Security Best Practices
    

      
Never commit API keys to version control — Use environment variables
      
Use signed requests for public URLs — Prevents key abuse
      
Rotate keys periodically — Generate new keys in the dashboard
      
Use different keys for dev/prod — Easier to track and revoke
      
Monitor usage — Check the dashboard for unexpected spikes
    

    
Environment Variables
    
Store your keys in environment variables:

    
.env file
    
LAMBDASHOT_ACCESS_KEY=your_access_key
LAMBDASHOT_SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key

    
Usage in code
    
// Node.js
const accessKey = process.env.LAMBDASHOT_ACCESS_KEY;

# Python
import os
access_key = os.environ['LAMBDASHOT_ACCESS_KEY']

// Go
accessKey := os.Getenv("LAMBDASHOT_ACCESS_KEY")

    
Key Regeneration
    

      You can regenerate your keys anytime from the dashboard. Old keys are
      immediately invalidated. Make sure to update your applications after regenerating.
    

    
Rate Limits
    

      Default rate limit is 100 requests per minute. If you need higher limits,
      contact us — we'll increase it for free.