Is it Legal to take the Screenshot of a Website?
This blog is meant to give specifically practical guidance, not legal advice. The rules around website screenshots differ at a general level depending on your location, their use and the reason why you're taking the screenshot. Use this as a reference for business owners, marketers and developers to understand some common issues, NOT as a replacement for legal advice.
So, use this blog for general and international guidance, but if you need legal advice that could affect your business or work directly, seek professional legal advice.
Whether you're archiving thousands of tool listings, keeping an eye on competitors, or creating a tool that automatically collects thousands of web pages, screenshots are a practical solution. With the availability of screenshot APIs, collecting screenshots at scale has never been easier.
But here is the problem - just because you can collect a site does not mean it is always legacy allowed to. Copyright, privacy, and commercial use laws are extremely inconsistent, and what seems normal in one place can be wrong in another.
In this blog, we will cover the legal standing of website screenshots and how legislation differs in different places of the world, and as safely as possible for their work. From directories to marketing projects, businesses that rely on screenshots at scale need to understand where legal boundaries lie. And if you are looking for a screenshot API to use, we'll cover that too.
So, let's get going.
What is a Screenshot API?
Before we get into the laws, let’s clear up the basics. A screenshot API is a tool that lets developers capture a webpage by sending its URL, and it returns an image of that page. Some can grab the full page, switch between mobile and desktop views, or wait for dynamic content to load.
When people talk about “bulk screenshots,” they usually mean doing this at scale—capturing hundreds or thousands of pages, or taking repeated snapshots of the same site over time. That’s where the bigger legal questions come in.
Before getting into the laws, let's clarify the fundamentals. A screenshot API is a service that allows developers to send a URL and get back an image of that webpage. Some allow full page captures, while others toggle between mobile and desktop, or wait for dynamic content to be loaded.
When people reference "bulk screenshots," they generally mean, capturing hundreds or thousands of pages at scale, or taking multiple images of the same site over time. This is where some of the heftier legal implications arise.
Bulk Screenshot Data and Why It Matters Legally
Taking a screenshot for personal use is usually not a significant issue. However, once you start taking thousands of pages using a screenshot API, the landscape changes altogether. Bulk screenshots are typically for archiving, monitoring, or analyzing websites in large sets that elevate attention to how you're potentially using that data.
At scale, you have serious issues relating to copyright, privacy, and commercial use. What may seem harmless for a single screenshot can look completely different for hundreds of companies or platforms. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the legal considerations for bulk screenshot data before using it.
Legal Aspects Specific to Screenshot APIs and Bulk Use
Here are the main areas where the law gets involved, with attention to how different regions handle them:
Copyright and Reproduction Rights
Every screenshot is a copy of a creative work. Under U.S. Copyright Law, copyright protects "original works of authorship", including creative web design and text and any images. The use of a screenshot in a commercial context may expose the user to infringement claims unless it otherwise falls within the parameters of "fair use". To establish fair use for screenshots courts there weigh factors like purpose, amount copied, and market effect. But large-scale, commercial screenshotting usually weakens the fair use argument.
The European Union (EU) protections are generally stronger. Even very small excerpts may be protected and the exceptions "quotation" or "parody" rarely extend to bulk technical captures. Similarly, in Asia and Latin America's countries, there are also restricted forms of legal rights protection.
By contrast, some jurisdictions, such as Canada and Australia, take a more lenient, "fair dealing," approach but those can be difficult to justify in bulk situations. Put simply, what is allowed in one jurisdiction can be restricted in another, and bulk use will invariably be scrutinized.
Terms of Service and Contractual Rules
In many jurisdictions, websites consider their Terms of Service (ToS) to be enforceable contracts. American courts have upheld ToS against scraping. If the ToS clearly prohibits automated screenshots, if you were to run the API for a bulk use you could be in breach of contract grounds. Breach of ToS can result not only in suspension of your account but also DMCA takedowns, and possible civil claims. In European jurisdictions courts are likely to value written contracts even more, which puts the site owner in a stronger position.
Privacy and Personal Data
Regions with strict privacy laws like the EU (GDPR) and California (CCPA) add additional obligations if your screenshots have personal information like names, photos, and user-generated content. GDPR requires a lawful basis to collect and/or store information and some required protections, like encryption and limited retention.
Even if your business is not based in the EU, but you are processing data from users in the EU you need to comply with the GDPR. The same applies for CCPA if they are California residents. Additionally, bulk screenshots can increase the chance of accidentally capturing personal information. It will also make following the law very complicated.
Computer Misuse and Anti-Hacking Laws
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) has been leveraged in scraping cases in the U.S., but the case law is inconsistent. In LinkedIn v. hiQ Labs, for example, the court allowed scraping of public LinkedIn profiles, but in a different case, the court penalised the bypassing of the website's security. Furthermore, bulk screenshot APIs that bypass CAPTCHA protections or overburden the server may also fall under “unauthorised access.” Similar laws exist in the U.K. (Computer Misuse Act) and in many EU states. In summary, what one jurisdiction may tolerate, another could view as a digital invasion.
Misrepresentation and Attribution
Changing screenshots or treating them as your own may fall you under both legal and reputational risks in multiple jurisdictions around the world. For example, U.S. trademark law forbids using screenshots in a manner suggesting endorsement, without permission to do so. In the EU, moral rights grant authors control on how their work is used or altered, which can compound the risks of misrepresentation even more. To protect yourself against any legal issues, it's best to keep screenshots unaltered, cite the source you took from, and do not remove attribution marks by cropping.
Jurisdictional Differences
The U.S. relies on doctrines like fair use when there are legal proceedings, but fair use cases are unpredictable and often defended. In the EU, copyright and privacy issues take precedence over fair economic use of screenshots. Some western Asian nations such Japan, allow limited “private use” permissible exceptions. Singapore has copyright rules closer to the U.K. If you take screenshots over multiple regions, you need to follow the overlapping regulations at once.
Best Practices for Bulk Screenshot Use
If you’re using a screenshot API at scale, here are key ways to stay on the safe side:
1. Respect Terms of Service
Check the ToS of both your screenshot API provider and the websites you’re capturing. Many sites don’t allow automated captures or scraping. Violating these rules can lead to bans, takedowns, or even legal claims.
2. Stick to Public Content
Limit captures to openly available pages. Avoid paywalled, login-only, or membership content unless you have explicit permission. That’s where most copyright and contract disputes start.
3. Handle Personal Data Carefully
If screenshots show personal info (usernames, reviews, profiles), it can be interpreted as sensitive data. To avoid the legal issue. It's recommended to blur or anonymise where possible, store securely and don’t keep it longer than necessary.
4. Don’t Overload Servers
Use rate limits. Sending too many requests too quickly can make bulk capturing look like scraping or even a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. This can risk IP bans or legal issues under computer misuse laws.
5. Attribute and Be Transparent
If you’re publishing screenshots, credit the source and clarify if you’ve modified anything. Capturing someone else’s work or altering it in misleading ways can spark copyright or misrepresentation claims.
6. Seek Permission for Commercial Use
If screenshots form part of your product, marketing, or redistribution who has strict copywriting rules, it’s safer to ask the site owner first. Many will agree, especially if you provide attribution, and it prevents disputes later.
Final Verdict
Indeed, bulk screenshot is perfectly legal as long as you do not violate copyright law, privacy law, and terms of service, and you are pulling from public web pages. It only becomes an issue if you are pulling or screenshotting paywalled content, or if you are revealing someone's personal data, or if you are misrepresenting their overall content through taking those screenshots and using them. To see a real example of how to approach this in the right way, reference the next section on using CaptureKit Screenshot API and follow the legal and reasonable approaches for bulk screenshotting.
Use CaptureKit Screenshot API for Bulk Screenshot Capturing
For businesses handling bulk screenshots, our tool CaptureKit offers a secure and scalable way to capture websites at scale. It’s built on AWS infrastructure, uses encryption for data security, and supports advanced features like full-page rendering, mobile/desktop views, and headless browser support.
Legally, CaptureKit operates under French law and is part of WEBAPI Group, which gives clients a clear jurisdiction and a trusted corporate framework. Our privacy policy aligns with GDPR standards, meaning data is handled responsibly while keeping users in control.
While you still need to respect copyright and site Terms of Service, CaptureKit provides a stable, transparent foundation you can trust.
👉 Sign up for CaptureKit today and start capturing at scale with confidence. Every new account gets 100 free credits, and each screenshot costs just 1 credit, so you can start testing right away without any upfront cost.