Screenshot Capture: Visual Monitoring for Websites

Screenshot capture takes a full-page visual snapshot of a domain's website. Unlike content change monitoring (which tracks text), screenshots capture the entire visual state — layout, images, colors, and overall presentation.

Credit Cost

Each screenshot costs 300 credits.

What It Captures

ElasticDomain renders the page in a headless browser environment and captures:

• Full-page screenshot (not just above-the-fold)
• The final state after JavaScript execution
• The rendered visual exactly as a real browser would display it

Use Cases

Defacement Detection

Compare a current screenshot against a baseline to detect if an attacker has replaced your homepage content with their own. A visual diff immediately reveals unauthorized changes that text-based monitoring might miss (e.g., an attacker using images instead of text).

Portfolio Documentation

Generate visual snapshots of client websites at a point in time — useful for project kickoffs, handovers, or documenting the state before a redesign.

Competitive Intelligence

Take periodic screenshots of competitor homepages, pricing pages, or landing pages to track their visual messaging and design changes over time.

Before/After Migration Evidence

Capture a screenshot before and after a website migration, redesign, or CMS change to document that the visual state was preserved correctly.

How to Trigger a Screenshot

1. Open the domain detail page.
2. Click Scan → Screenshot.
3. The screenshot appears in the domain's Screenshots tab once complete.

Screenshots are stored and viewable from the scan history. Compare any two screenshots side by side to see visual differences.

Setting Up Screenshot Alerts

Screenshot change detection works by comparing the visual hash of sequential screenshots:

1. Domain detail → Alerts → Create Alert Rule
2. Trigger: Favicon Changed (for icon/brand changes) or monitor for content change alongside screenshots for comprehensive coverage

Tips

• Run an initial screenshot when you first add a domain to establish a visual baseline
• For production domains, a monthly screenshot is usually sufficient — screenshots are expensive at 300 credits
• For high-value pages prone to defacement (login pages, homepages), consider more frequent screenshots
• Screenshots work best on public pages — pages requiring authentication will capture the login screen, not the protected content