Screenshots & OG images in n8n.
n8n-nodes-shotium is a community node that puts website screenshots and Open Graph image generation inside your n8n workflows: point a trigger at it, wire the output into S3, email or any downstream node. Three operations, a credential test that costs zero credits, and signed URLs computed locally without an API call.
What the node does
- Take Screenshot — any public URL to PNG, JPEG or WebP binary. Viewport control, quality settings, full-page capture up to 20,000px.
- Generate OG Image — typed parameters into one of five built-in templates, a finished 1200×630 social card out.
- Generate Signed URL — an HMAC-signed image URL computed locally in your n8n instance. No API call, no render billed until a crawler fetches it; repeat fetches hit the CDN edge for free.
How do I install it?
- On n8n Cloud, search for Shotium in the nodes panel — the node is verified and needs no installation. On self-hosted n8n, open Settings → Community Nodes → Install, enter
n8n-nodes-shotiumand confirm. - Sign in to Shotium with GitHub or Google and create an API key — your account starts with 100 free render credits, no card.
- In n8n, create a Shotium credential with the key. The credential test calls
GET /v1/me— it verifies the key without rendering anything, so a green check costs nothing.
The node is open source on GitHub and published as n8n-nodes-shotium on npm, with zero runtime dependencies. It passed n8n's verification review and is available on n8n Cloud as a verified community node.
Workflow patterns that fit
- RSS → OG image → storage: every new post gets a social card automatically — the card renders once and caches at the edge. Built step by step in How to automate OG images in n8n.
- Scheduled page snapshots: cron trigger, Take Screenshot, pipe the binary into S3/Drive/email for visual archives or monitoring.
- CMS webhook → signed URL: content changes fire a webhook; the workflow computes a fresh signed URL and writes it back — nothing renders until someone shares the page.
Failed renders never bill, and rate limits are 60 requests/minute per key — details in the docs, plans on pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the Shotium node in n8n?
On self-hosted n8n: Settings → Community Nodes → Install, enter n8n-nodes-shotium, confirm. The Shotium node appears in the nodes panel immediately — no restart needed on recent n8n versions.
Is the Shotium node available on n8n Cloud?
Yes. n8n-nodes-shotium is a verified community node: on n8n Cloud, search for Shotium in the nodes panel and drag it onto the canvas. Self-hosted n8n installs it via Settings → Community Nodes.
Which operations does the Shotium node provide?
Three: Take Screenshot (any URL to PNG/JPEG/WebP binary), Generate OG Image (typed template parameters to a 1200×630 card), and Generate Signed URL (an HMAC-signed image URL computed locally — no API call, no render billed).
Does Generate Signed URL consume render credits?
No. The signature is computed inside your n8n instance with your signing secret — nothing is rendered and nothing is billed until a crawler actually fetches the URL. Repeat fetches are served from the CDN edge, also free.