Last updated: June 08, 2026 · Updated quarterly to reflect current pricing and features.

Tutorial · Browser API

Microlink API Tutorial (2026): Setup, Examples, and a Simpler Alternative

June 08, 2026 5 min read Browser API

This tutorial covers how to get started with the Microlink API — authentication, key parameters, and code examples. We also show why developers often end up choosing a simpler alternative.

Getting started with the Microlink API

Microlink (Screenshot, metadata, PDF in one open-source API) provides a REST API for url + metadata extraction. Here's how to set it up and make your first API call.

Authentication

Most Microlink API requests require authentication via API key. You'll find your key in the Microlink dashboard after signing up.

Making your first request

# Microlink — example request curl -X POST https://api.microlink.com/v1/render \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MICROLINK_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"url": "https://example.com", "width": 1200, "height": 630}'

Key parameters

width / height — output image dimensions
format — PNG, JPEG, or WebP
url — URL of the page to capture

Limitations to be aware of

No raw HTML input — you must host the content before capturing it. No native n8n or Make.com node. No built-in batch endpoint.

A simpler alternative for HTML rendering

If you're using Microlink specifically for HTML-to-image rendering and find the setup complex, RenderPix offers a simpler API with native n8n support:

# One API call. That's all. curl -X POST https://renderpix.dev/v1/render \ -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "html": "<div style=\"width:1200px;height:630px;background:#0f0f0f;color:#fff;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-size:48px\">Hello, RenderPix</div>", "width": 1200, "height": 630, "format": "png" }' --output card.png

Feature	Microlink	RenderPix
Starting price	$9/mo	$9/mo
Free tier	limited	100 renders/mo
Raw HTML input	✗	✓ Full HTML/CSS
n8n native node	✗	✓ Native node
Batch rendering	✗	✓ Built-in
Template variables	✗	✓ {key} syntax
Async callback	✗	✓
PNG / JPEG / WebP	✓	✓
Primary use case	URL + metadata extraction	HTML image generation