---
title: 'Guides'
description: 'Step-by-step guides for common Microlink workflows. Learn how to query public search surfaces, capture screenshots, extract custom data, generate PDFs, extract metadata, and more with practical examples.'
---

import { Link } from 'components/elements/Link'
import ProBadge from 'components/patterns/ProBadge/ProBadge'

Microlink Guides are practical, step-by-step walkthroughs that show you how to accomplish real tasks using the Microlink API. While the <Link href='/docs/api/getting-started/overview' children='API reference' /> documents every parameter individually, these guides focus on **workflows** — combining parameters to solve specific problems from start to finish.

Every guide includes practical examples you can adapt quickly. Most API guides also include live, runnable examples you can modify and test directly.

## Before you start

The Microlink API works **without an API key** — you get **25 free requests per day**, no signup required. No API key is required to implement your code or to run the examples directly in your browser.

Some features are marked with <ProBadge /> and require a paid plan. Everything else works on the free tier. See <Link href='/docs/api/basics/rate-limit' children='rate limit' /> and <Link href='/docs/api/basics/authentication' children='authentication' /> for details.

Microlink Search is the main exception: it is a paid workflow from the first request because public-result collection depends on managed proxy capacity.

## What is Microlink?

New to the API? Start with <Link href='/docs/guides/what-is-microlink' children='What is Microlink' /> — it explains the core idea, walks through every workflow with live examples, and helps you decide which guide to read next.

## Which guide do I need?

| I want to… | Start here |
|-------------|------------|
| Get an image of a website | <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot' children='Screenshot' /> |
| Scrape structured data from a page | <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction' children='Data extraction' /> |
| Embed any URL as a card, iframe, or custom HTML preview | <Link href='/docs/guides/embed' children='Embed' /> |
| Convert a web page, PDF file, or JSON endpoint | <Link href='/docs/guides/content-conversion' children='Content conversion' /> |
| Run custom JavaScript in a headless browser | <Link href='/docs/guides/function' children='Function' /> |
| Turn a page into a PDF | <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf' children='PDF' /> |
| Get link preview data (title, image, description) | <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata' children='Metadata' /> |
| Detect what tech a site uses or run a Lighthouse audit | <Link href='/docs/guides/insights' children='Insights' /> |
| Query public search surfaces as structured data | <Link href='/docs/guides/search' children='Search' /> |
| Bypass IP blocking, CAPTCHAs, or regional restrictions | <Link href='/docs/guides/common/proxy' children='Proxy' /> |

Caching, private-page access, and general troubleshooting are shared across all workflows. See <Link href='/docs/guides/common/caching' children='common patterns' />.

## Screenshot

Capture high-quality screenshots of any website with a single API call. This guide now covers the full workflow, from your first screenshot to advanced output control, embedding, private-page capture, and troubleshooting.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot' children='Quickstart' /> — your first screenshot in under a minute.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot/customizing-output' children='Customizing output' /> — full-page, element targeting, format, overlays, and code themes.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot/browser-settings' children='Browser settings' /> — viewport, device emulation, dark mode, and animations.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot/page-interaction' children='Page interaction' /> — click, scroll, wait, inject CSS/JS, block ads and cookie banners.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot/embedding' children='Delivery and embedding' /> — choose between JSON + CDN URLs and direct image responses.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot/caching-and-performance' children='Caching and performance' /> — cache control, stale-while-revalidate, and optimization tips.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot/private-pages' children='Private pages' /> — handle login, sessions, and header-based personalization safely.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/screenshot/troubleshooting' children='Troubleshooting' /> — debug timing issues, blocked sites, wrong captures, and plan errors.

## Data extraction

Extract exactly the fields you need from any page with Microlink API, shape the response for your application, and handle dynamic or private targets reliably.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction' children='Quickstart' /> — your first custom data extractor in under a minute.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction/defining-rules' children='Defining rules' /> — model single fields, collections, nested objects, fallbacks, and computed values.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction/page-preparation' children='Page preparation' /> — choose fetch mode, wait for dynamic content, and mutate the DOM before extraction.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction/delivery-and-response' children='Delivery and response shaping' /> — choose between full JSON, filtered payloads, and direct field responses.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction/caching-and-performance' children='Caching and performance' /> — cache control, stale-while-revalidate, and extraction speed tips.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction/private-pages' children='Private pages' /> — extract data from authenticated or session-based pages safely.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/data-extraction/troubleshooting' children='Troubleshooting' /> — fix empty fields, wrong selectors, timeouts, and blocked sites.

## Content conversion

Convert any URL — a web page, a direct PDF file, an office document such as `docx`, `xlsx`, or `pptx`, or a JSON endpoint — into text, Markdown, HTML, or structured JSON with direct recipes that are easy to copy into a worker, ingestion pipeline, CMS import, or LLM flow.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/content-conversion' children='Overview' /> - choose the right conversion recipe and response model.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/content-conversion/url-to-text' children='URL to Text' /> - convert any URL into readable plain text.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/content-conversion/url-to-markdown' children='URL to Markdown' /> - convert any URL into clean Markdown.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/content-conversion/url-to-html' children='URL to HTML' /> - return full-page HTML or a scoped HTML fragment.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/content-conversion/json-endpoint-to-json' children='JSON endpoint to JSON' /> - parse a JSON endpoint response as structured data.

## Function

Run arbitrary JavaScript inside a headless browser with full Puppeteer access. Use it when none of the built-in parameters cover your workflow.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/function' children='Quickstart' /> — your first custom function in under a minute.

## PDF

Generate production-ready PDFs of any website with full control over paper size, layout, delivery, caching, and private-page access.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf' children='Quickstart' /> — your first PDF in under a minute.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf/page-size-and-layout' children='Page size and layout' /> — paper format, custom dimensions, margins, orientation, scale, and page ranges.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf/page-preparation' children='Page preparation' /> — print vs screen CSS, waits, clicks, and CSS cleanup before printing.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf/embedding' children='Delivery and embedding' /> — choose between JSON + CDN URLs and direct PDF responses.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf/caching-and-performance' children='Caching and performance' /> — cache control, stale-while-revalidate, and optimization tips.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf/private-pages' children='Private pages' /> — generate PDFs from authenticated or session-based pages safely.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/pdf/troubleshooting' children='Troubleshooting' /> — debug missing content, wrong layout, blocked sites, and plan errors.

## Metadata

Extract normalized metadata from any URL, narrow the field set to what you actually need, enrich the result when necessary, and handle dynamic or private targets reliably.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata' children='Quickstart' /> — your first metadata extraction in under a minute.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata/choosing-fields' children='Choosing fields' /> — request only the normalized metadata fields you actually need.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata/extending-results' children='Extending results' /> — add custom fields, oEmbed HTML, color palettes, or site analysis.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata/delivery-and-response' children='Delivery and response shaping' /> — choose between full JSON, filtered payloads, and direct field responses.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata/page-preparation' children='Page preparation' /> — handle SPAs, waits, and browser-rendered metadata.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata/caching-and-performance' children='Caching and performance' /> — cache control, stale-while-revalidate, and metadata performance tips.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata/private-pages' children='Private pages' /> — extract metadata from authenticated or session-based pages safely.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/metadata/troubleshooting' children='Troubleshooting' /> — fix missing fields, wrong variants, timeouts, and blocked sites.

## Embed

Turn any URL into a rich preview, an interactive iframe, or a custom-styled card. Pick the SDK for a drop-in component, the iframe parameter for the provider's native player, or the metadata API for full HTML/CSS control — and learn how to instruct an LLM agent to use Microlink for previews.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed' children='Quickstart' /> — pick the right embed approach for your stack in under a minute.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed/sdk' children='SDK' /> — drop in a React, Vue, or Vanilla component that handles fetching, lazy-loading, and rendering.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed/iframe' children='iframe parameter' /> — return ready-to-inject oEmbed HTML and scripts for 280+ providers.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed/metadata-api' children='Metadata API with custom HTML/CSS' /> — render previews entirely in your own markup.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed/custom-previews-with-ai' children='Generate custom previews with AI' /> — paste prompts into Cursor, Claude Code, or your IDE assistant to build previews styled to your project — no SDK required.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed/caching-and-performance' children='Caching and performance' /> — keep embeds fast at scale with TTL, stale-while-revalidate, and direct embed URLs.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed/private-pages-and-proxy' children='Private pages and proxy' /> — embed authenticated dashboards, geofenced content, and antibot-protected sites.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/embed/troubleshooting' children='Troubleshooting' /> — debug missing iframes, broken images, hot-linking, and provider-specific quirks.

## Insights

Analyze any site with Microlink Insights, choose between technology detection and Lighthouse audits, and troubleshoot slow or blocked runs.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/insights' children='Quickstart' /> — your first Insights analysis in under a minute.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/insights/technology-detection' children='Technology detection' /> — identify frameworks, CDNs, analytics tools, and other technologies behind a site.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/insights/lighthouse-reports' children='Lighthouse reports' /> — generate JSON, HTML, or CSV audit reports and tune report settings.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/insights/caching-and-performance' children='Caching and performance' /> — cache expensive runs, skip unnecessary work, and verify response behavior.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/insights/troubleshooting' children='Troubleshooting' /> — fix missing results, timeouts, wrong variants, and blocked sites.

## Search

Query public search surfaces as structured data with Microlink Search and the `@microlink/google` package. Ten surfaces, lazy content helpers, and a single interface for SEO, monitoring, research, and agent workflows.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/search' children='Quickstart' /> — install `@microlink/google`, make your first query, choose a surface, paginate, and expand results.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/search/search' children='Web Search' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/news' children='News' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/images' children='Images' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/videos' children='Videos' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/places' children='Places' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/maps' children='Maps' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/shopping' children='Shopping' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/scholar' children='Scholar' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/patents' children='Patents' />, <Link href='/docs/guides/search/autocomplete' children='Autocomplete' /> — result fields, examples, and guidance for each surface.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/search/content-expansion' children='Content expansion' /> — fetch HTML or Markdown for individual results or the SERP page, and learn the two-step retrieval model.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/search/patterns' children='Integration patterns' /> — agent tool calling, RAG pipelines, news monitoring, entity lookup, academic research, and product intelligence workflows.

## Common patterns

Caching, private-page access, and troubleshooting patterns that apply to every workflow above.

- <Link href='/docs/guides/common/caching' children='Caching patterns' /> — control TTL, stale-while-revalidate, cache bypass, and verify behavior.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/common/private-pages' children='Private pages' /> — headers, secrets, endpoint selection, proxy, and credential safety.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/common/proxy' children='Proxy' /> — bypass IP blocking, CAPTCHAs, antibot protection, and regional restrictions with automatic or custom proxy rotation.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/common/troubleshooting' children='Troubleshooting' /> — timeouts, blocked sites, auth/plan errors, and debug headers.
- <Link href='/docs/guides/common/production-patterns' children='Production patterns' /> — rate limits, endpoint selection, credential safety, retries, and monitoring.
