domhabersack.com

What It Is

Codeshots is a code screenshot generator developed by Dom Habersack. It can generate shareable images of code snippets through a web interface or a REST API. The project grew out of the creator’s frustration with manually creating social-media code graphics in Sketch: doing syntax highlighting by hand was time-consuming, so he moved toward a more automated and reusable web-based tool.

Core Features

The web app is designed to be easy to use: you can open the editor without signing up, preview the default code snippet, and download an image right away. The editing experience is WYSIWYG, with syntax highlighting updating in real time as you type and configuration changes reflected instantly in the preview. Customization options include themes, gradient or solid-color backgrounds, common social-media aspect ratios, monospace fonts, line numbers, and window-style control buttons. The author intentionally reduces fine-grained options such as padding, border radius, and shadows, aiming to avoid complex forms that slow users down. Syntax highlighting is powered by Shiki and uses the theme ecosystem associated with VS Code.

API, Authentication, and Ecosystem

Codeshots is not just a small web utility; it also provides a REST API. The author’s principle is that everything available in the editor should also be possible through the API, with the frontend editor serving as the API’s first consumer. The API uses GitHub OAuth login, Bearer Token authorization, and user API Keys; users can generate, monitor, and revoke keys. The backend also implements Redis-based sliding-window rate limiting, with request limits by minute, hour, and day, reflecting good public API hygiene. The interface also includes an API request panel that can generate curl commands for the current settings and link to the documentation and Dashboard.

Pricing and Limits

The source material does not provide a clear pricing plan. The author states that the core web features are not placed behind registration or a paywall, but the API requires an account and an API Key. Paid plans with more advanced customization and higher usage limits may be introduced in the future. There is no disclosure on whether the project is open source, nor any mention of self-hosting options or SDKs.

Pros, Cons, and Who It’s For

Its strengths are quick onboarding, consistent visual output, mobile-friendly usage, and an API design that accounts for authentication, rate limiting, and key revocation. The downside is that customization is intentionally limited, so it is not suitable for users who need design-software-level control over screenshot styling. The supported language list, pricing, SLA, commercial support, and open-source status are also unclear. It is a good fit for developers, technical bloggers, course creators, and teams that want to integrate code screenshot generation into a content workflow.

Access from China

The collected material does not provide information about access from mainland China, payment methods, or compliance, so the access status can only be marked as unknown. If access is unstable, alternatives such as Carbon, VS Code screenshot plugins, or local design tools may be worth considering.