The snapshot object
A screenshot answers “what did the pixels look like?” A Kaptr.me snapshot answers a larger question: “what visual evidence belongs in this dashboard, where did it come from, and how should it behave over time?”
A reusable visual object that can contain the captured image, source information, crop, dimensions, board placement, refresh context and history needed to keep the visual meaningful after it is inserted.
The snapshot lifecycle
- Create.Capture a useful region with the extension or produce compatible evidence through an AI workflow.
- Place.Insert it into the board where it keeps size, position and surrounding context.
- Refresh.Ask Kaptr.me to revisit the source and update the image when the workflow supports it.
- Review.Use history where available to see previous states rather than losing every older capture.
- Share or export.Use dashboard permissions, embed or export tools according to your plan and intended audience.
Local snapshots
Snapshots captured and refreshed through the extension can use the authenticated session already present in the browser performing the action. The browser session is not the snapshot: cookies and credentials are not packaged into the board.
This is why a protected source that refreshes successfully on one signed-in machine may fail on another machine that is not signed in. The board can store the snapshot, but it does not store a portable website login.
AI-created snapshots
Compatible Kaptr AI workflows can discover sources, capture visual evidence and insert snapshots into a dashboard. That path has a different privacy boundary from local extension capture because AI processing is remote. Content submitted to AI features, including AI-discovered captures, may be reviewed by authorized human reviewers and may be used to improve AI systems as described in the Privacy Policy.
Keep sensitive local-session workflows separate from AI when you do not want the content to enter that processing path.
What you can do with a snapshot
Replace the visible state with a newer capture from the same source workflow.
Keep previous states where the plan includes snapshot history.
Move, resize and organize the object around the other evidence in the dashboard.
Share the dashboard, embed eligible content or export the visual according to the available tools.
Screenshot vs snapshot
The easiest distinction is: a screenshot is media; a snapshot is product state. A PNG downloaded to your computer can be perfectly useful, but it no longer knows how it belongs to a Kaptr.me board. A snapshot keeps that relationship.
For the broader capture concept, read What is a live screenshot?. To see the object in context, explore Kaptr.me use cases.