> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.benchcanvas.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Capture overview

> All the ways to get screens onto your canvas, from URL capture to PDF and video import and templates.

Capturing is how screens get onto your canvas. The fastest path is to paste a URL, but BenchCanvas offers several ways to build a flow depending on what you have access to.

## Ways to capture

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="URL capture" icon="link" href="/capture/url-capture">
    Paste a URL and BenchCanvas discovers pages, screenshots them, and connects them automatically. The core workflow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compare multiple URLs" icon="layer-group" href="/capture/compare-urls">
    Capture several sites into one project and lay them out side by side.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Expand a flow" icon="arrows-left-right-to-line" href="/capture/expand-flow">
    Grow an existing flow by capturing more pages from any screen.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add screens manually" icon="image" href="/capture/add-screens">
    Scrape a single URL, upload images, paste from clipboard, or drag and drop your own screenshots.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Import from a PDF" icon="file-pdf" href="/capture/pdf-to-flow">
    Turn each page of a PDF into a screen. Great for brand and research decks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Import from a video" icon="video" href="/capture/video-to-flow">
    Turn a screen recording into a flow. Great for flows behind a login. (Beta)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Start from a template" icon="copy" href="/capture/templates">
    Copy a ready-made flow from a popular product into your workspace.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How a URL capture works

When you capture from a URL, BenchCanvas runs a multi-step pipeline:

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
  Crawl["Discover pages"] --> Analyze["Select and order screens"]
  Analyze --> Shots["Take screenshots"]
  Shots --> Build["Build flow and connections"]
```

1. **Discover pages** by following links and likely user navigation from your starting URL.
2. **Select and order** the most relevant screens for the journey.
3. **Take screenshots** of each screen in your chosen format.
4. **Build the flow** by placing screens in frames and drawing the navigation connections.

You can tune depth and behavior with [capture options](/capture/options).

## What you can capture

Any publicly accessible website works: landing pages, web apps, e-commerce, SaaS, blogs, and more. BenchCanvas uses a real browser, so it captures what a user would actually see.

For pages behind a login, use the [Chrome extension](/extension/record-authenticated-flows) to record an authenticated flow and import it.

<Note>
  Some sites actively block automated browsers. If a capture comes back thin or blocked, see [Troubleshooting captures](/capture/troubleshooting).
</Note>