> ## 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.

# URL capture

> Paste a URL to automatically capture screens and the navigation between them.

URL capture is the core BenchCanvas workflow. Paste a URL and get a connected flow map in seconds.

## Start a capture

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the new capture dialog">
    From your dashboard, start a new project. If your dashboard is empty, choose the option to paste a URL and capture.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste a URL">
    Enter the full URL of the page you want to start from, for example `https://example.com` or a deeper page like `https://example.com/pricing`. The starting URL anchors the capture.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Adjust options (optional)">
    Open the options to set a [flow size](/capture/options), navigation style, and an email alert. The defaults work well for most sites.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run it">
    Start the capture. The project is created and the capture begins. You can watch progress, or enable the email alert and come back later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What gets captured

BenchCanvas follows links and likely user navigation from your starting URL, then selects the most relevant screens for the journey. Each captured screen becomes a node with:

* A screenshot in your chosen format (see [Screenshots](/canvas/screenshots))
* The page URL and a title
* An auto-detected [page type](/canvas/screens) such as homepage, pricing, or signup

Screens are placed inside a [frame](/canvas/flows-and-frames) and linked with [connections](/canvas/connections) that reflect the real navigation.

## Capture status

A capture moves through a few states while it runs (for example, discovering pages, then taking screenshots, then finalizing). When it completes, the canvas opens with your flow laid out automatically.

<Tip>
  Turn on the email alert if you are capturing a large site with Deep exploration. BenchCanvas emails you when the capture is ready so you do not have to wait on the page.
</Tip>

## Tips for good results

* Start from the most relevant page. To study pricing, start from the pricing URL.
* Use a larger [flow size](/capture/options) for big sites and a smaller one for quick looks.
* If a capture returns very few screens, BenchCanvas can fall back to the [sitemap](/capture/sitemap-fallback) automatically.
* For private or logged-in pages, use the [Chrome extension](/extension/record-authenticated-flows).

<Card title="Tune your capture" icon="sliders" href="/capture/options">
  Learn about flow size, navigation style, and email alerts.
</Card>