How do you build a screenshot maker SaaS with the Aqua API?

Creating App Store screenshots is one of those tasks that developers dread. Design tools are too complicated for quick adjustments, and requirements shift whenever Apple updates listing specs. Screenshot tools are steady SaaS businesses for that reason. Building the generation engine yourself is a different story: weeks of engineering, edge cases, and ongoing maintenance.

The Aqua API is a practical shortcut if you want to sell screenshot generation without owning the pipeline. Build a client-facing UI, collect uploads and preferences, and send the heavy work to Aqua.

Your backend does not need to own screenshot production. Collect style choices and captures from users, call the Aqua API, and return a polished ZIP.

Here is a code example of how to implement a backend endpoint in a Node.js server to process user uploads and call the Aqua API using the SDK:

import { Aqua } from 'aqua-sdk'
import { WebRequest, WebResponse } from 'your-server-framework'

const aqua = new Aqua({
  apiKey: process.env.AQUA_API_KEY || ''
})

export async function handleGenerateRequest(req: WebRequest, res: WebResponse) {
  try {
    const { appName, font, primaryColor, screenshotsData } = req.body
    
    // Convert base64 captures or file buffers from user uploads
    const screenshotsInput = screenshotsData.map((shot: any) => {
      const buffer = Buffer.from(shot.base64Image, 'base64')
      return {
        slot: shot.slot,
        capture: new Blob([buffer], { type: 'image/png' }),
        position: shot.layout || 'iphone_full_with_text_top',
        copy: {
          title: shot.title,
          subtitle: shot.subtitle
        },
        backgroundColor: primaryColor || '#000000'
      }
    })

    // Request polished screenshots from Aqua
    const zipBlob = await aqua.generateScreenshots({
      appDisplayName: appName,
      fontPairing: font || 'clean',
      screenshots: screenshotsInput
    })

    // Send the ZIP file back to the client
    const outputBuffer = Buffer.from(await zipBlob.arrayBuffer())
    res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/zip')
    res.setHeader('Content-Disposition', 'attachment; filename="marketing-assets.zip"')
    return res.send(outputBuffer)

  } catch (error: any) {
    console.error('SaaS Generator Error:', error)
    return res.status(500).json({ error: error.message || 'Failed to generate assets' })
  }
}

With generation off your plate, you can focus on preview UI, auth, and billing. Aqua carries the production work at scale so your customers get listing-ready graphics without you maintaining a render farm.