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Choose Your Uploader

Imperial offers two powerful ways to upload screenshots and files instantly:

Imperial Shot

Recommended - Native desktop app built for zero-latency uploads with smart editing

ShareX Config

Pre-configured file for ShareX users on Windows
Imperial Shot is our native desktop application designed for lightning-fast screenshot capture and instant uploads.

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Why Imperial Shot?

Unmatched Speed

Zero-latency uploads via optimized WebSocket pipeline with simultaneous encoding

Cross-Platform

Works flawlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux with native performance

Smart Editor

Annotate, crop, and blur sensitive info instantly before uploading

Secure Sync

Your uploads are instantly synced and secured in your private vault

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Installation

  1. Visit the Uploader page in your dashboard
  2. Click Download Installer and choose your platform:
    • Windows (.exe)
    • macOS (.dmg)
    • Linux (.deb)
  3. Run the installer and follow the setup wizard
  4. Sign in with your Imperial credentials

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Features

Native Performance
  • Lightweight C++ client with zero resource overhead
  • Hardware-accelerated image processing
  • Instant capture with customizable hotkeys
Global Edge Network
  • Leverages Cloudflare’s Enterprise routing
  • R2 storage for lightning-fast delivery worldwide
  • Automatic compression and optimization
Built for Scale
  • Handles massive parallelism and batch uploads
  • Uninterrupted backpressure handling under any load
  • Smart retry logic for unstable connections
Imperial Shot is in active development. Join our Discord for early access updates.

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ShareX Configuration

ShareX is a popular free, open-source screenshot tool for Windows. Configure it to work with Imperial in seconds.

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Get Your Upload Key

All Imperial users get an upload key for custom uploaders:
  1. Log into your Dashboard
  2. Navigate to Settings → Security
  3. Find your upload key (starts with imperial_upload_)
  4. Copy it for use in your configuration
Free & Starter users: You’ll use an upload key (imperial_upload_) which only works for uploading.Pro & Business users: You can use either an upload key or a full API key (imperial_live_) for uploads. Using an API key enables request analytics, upload latency tracking, and detailed logs in your dashboard.

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Quick Setup

1

Get Your Config File

  1. Log in to the Imperial Dashboard
  2. Navigate to Uploader in the sidebar
  3. Click Download Config to get your pre-configured .sxcu file
2

Import to ShareX

Option 1 (Easiest): Double-click the downloaded .sxcu fileOption 2 (Manual):
  1. Open ShareX
  2. Go to Destinations → Custom uploader settings
  3. Click Import → From file
  4. Select your downloaded .sxcu file
3

Set as Default

  1. In ShareX, go to Destinations → Image uploader
  2. Select Imperial from the list
  3. Done! Take a screenshot and watch it upload automatically

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Configuration Details

Your .sxcu file contains: 
{
  "Name": "Imperial",
  "DestinationType": "ImageUploader, FileUploader",
  "RequestMethod": "POST",
  "RequestURL": "https://api.imperial.gay/images/upload",
  "Headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer imperial_upload_xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "Body": "MultipartFormData",
  "FileFormName": "file",
  "URL": "$json:uploaded[0].url$"
}
Your upload key is embedded in this file. Keep it secure and never share your .sxcu file publicly.
Download a pre-configured .sxcu file from your Uploader page with your upload key already included.

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Custom Hotkeys

Configure ShareX hotkeys for instant uploads:
  1. Open ShareX → Hotkey settings
  2. Add a new hotkey (e.g., Ctrl + Shift + 3)
  3. Set Task to “Capture region” or your preferred capture method
  4. Set After capture to “Upload image to host”
Popular hotkey configurations:
  • Ctrl + Shift + 3 - Capture region and upload
  • Ctrl + Shift + 4 - Capture active window and upload
  • Ctrl + Shift + 5 - Capture entire screen and upload

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Advanced Features

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Auto-Compression

Control image compression in your Dashboard Settings:
Minimal compression, larger file sizes. Best for photography and detailed images.

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Video Uploads

ShareX can also upload videos! Imperial automatically generates thumbnails for video files. Supported formats: MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI

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Batch Uploads

Upload multiple files at once - Imperial handles batch uploads efficiently with progress tracking for each file.

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Manual Configuration

If you prefer to configure ShareX manually:

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Request Settings

  • Request URL: https://api.imperial.gay/images/upload
  • Method: POST
  • Body: Multipart/form-data
  • File form name: file

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Headers

Authorization: Bearer imperial_upload_xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Use your upload key from Settings → Security. Pro/Business users can also use their API keys.

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Response URL

$json:uploaded[0].url$

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Error Handling

$json:error$

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Other Custom Uploaders

The same configuration works with other tools that support custom uploaders:

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Windows

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macOS

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Linux

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Browser Extensions

You can also create browser extensions using the same API endpoint.

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Response Format

Successful upload response: 
{
  "uploaded": [
    {
      "_id": "67d8f9a1b2c3d4e5f6789012",
      "url": "https://cdn.imperial.gay/uploads/user-id/67d8f9a1b2c3d4e5f6789012-screenshot.png",
      "filename": "screenshot.png",
      "size": 245824
    }
  ],
  "count": 1
}
The uploaded[0].url field contains your shareable CDN link.

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Troubleshooting

Your upload key is invalid or expired. Options:After regenerating, download a new .sxcu file or update your configuration manually.
You’ve reached your storage limit. Either:
  • Delete old uploads to free up space
  • Upgrade your plan for more storage
  • Enable auto-compression to reduce file sizes
Check your internet connection and verify the API endpoint is https://api.imperial.gay/images/upload (not http://).
Verify your response URL is set to: $json:uploaded[0].url$

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API Rate Limits

Your uploads count towards your monthly operations limit:
TierMonthly Operations
Free10,000
Starter100,000
Pro1,000,000
Business5,000,000
Each upload = 1 operation. Monitor your usage in the Dashboard Stats.

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Security Best Practices

Protect Your Upload Key
  • Never commit .sxcu files to version control
  • Don’t share screenshots of your ShareX settings
  • Regenerate your upload key if compromised
For Pro/Business UsersCreate separate API keys for different use cases:
  • Use upload keys for ShareX and custom uploaders
  • Use full API keys for programmatic access
  • Revoke individual keys without affecting others
Upload Key vs API Key
  • Upload keys (imperial_upload_) can only upload files (no analytics)
  • API keys (imperial_live_) can access all endpoints + provide request analytics, latency tracking, and detailed logs (Pro/Business only)
  • Both work for uploading, but API keys give you visibility into performance and usage patterns

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Next Steps

API Reference

Full upload endpoint documentation

Dashboard

View your uploads and settings

Manage API Keys

Create and manage API keys

View Stats

Monitor your usage and operations