# How to Integrate ShareX with X02

> A complete step-by-step guide to connecting ShareX with X02. Capture screenshots, annotate on the fly, and automatically copy direct shareable links to your clipboard in under one second.

Source: https://x02.me/blog/how-to-integrate-sharex-with-x02 · 2026-09-01 · X02 Team

If you regularly share screenshots, design mockups, error messages, or short screen clips on Discord, Slack, or GitHub, doing it manually is a major time sink:
1. Capture screen with snipping tool.
2. Save file to desktop.
3. Open browser and navigate to an image host.
4. Drag and drop file.
5. Wait for upload and copy link.

That 30-second multi-step chore can be reduced to **a single 1-second keystroke**.

By integrating **ShareX** with **X02**, pressing a shortcut key instantly captures your screen, uploads the image in full quality, and places the direct link directly into your clipboard ready to paste.

> [!TIP]
> **Quick Navigation:**
> * [60-Second One-Click Setup](#part-1-the-quick--easy-guide-under-60-seconds)
> * [Recommended Hotkey List](#step-5-recommended-hotkeys)
> * [Direct-to-Folder Uploads](#2-direct-to-folder-uploads-work-vs-personal-profiles)
> * [Ephemeral Self-Destructing Screenshots](#3-auto-expiring-ephemeral-screenshots)
> * [Manual SXCU Configuration (For Devs)](#1-manual-sxcu-file-structure)
> * [Next Steps & Related Tutorials](#next-steps--related-tutorials)

---

## What is ShareX? (And Why Pair It with X02?)

**[ShareX](https://getsharex.com)** is the gold standard of open-source screen capture and productivity tools for Windows. It is 100% free, lightweight, ad-free, and loaded with built-in annotation tools, screen recorders, color pickers, and OCR text extractors.

### How ShareX + X02 Compares to Alternatives

| Tool | Drawbacks | Why ShareX + X02 Wins |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightshot** | Slow ad-filled landing pages, public predictable URLs | **Instant direct URLs**, private unguessable links, custom subdomains (`you.x02.me`) |
| **Gyazo** | 10-image history limit on free tier, watermarks, slow embeds | **300 MB uploads**, permanent history, zero watermarks, folder organization |
| **Imgur** | Heavy compression, deletes inactive links, restrictive terms | **Lossless quality**, permanent hosting, instant in-place replacement |
| **Windows Snipping Tool** | No cloud upload; requires manual saving and uploading | **Automated background cloud upload** in under 500ms |

> [!NOTE]
> **Using macOS or Linux?** While ShareX is Windows-only, you can achieve the exact same 1-keystroke workflow on Linux using **Flameshot**, or on macOS with a short shell script that pipes the capture straight to the upload endpoint (detailed in Part 2).

---

![Architecture Diagram](/blog-diagrams/how-to-integrate-sharex-with-x02-1.svg)

---

## Part 1: The Quick & Easy Guide (Under 60 Seconds)

You don't need to manually configure complicated API endpoints. X02 provides a pre-configured, one-click integration file (`.sxcu`).

### Step 1: Install ShareX
If you haven't already, download and install ShareX from **[getsharex.com](https://getsharex.com)** (or install it via Microsoft Store / Steam).

---

### Step 2: Download Your X02 Integration Profile

| Where to Go | Direct Link | Action |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **`Dashboard`**  **`Settings`**  **`Integrations`**  **`ShareX`** | [Open Dashboard Settings](https://x02.me/dashboard) | Click **Download .sxcu File** |

---

### Step 3: One-Click Import
1. Double-click the downloaded `.sxcu` file on your computer.
2. ShareX will open a prompt asking: *"Would you like to set X02 as your active custom uploader?"*
3. Click **Yes**.

That's it! X02 is now your default image uploader.

---

### Step 4: Configure "After Capture Tasks"
To ensure your screenshots upload immediately and copy the link to your clipboard:

1. Open the main ShareX window.
2. In the left sidebar, click **After capture tasks**.
3. Ensure the following two items have a checkmark:
   * **Upload image to host**
   * **Copy URL to clipboard**

---

### Step 5: Recommended Hotkeys

Set up your preferred shortcuts in ShareX under **Hotkey settings**:

| Action | Recommended Key | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| **Capture Region** | `Ctrl + Shift + S` or `Print Screen` | Lets you draw a box around any part of your screen with annotation tools. |
| **Capture Entire Screen** | `Ctrl + Print Screen` | Instantly captures all monitors and uploads. |
| **Capture Active Window** | `Alt + Print Screen` | Captures only the currently focused application window. |
| **Screen Recording (GIF / MP4)** | `Shift + Print Screen` | Records a short animated clip and uploads it directly. |

---

## Part 2: The Developer & Power User Guide

For users who want custom configurations, direct-to-folder routing, auto-expiring links, or manual SXCU editing, here is the technical breakdown.

---

### 1. Manual SXCU File Structure

ShareX uses JSON `.sxcu` (ShareX Custom Uploader) configuration files. If you want to create or edit your configuration file manually:

```json
{
  "Version": "15.0.0",
  "Name": "X02 Cloud Uploader",
  "DestinationType": "ImageUploader, TextUploader, FileUploader",
  "RequestMethod": "POST",
  "RequestURL": "https://up.x02.me/api/upload",
  "Headers": {
    "x-api-key": "YOUR_X02_API_KEY_HERE"
  },
  "Body": "MultipartFormData",
  "FileFormName": "file",
  "URL": "{json:url}",
  "ThumbnailURL": "{json:thumbnailUrl}",
  "DeletionURL": "{json:deleteUrl}",
  "ErrorMessage": "{json:error}"
}
```

#### Key Fields Explained:
* **`RequestURL`:** `https://up.x02.me/api/upload` (X02's high-speed edge upload gateway).
* **`Headers.x-api-key`:** Your private API key from your dashboard.
* **`FileFormName`:** Set to `"file"` (or `"image"`).
* **`URL: "{json:url}"`:** Instructs ShareX to parse the JSON response and copy the direct link (`https://x02.me/i/xxxx.png`) to your clipboard.

---

### 2. Direct-to-Folder Uploads (Work vs. Personal Profiles)

Want work screenshots to land in a `Work` folder, and gaming clips in a `Gaming` folder? You can create multiple ShareX hotkeys tied to specific folders using **Folder Upload Keys**.

| Path | Direct Action |
| :--- | :--- |
| **`Dashboard`**  **`Folders`**  `[Select Folder]` | Click **Generate Folder Key** |

1. In your **X02 Dashboard**, open your target folder and click **Generate Folder Key** (or use the API endpoint `POST /api/user/folders/:id/key`).
2. In ShareX, open **Destinations** → **Custom uploader settings**.
3. Duplicate your X02 profile, name it `X02 - Work`, and replace the `x-api-key` header with your **Folder Key**.
4. In ShareX **Hotkey settings**, create a new hotkey (e.g. `Ctrl + Shift + W`) and set its destination to `X02 - Work`.

Every screenshot taken with that hotkey will now automatically sort into your Work folder!

---

### 3. Auto-Expiring Ephemeral Screenshots

If you frequently share temporary debug logs, bug snippets, or sensitive credentials that shouldn't stay hosted forever, add the `expiry` parameter to your SXCU:

```json
{
  "RequestURL": "https://up.x02.me/api/upload?expiry=1d",
  "Headers": {
    "x-api-key": "YOUR_X02_API_KEY"
  }
}
```

* Supported expiry values: `1h`, `6h`, `1d`, `7d`, `30d`.
* Files automatically self-destruct once the timer expires.

---

### 4. Linux & macOS Integration (Flameshot Alternative)

If you are on Linux or macOS, you can achieve the same workflow with **Flameshot** and a one-line `curl` upload. Flameshot writes the capture to stdout with `--raw`, and X02 returns the hosted URL as plain text, so the whole thing pipes straight into your clipboard:

```bash
# Linux (xclip)
flameshot gui --raw \
  | curl -s -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" -F "file=@-;filename=capture.png" \
      https://up.x02.me/api/upload \
  | xclip -selection clipboard

# macOS (pbcopy)
flameshot gui --raw \
  | curl -s -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" -F "file=@-;filename=capture.png" \
      https://up.x02.me/api/upload \
  | pbcopy
```

Save that as a shell script and bind it to a hotkey to get the same one-keystroke capture-and-share loop as ShareX.

---

## Troubleshooting Checklist

* **Error: "Upload failed: API key required"**  
  Ensure your API key is correctly pasted into the `Headers` section under `x-api-key` without extra spaces.
* **Screenshot captures but link isn't copied to clipboard**  
  In ShareX, verify that **After capture tasks** → **Copy URL to clipboard** is checked.
* **ShareX uploads to Imgur instead of X02**  
  Go to **Destinations** → **Image uploader** and select **Custom image uploader**.

---

## Next Steps & Related Tutorials

| What to learn next | Guide Link |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Organize screenshots into custom folders** | [How to Organize Files with Folders ](/blog/how-to-organize-files-with-folders) |
| **Swap or update a screenshot without changing the link** | [How to Replace a File Without Changing Its Link ](/blog/how-to-replace-file-without-changing-link) |
| **Give your screenshots custom URLs** | [How to Rename Your Uploaded Files ](/blog/how-to-rename-uploaded-files) |
| **Explore all other upload channels** | [How to Upload Files to X02 ](/blog/how-to-upload-files-to-x02) |