Run wkhtmltopdf --version (or the shorter wkhtmltopdf -V) in a terminal or command prompt. The result is the version of the executable your current shell resolves. If your application uses another copy, run the same option against that binary’s full path.
Use the documented version command
Open a terminal, Command Prompt, or PowerShell window and run:
wkhtmltopdf --versionYou can use the short form as well:
wkhtmltopdf -VThe wkhtmltopdf command-line manual defines -V, --version as “Output version information and exit.” The program prints the version information and then returns to the prompt; it does not create a PDF.
What a normal result looks like
Output varies by operating system, distributor, and build. It may include a version number followed by packaging or Qt details. Record the complete line rather than extracting only the first number, because those suffixes can identify a patched or distribution-specific build.
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The command reports the executable selected by your shell’s search path. It does not tell you which version is currently offered upstream or which version a package manager would install today. Multiple installations are common: an operating-system package, a manually downloaded binary, a container image, and an application-bundled copy can all coexist.
Find the command on Linux or macOS
Use one of these commands to see which path is selected:
command -v wkhtmltopdf
type -a wkhtmltopdfcommand -v prints the executable that would run. type -a can list every matching command in the current PATH, helping you spot an older copy earlier in the search order.
Then query the selected path explicitly:
/full/path/to/wkhtmltopdf --versionReplace the example with the path returned by your shell. If the explicit result differs from wkhtmltopdf --version, your PATH or shell configuration is selecting a different file than you expected.
Find the command on Windows
In Command Prompt, run:
where wkhtmltopdf
wkhtmltopdf --versionIn PowerShell, run:
Get-Command wkhtmltopdf
wkhtmltopdf --versionBoth approaches show the resolved location. To remove any ambiguity, execute the path directly. In PowerShell, quote paths containing spaces and use the call operator:
& 'C:Program Fileswkhtmltopdfbinwkhtmltopdf.exe' --versionIn Command Prompt, use:
"C:Program Fileswkhtmltopdfbinwkhtmltopdf.exe" --versionCheck the binary configured in a service or script
A web application may specify an absolute executable path, set a different PATH, run inside a container, or use a worker account with a different environment. Inspect that configuration and run its exact path with --version. If the service runs in a container or virtual machine, execute the command inside that environment; the host’s version is not evidence of the container’s version.
Interpret the version without over-reading it
The upstream stable-series label
The official downloads page identifies 0.12.6 as the stable series and dates that release to June 11, 2020. That is release context, not a requirement that every installed executable print exactly 0.12.6. Operating-system packages and builds can add packaging revisions or differ by source.
Why your output may not say exactly 0.12.6
- A distributor may append a revision or patch identifier.
- A vendor may have built wkhtmltopdf from a source snapshot or applied packaging changes.
- Your shell may be invoking an older or newer private copy while another tool invokes a bundled binary.
Use the complete output together with the executable path when reporting a problem. Do not replace the observed output with the upstream stable-series label.
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Project maintenance context
The upstream GitHub repository is archived and read-only. Its release information identifies the 0.12.6 tag and refers to 0.12.6 r1 releases in the packaging repository for binaries. This is why installation source and packaging suffixes matter when comparing two machines.
If the command is not found
Linux and macOS: “command not found”
- Confirm that wkhtmltopdf is installed for the operating system and architecture you are using.
- Locate the executable in the installation directory or with your system’s file-search tools.
- Add that directory to the account’s
PATH, or invoke the executable by its full path. - Open a new shell if you changed startup files, then run
wkhtmltopdf --versionagain.
The downloads page lists packages by operating system, distribution, and architecture, so the expected install location is not universal.
Windows: “not recognized as an internal or external command”
- Use
where wkhtmltopdfto verify whether Windows can find it. - If no path is returned, check the directory selected during installation.
- Add the directory containing
wkhtmltopdf.exeto the appropriatePATH, or use the quoted full path shown earlier. - Restart the terminal or service so it receives the updated environment.
The command works interactively but fails in an application
This usually indicates a different user account, working environment, container, or configured path. Log the executable path from the application configuration and run that file with --version. A successful check in your personal shell does not validate a service account’s environment.
Compare two installations safely
When machines disagree, collect three values from each environment:
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| Value | How to obtain it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Version output | wkhtmltopdf --version |
The version information emitted by the executable being invoked. |
| Resolved path | command -v, type -a, where, or Get-Command |
Which file the shell selects and whether other copies are present. |
| Application path | Inspect the service, script, container, or library configuration | Which binary the real workload uses, even when it differs from the shell’s choice. |
Compare the complete strings, not just the first three numeric components. This prevents a path mismatch from being misdiagnosed as a rendering bug.
Get command-line help when you need more than the version
The project documentation also makes generated command help available locally:
wkhtmltopdf -HUse it to confirm the options supported by the particular build you are running. Help output can differ between builds, so checking it on the target machine is more reliable than copying an option list from another installation.
Security warning for server-side use
wkhtmltopdf is a command-line HTML-to-PDF tool using Qt WebKit. Do not pass untrusted HTML or JavaScript to it without appropriate sanitization. The project’s downloads page warns: “Do not use wkhtmltopdf with any untrusted HTML – be sure to sanitize any user-supplied HTML/JS, otherwise it can lead to complete takeover of the server on which you run it!” Treat HTML, JavaScript, local-file access, cookies, and network requests as attacker-controlled inputs when the source is not fully trusted.
Automate a version check
Shell script
#!/usr/bin/env sh
set -eu
bin="${1:-wkhtmltopdf}"
if ! command -v "$bin" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "wkhtmltopdf was not found: $bin" >&2
exit 1
fi
"$bin" --versionPass an absolute path as the first argument when a deployment has more than one installation:
./check-wkhtmltopdf.sh /opt/wkhtmltopdf/bin/wkhtmltopdfPowerShell
param([string]$Binary = "wkhtmltopdf")
$command = Get-Command $Binary -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if (-not $command) {
Write-Error "wkhtmltopdf was not found: $Binary"
exit 1
}
& $command.Source --versionThese checks verify availability and print the actual executable’s response; they do not query an online release feed.
Or skip the browser setup
If your underlying goal is a clean, repeatable website capture rather than inspecting a local wkhtmltopdf installation, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Before capture it accepts cookie or consent banners as a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled.
Only clean shots are billed. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and each response reports the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Its MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
For the complete parameter list, see the ScreenshotNeo documentation. A direct cURL request is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);There is a free allowance of 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; yearly billing provides two months free. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to try it.
Troubleshooting checklist
- “No such file” or “not recognized”: install the program, correct
PATH, or call the full executable path. - Different results in two terminals: inspect aliases, shell startup files, and the resolved path with
type -a,where, orGet-Command. - Different results in a service: check the service account, container, environment variables, and configured absolute path.
- Unexpected suffix or revision: retain the complete output; it may identify a distributor’s package or build.
- Version appears correct but PDFs fail: version checking proves only which executable ran. Check input trust, HTML resources, permissions, and the options supported by
wkhtmltopdf -H.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does running –version contact the internet?
No. It asks the local executable to print its compiled version information and exit.
Should I downgrade every machine to 0.12.6?
Not solely because 0.12.6 is the upstream stable-series label. Compare the complete output, packaging source, executable path, and application compatibility before changing a deployment.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCan the version command test whether PDF rendering is working?
No. It verifies that a binary can start and report its version. A separate controlled conversion is required to validate rendering, permissions, network access, and input handling.
The Bottom Line
Use wkhtmltopdf --version or wkhtmltopdf -V, then verify the executable path so you know the result belongs to the binary your application actually runs.
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