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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallTo see why a wkhtmltopdf conversion is failing, run it without -q or --quiet. The wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 manual documents info as the default log level; quiet mode is equivalent to --log-level none and suppresses that output. Add --debug-javascript separately when the page depends on scripts. First record your installed version and build, because the documented options may not match every packaged build.
What “verbose output” means in wkhtmltopdf
The manual for wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 with patched Qt documents four values for --log-level: none, error, warn, and info. Its default is already info. There is no documented debug log level in that list, so adding --log-level debug is not the documented way to get more detail.
The important diagnostic step is usually to stop suppressing output. The compatibility switches -q and --quiet are equivalent to --log-level none. Remove them from your command or wrapper, then run the same input again. You can choose a narrower documented level when appropriate, but begin with the default information-level output so you do not discard clues before you know what is failing.
The commands below use switches documented in the 0.12.6 manual. They are examples, not claims that a particular conversion was run. Verify your own executable and build before relying on an option.
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Start with a reproducible baseline
Record the installed build and operating system
Before changing flags, run:
wkhtmltopdf --versionAlso record the operating system and its version. The project’s support instructions request both when reporting a problem. The reviewed manual identifies itself as version 0.12.6 with patched Qt; the project’s downloads page calls 0.12.6 the stable series and dates that release to June 11, 2020. That is not proof that your system has the same build or that every package exposes identical options.
Rerun without quiet mode and retain the output
Use the simplest command that reproduces the problem, leaving out -q and --quiet:
wkhtmltopdf --log-level info input.html output.pdfTo save the command’s combined standard output and standard error in a file in a POSIX-style shell, use:
wkhtmltopdf --log-level info input.html output.pdf > wkhtmltopdf.log 2>&1This shell redirection captures both output streams; it does not imply that every build writes each diagnostic to a particular stream. Keep the full command, the log, the input files, and the resulting PDF together. If you normally invoke wkhtmltopdf through an application, wrapper, or service, capture the actual arguments used there too; a standalone command may not reproduce the same environment.
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Choose the diagnostic switch that matches the symptom
| Question | Relevant option | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Are general conversion messages being hidden? | --log-level info or omit the option |
Uses the documented default information level. The documented levels are none, error, warn, and info. |
| Does the page depend on JavaScript? | --debug-javascript |
Enables JavaScript debugging output; it is separate from the general log-level setting. |
| Is a page load failing? | --load-error-handling |
Controls handling of main-page loading errors. The documented choices are abort, ignore, and skip; the default is abort. |
| Is a media resource failing? | --load-media-error-handling |
Controls media-loading errors separately. Its documented default is ignore. |
| Does local HTML reference local files? | --allow and local-file-access switches |
Controls access to local paths; see the local-file section below. |
JavaScript-dependent pages
When you suspect script execution is involved, add the dedicated JavaScript switch:
wkhtmltopdf --log-level info --debug-javascript input.html output.pdfIf content appears only after a delay, --javascript-delay <msec> controls the wait after page loading; the manual’s documented default is 200 ms. If the page exposes a readiness state, --window-status <windowStatus> waits for window.status to match the specified value. For example, the option shape is --window-status ready, where ready must be the status your page sets.
These switches can help investigate timing or script-related behavior, but they do not guarantee that a modern web application will render correctly. A useful test is to compare the page with JavaScript enabled against a minimal static version containing the expected content. If the static version converts but the script-driven page does not, keep that distinction in the reproduction rather than assuming a delay alone will fix it.
Main-page and media loading
Keep the two error-handling options distinct. --load-error-handling concerns page loading and defaults to abort; --load-media-error-handling concerns media and defaults to ignore. If the output is incomplete, first identify whether the failing item is the main page, a stylesheet, an image, or another resource, then review the corresponding behavior.
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Changing an error policy can let a conversion continue while content is skipped or omitted. That may be useful for isolating a failure, but it does not repair the resource or establish that the output is complete. Preserve the original run and its diagnostics before changing handling to ignore or skip.
Check local-file access carefully
A local input file can refer to other files by local paths—for example, stylesheets, images, or fonts. If those resources do not appear, inspect the local-file access settings and whether the required paths are allowed. The manual documents:
--disable-local-file-accessto disable local file access.--enable-local-file-accessto enable it.--allow <path>, which can be repeated to allow specific paths.
Use only the access needed for the input. Do not broadly enable access as a routine workaround, particularly when the HTML or JavaScript is not fully trusted. The wkhtmltopdf project 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 it is running on!” Treat conversion of user-supplied documents as a security boundary, not just a rendering problem.
Reduce the failure to a test case
- Preserve the original run. Keep the exact command, all arguments, the full diagnostic output, the input, and the output or failure result.
- Record the environment. Include the output of
wkhtmltopdf --versionand the operating system and version. - Reduce the input. Remove unrelated page content and assets until you have a small HTML/CSS/JavaScript case that still duplicates the issue. Keep any resource paths or script timing that appear relevant.
- Run the reduced case with the same build. Change one relevant option at a time so the difference in behavior remains interpretable.
- Report the problem with evidence. The project asks for the version, operating system and version, a detailed description of the issue, and a test case that duplicates it.
A useful reproduction is not merely a page that looks similar: it should preserve the conditions needed to trigger the same failure. If you cannot share the original page, provide a reduced case that demonstrates the behavior without confidential content or credentials.
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Troubleshooting common diagnostic dead ends
The command produces no useful messages
Check whether a calling script or wrapper adds -q or --quiet. Remove it and rerun at the default info level. Also confirm that the command you are inspecting is the command actually executed by the application, not just a separate terminal test.
The page is blank or content is missing
Do not infer a root cause from the appearance alone. Inspect the retained output and determine whether the main page, a media resource, JavaScript-driven content, or a local file is involved. Check the corresponding loading or access option family; changing an error policy may hide the symptom by continuing, without making the missing content load.
Adding a delay does not make the page complete
--javascript-delay changes a wait duration, while --window-status waits for a named page status. Neither proves that all page activity has finished. Use --debug-javascript to investigate script behavior and make a reduced case. The documented switches do not promise compatibility with every modern web application.
The option is rejected or behaves differently
Check the actual wkhtmltopdf --version output and build, then compare the option with that build’s documentation. The manual described here is specifically for 0.12.6 with patched Qt, and the available evidence does not establish identical features across all system packages. Do not assume an option failure has one universal cause or meaning.
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A conversion continues but the PDF is still wrong
Review whether an error-handling setting was changed from its default. Continuing through a load error can leave the output incomplete. Re-run with the original policy and retained logs to preserve evidence of the underlying failure before deciding whether a different policy is appropriate for your use case.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is a clean image of a webpage rather than a PDF conversion, ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot through one GET request. It is not a replacement for diagnosing wkhtmltopdf when you specifically need its PDF output.
cURL example (see the ScreenshotNeo documentation):
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' });
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Limits to keep in mind
Verbose output is evidence for narrowing a failure, not a universal decoder for every warning. The documented material does not map every message string to a single root cause or establish universal exit-code meanings for every build. Avoid treating one line as a definitive diagnosis without reproducing the behavior and checking the relevant resource, script, or access path.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does wkhtmltopdf have a `–log-level debug` option?
The 0.12.6 manual reviewed here lists `none`, `error`, `warn`, and `info`; it does not list `debug`. Use `–debug-javascript` for JavaScript debugging output.
What details should I include in a wkhtmltopdf bug report?
Include the executable version, operating system and version, a detailed description, and a test case that reproduces the issue.
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