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To control pagination in an HTML-to-PDF conversion, use CSS fragmentation rules: break-before or break-after to request a page boundary, and break-inside to discourage a break within a component. Use @page separately to set paper size and margins. These rules guide a PDF renderer; they cannot keep oversized content on one page or guarantee identical output across renderers.
How HTML pagination works
When a browser or other renderer turns HTML into pages, it lays content into page boxes. The content flows through the page area and may be fragmented at page boundaries. CSS Paged Media describes the page box and page setup; CSS Fragmentation describes how content may break across pages and other fragmentation contexts. See the W3C CSS Paged Media Module Level 3 and the W3C CSS Fragmentation Module Level 3.
This distinction matters: @page sets up the sheet, while break-* rules influence where content is divided. The same styles can paginate differently in different PDF engines or versions, so verify the generated file with the renderer and assets used in production.
Set the page size and margins
Use @page for paper dimensions, orientation, and margins. For example, this sets A4 portrait pages with 18 mm margins:
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@page {
size: A4;
margin: 18mm;
}The document content flows in the page area inside those margins. Some implementations also support content in page-margin areas; do not assume that every renderer supports every paged-media feature.
Force a page break before or after a section
Use break-before: page when a block should start on a new page, or break-after: page when the next block should start on one. Apply the rule to the element at the boundary you want to control:
@media print {
.chapter {
break-before: page;
}
.appendix {
break-after: page;
}
}For older renderers that rely on the legacy properties, add their compatibility aliases:
@media print {
.chapter {
break-before: page;
page-break-before: always;
}
.appendix {
break-after: page;
page-break-after: always;
}
}The legacy value always maps to the modern page value. These declarations express the same intent; confirm their behavior in the actual renderer you support. The specifications also define forced values such as left and right, with recto and verso in applicable contexts. Use those only when the output needs page-side control and the target renderer supports it.
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Keep a component together where possible
Use break-inside: avoid-page when the constraint is specifically about page breaks, or break-inside: avoid for a general fragmentation constraint. The legacy page-break-inside: avoid is an alias for break-inside: avoid.
@media print {
.card,
figure {
break-inside: avoid-page;
page-break-inside: avoid;
}
}An avoidance rule influences the renderer’s choice among possible break points; it is not an absolute fit guarantee. If a box is taller than the available page area, it cannot stay intact on that page. Depending on the implementation and surrounding layout, the result may be a split, overflow, or awkward pagination. Avoid applying the rule indiscriminately to large containers.
Prevent stranded lines with widows and orphans
The widows and orphans properties set minimum line-box counts on either side of a page break. They can help avoid leaving a single line at the bottom or top of a page:
@media print {
p {
orphans: 3;
widows: 3;
}
}These constraints participate in break selection along with rules on neighboring boxes and ancestors. They do not determine the entire pagination by themselves.
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A practical print stylesheet
This combines page setup, a new page before each chapter, keep-together hints for figures and cards, and line-count constraints for paragraphs:
@page {
size: A4;
margin: 18mm;
}
@media print {
.chapter {
break-before: page;
page-break-before: always;
}
.card,
figure {
break-inside: avoid-page;
page-break-inside: avoid;
}
p {
orphans: 3;
widows: 3;
}
}Treat this as a starting point, not a cross-renderer guarantee. Inspect the PDF at its final page size with production fonts, images, and other assets; changing any of these can change line wrapping and pagination.
Why avoid does not always prevent a split
A potential break is not controlled by one declaration in isolation. The properties on boxes meeting at the boundary and constraints on their enclosing context can all affect whether a break is allowed. Forced break values take precedence over avoidance in the CSS 2.2 rules. If the usual permitted break points are not enough to prevent overflow, the specifications describe relaxing constraints and allowing additional break points.
CSS defines constraints and permitted choices, but does not prescribe one uniquely correct break in every layout. This is why a rule that works in one document or renderer may not produce the same page boundary in another. See W3C CSS 2.2, Paged Media for the legacy rules and fallback behavior.
Choose and verify the right rules
- To start a section on a new page, use
break-before: page; for a boundary after it, usebreak-after: page. - To discourage splitting a manageable component across pages, use
break-inside: avoid-pageor the broaderavoidvalue. - To reduce isolated paragraph lines, set appropriate
widowsandorphansvalues. - To set sheet dimensions and margins, use
@page, not a break declaration. - For compatibility, consider legacy
page-break-*aliases, then check the result in the exact PDF engine and version deployed.
MDN’s CSS fragmentation guide provides an accessible overview of how fragmentation applies to pagination.
Troubleshooting common pagination problems
A section does not start on a new page
- Check that the rule applies to the element that actually generates the block at the intended boundary.
- Confirm the stylesheet is active for print or PDF output; rules inside
@media printwill not affect a renderer that does not use print media. - Test the modern declaration and, if older engines are in scope, its legacy alias in the target renderer.
A card or figure still splits
- Check whether its height exceeds the available page area; no avoidance rule can make oversized content fit intact.
- Check ancestor and neighboring break constraints, which also participate in selecting a break.
- Inspect the actual rendered PDF rather than assuming support or identical behavior across engines.
Pagination changes after a content or design update
Text wrapping depends on dimensions, fonts, and assets. Recheck page boundaries after changing production content, font loading, image sizes, or page margins. A small layout change can move later content to another page.
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If your goal is a screenshot or PDF capture of a web page rather than controlling a custom HTML document’s print stylesheet, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request website screenshot API and an MCP server for AI agents. The CSS rules above remain the right approach when you need to author pagination in your own HTML.
cURL example (replace the URL with the page to capture):
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between break-before: page and page-break-before: always?
The modern declaration uses the fragmentation vocabulary; the legacy property is a compatibility alias, with always mapping to page. Support should be checked in the PDF renderer you use.
Should I use avoid or avoid-page?
Use avoid-page when the intended constraint is specifically page fragmentation; use avoid for a broader fragmentation constraint.
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