If PDFCrowd fails because a page has an invalid HTTPS certificate, its API and command-line tools document an option to disable certificate verification: verify_ssl_certificates=false in the API, or -verify-ssl-certificates in the CLI. PDFCrowd documents both defaults as false. This can let the converter process a page with a self-signed or expired certificate, but it does not repair that certificate. First confirm SSL is actually the cause; if you own the site, fixing its certificate is the durable solution.
Confirm the failure is a certificate problem
PDFCrowd’s converter fetches pages remotely, so a failed conversion can have causes other than SSL: the URL may be unreachable, the page may require authentication, or the response may contain another error. PDFCrowd’s API guide recommends inspecting the HTTP status, response headers and response body, and enabling debug_log. Add errfmt=json when you want structured error details. See the PDFCrowd API guide.
- Verify that the URL is correct and accessible to a remote service.
- If access is protected, provide the required HTTP authentication or cookies.
- Use the returned status, body and debug log to distinguish a certificate failure from an access, network or rendering problem.
PDFCrowd says its converter can reach pages on the public Internet, but not pages available only on localhost or an intranet. See its FAQ.
Disable certificate verification in the API or CLI
The API parameter is verify_ssl_certificates; the CLI equivalent is -verify-ssl-certificates. PDFCrowd documents a false default for both. When verification is disabled, the converter can accept an HTTPS page whose certificate is invalid, including a self-signed or expired certificate. The API setting and its behavior are documented in the API reference; the CLI option is documented in the command-line reference.
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Use this as a targeted workaround for a conversion you are authorized to make, not as a way to secure the site. It relaxes the converter’s check of the source certificate and does not renew, replace or otherwise fix that certificate. If you operate the website, correct its certificate instead. The cited controls are documented for the API and CLI; the available information does not establish an equivalent toggle in PDFCrowd’s consumer web interface.
Send HTML instead of asking PDFCrowd to fetch the URL
When you can render or save the page yourself, PDFCrowd also accepts HTML text or an uploaded HTML file. That avoids having the converter fetch the original page URL, which can help when the remote certificate is the obstacle. It does not guarantee an identical result: stylesheets, images, scripts and other referenced resources must still be available to the converter. PDFCrowd’s input options are described in its API reference.
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- For uploaded or inline HTML, check whether relative asset paths resolve from the converter’s context.
- Resources hosted on localhost or an intranet are not directly reachable by the remote converter.
- Bundle the required assets with the HTML or use publicly reachable absolute URLs where appropriate.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for API details. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and the Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. These are screenshots, not PDF conversion. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
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Does disabling certificate verification fix the website’s SSL certificate?
No. It changes whether PDFCrowd’s converter validates the source certificate; it does not repair or renew the website certificate.
Can PDFCrowd fetch a page on localhost or a private intranet?
PDFCrowd says its remote converter cannot directly reach localhost or intranet pages. Supply HTML and make any required assets available to the converter instead.
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