With Urlbox, you can save a webpage as a PDF from the command line or through its API. For a one-off capture, run urlbox pdf https://example.com --output page.pdf. For an application, send a render request with format set to pdf, then download the temporary render URL returned by the synchronous API. The two workflows have different defaults: the CLI’s PDF shortcut enables full-page capture, while the API’s PDF default is multipage.
Capture a page from the command line
Urlbox’s CLI can render a page and write the PDF directly to a local file:
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urlbox pdf https://example.com --output page.pdfThe pdf command is shorthand for rendering with PDF format and full-page capture enabled. If you want a conventional multipage document instead of one long page, use the CLI’s documented render options to override full-page capture. The CLI quickstart covers installation and login; see Urlbox’s CLI quickstart for those prerequisites and current setup steps.
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Generate a PDF through the Urlbox API
For an application or script, send a request to Urlbox’s synchronous render endpoint. Authenticate with your project secret as a bearer token and provide a publicly accessible page URL with format set to pdf.
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curl -X POST "https://api.urlbox.com/v1/render/sync"
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_PROJECT_SECRET"
-H "Content-Type: application/json"
-d '{"url":"https://example.com","format":"pdf"}'Urlbox returns JSON containing a temporary renderUrl. Download the PDF from that URL and save it locally:
curl -L "RENDER_URL_FROM_RESPONSE" -o page.pdfReplace RENDER_URL_FROM_RESPONSE with the value of renderUrl in the API response. Keep the API request and file download as separate steps: the first asks Urlbox to render the page, and the second retrieves the resulting file. The endpoint, authentication, and response behavior are documented in the Urlbox API reference.
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Use a reachable URL
The API’s URL input must be publicly accessible to Urlbox. If the page is private or hosted on an internal network, this basic URL workflow may not work; the available documentation here does not establish a specific private-page setup. Urlbox also accepts HTML input, as described in its PDF documentation.
Choose synchronous or asynchronous rendering
The synchronous endpoint waits for the render and returns a result URL. For longer-running or automated jobs, Urlbox also documents an asynchronous endpoint that returns a render ID and status URL for polling; webhooks are another documented way to receive status updates. Check the API reference for the current request and response details before wiring those flows into an application.
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Choose the PDF layout and page content
Most changes are render options sent with the request. The right settings depend on whether you want a normal printable document or a single continuous page.
| Need | Setting or behavior | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Standard document pages | Leave full_page unset |
The API’s PDF default is a multipage PDF. |
| One tall page containing the full page | full_page: true |
Requests the entire website on one single PDF page. This is not the same layout as a normal multipage document. |
| Only selected pages | pdf_page_range |
Use a range such as 1,3-5 to select pages. |
| Paper dimensions | pdf_page_size |
Select a standard paper size. |
| Custom dimensions | pdf_page_width and pdf_page_height |
Specify the page width and height rather than a standard size. |
| Use the website’s screen appearance | media: "screen" |
PDF rendering uses print styling by default; screen media selects the page’s screen styles instead. Check the resulting document because screen and print layouts can differ. |
| Headers or footers | PDF header options | The options reference documents templates with variables such as date, page title, URL, page number, and total page count. |
For example, a request body can combine PDF output with screen styling and a selected page range:
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{
"url": "https://example.com",
"format": "pdf",
"media": "screen",
"pdf_page_range": "1,3-5"
}Option names and additional PDF settings are listed in the PDF documentation and render options reference.
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A cookie or consent banner can occupy space or obscure page content in a full-page capture. Urlbox’s options reference recommends considering click_accept and hide_cookie_banners when banners appear. A site’s print stylesheet can also intentionally omit or rearrange content. Inspect the PDF after rendering and try media: "screen" if the print version leaves out material you need.
Keep and operate the result reliably
Download temporary results promptly
The synchronous API’s renderUrl expires after 30 days, according to the API reference. Download the PDF to storage you control if you need it past that window. A CLI command with an output path writes the result locally instead.
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Account for slow renders and repeated requests
The API reference says a long-running synchronous request can return a temporary redirect after 95 seconds. Follow redirects when retrieving the result, and consider the asynchronous workflow for jobs that may run longer. Render endpoint requests are not cached or deduplicated, so an application that retries the same request should not assume the service will reuse an earlier render.
Cost and performance expectations
The documented workflow establishes the request and result behavior, but does not provide a performance benchmark or a price suitable for estimating a particular workload. Avoid assuming a render duration or cost from this example; consult Urlbox’s current pricing page for billing and quota details, which can change.
Troubleshoot common capture problems
- The render cannot load the page: Confirm the URL is publicly accessible to Urlbox and spelled correctly. A private or internal URL is outside the basic URL workflow described here.
- The saved file is missing or is not the PDF: Check that the API response includes a
renderUrl, then download that URL rather than saving the JSON response as the PDF. Usecurl -Lto follow redirects while downloading. - The render URL no longer works: The synchronous result URL is temporary and expires after 30 days. Keep a downloaded copy or use the documented storage approach for longer retention.
- The PDF is one extremely long page: The CLI
pdfshortcut enables full-page capture. Override that setting if you need standard page breaks; the API’s default is multipage. - Content is missing or styled differently: PDF output uses print CSS by default. Try
media: "screen"and compare, or inspect whether the page’s own print stylesheet intentionally changes the layout. - A banner covers content: Consider the documented
click_acceptandhide_cookie_bannersoptions, then verify the captured content. - A synchronous request takes too long: Urlbox documents a temporary redirect after 95 seconds for long-running synchronous requests. Follow redirects, or use the asynchronous render/status or webhook workflow for longer jobs.
- Retries create extra render requests: Render endpoint requests are not cached or deduplicated. Design retry logic with that behavior in mind rather than expecting repeated requests to collapse into one render.
Or skip the browser setup
If your task is to capture a clean screenshot rather than produce a PDF, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request screenshot API and an MCP server. Its response can be an image or PDF, but the example below saves a WebP screenshot. See the ScreenshotNeo API docs for request options.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp- Cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before capture; each step can be turned off.
- Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed; the response identifies the page verdict and billing status.
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Quick Recap
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