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If DocRaptor generates a PDF without the expected styles, first check whether the stylesheet URL resolves correctly and is reachable from DocRaptor’s servers. Use an absolute HTTPS URL, configure prince_options[baseurl], or add a suitable <base> element. Then inspect the document log: DocRaptor ignores external-resource download errors by default, so a completed PDF does not guarantee that its CSS loaded.
1. Check how the stylesheet URL is resolved
A relative or protocol-relative stylesheet reference needs a base location. Without one, DocRaptor may report “File System Access is Not Allowed.” For example, //yourdomain.com/style.css and /styles/main.css do not identify a complete address on their own. DocRaptor’s troubleshooting guidance describes three ways to resolve such references.
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Use an absolute URL
If the stylesheet has a stable, publicly accessible address, specify it directly:
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<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://example.com/styles.css">
This is the simplest diagnostic: inspect the final URL and verify that it names the intended file, including the correct scheme, host, path, and filename.
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Set the API base URL
If the HTML already uses relative asset paths and you control the API request, set prince_options[baseurl] to the location against which those paths should resolve. Use the base that matches where the referenced assets actually live. DocRaptor documents this parameter in its API reference.
Add a base element to the HTML
If you control the document head, you can provide a document-level base:
<head>
<base href="https://example.com/">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles/main.css">
</head>
A base element affects relative URLs governed by it, not just the stylesheet. Choose one resolution strategy appropriate to your HTML and confirm the resulting full stylesheet URL rather than layering several bases and hoping one takes effect.
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2. Verify DocRaptor can reach the stylesheet
A stylesheet that loads in your local browser may still be unavailable to the servers generating the PDF. DocRaptor says document URLs and external assets must be publicly accessible on the internet. A private-network hostname, localhost, or a development server that is not exposed publicly cannot be fetched directly by its rendering servers. See DocRaptor’s local-development guidance.
- Check that the stylesheet host is publicly reachable and that the URL works without relying on your logged-in browser session or local network.
- If the asset requires authentication or is restricted by network rules, use the applicable HTTP authentication settings or make the resource available to the renderer through an appropriate secure setup.
- For local development, send the HTML as
document_content, embed manageable CSS in a<style>element, or expose the development server temporarily through a tunnel.
Sending HTML as document_content avoids having DocRaptor fetch the HTML page itself. It does not, by itself, make linked CSS or other external assets reachable.
3. Decide whether to embed the CSS
DocRaptor supports CSS in <style> elements, inline styles, and externally linked stylesheets. When the stylesheet can reasonably be included in the submitted HTML, embedding it removes the separate CSS request and its associated URL, authorization, host, TLS, and timeout failure modes. DocRaptor describes embedded styles as slightly faster because it does not need to fetch a separate CSS file; it does not publish a broader performance comparison. See DocRaptor’s CSS guidance.
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- Use embedded CSS when it is practical to include the styles with each submitted document and eliminating a network dependency is useful.
- Keep a linked stylesheet when reuse, organization, or stylesheet size makes a separate file preferable, and address its URL and accessibility instead.
4. Read the document log instead of trusting a successful response
External resource errors are ignored by default during PDF generation. The PDF request can therefore complete even if DocRaptor failed to download a stylesheet. Check the document log for resource errors; a successful generation response alone does not establish that the CSS was retrieved.
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5. Check timeout and network-related options
If logs indicate that a host is slow to respond, review prince_options[http_timeout]. DocRaptor’s API reference says this setting accepts 1–60 seconds and that an external resource request defaults to up to 10 seconds. Increasing the timeout may help a slow stylesheet fetch; it will not fix a malformed URL, a missing base URL, or a host the renderer cannot reach.
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prince_options[http_user]andprince_options[http_password]are documented HTTP authentication options; check them if the stylesheet host requires HTTP authentication.prince_options[no_network]disables network downloads. If it is enabled, external stylesheets cannot be fetched; use embedded CSS or correct the setting if network retrieval is intended.- Do not disable SSL verification as a routine workaround. DocRaptor labels that option not recommended.
These settings are documented in the DocRaptor API reference.
6. Troubleshoot by symptom
| Symptom | Likely issue | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| “File System Access is Not Allowed” | A relative or protocol-relative URL has no suitable base. | Use an absolute URL, set prince_options[baseurl], or add a <base> element; then verify the resolved address. |
| Styles work locally but are absent in the PDF | The renderer cannot reach a local, private, or restricted resource. | Make the asset publicly reachable, use an appropriate authenticated request if applicable, or embed the CSS. |
| The PDF completes but looks unstyled | A resource download error may have been ignored. | Inspect the document log for the stylesheet request and its error details. |
| The stylesheet request times out | The host may respond too slowly, or may be unreachable. | Check host reachability first. Consider a longer prince_options[http_timeout] only if the host is slow rather than inaccessible. |
| External resources never load | Network downloads may be disabled. | Check whether prince_options[no_network] is enabled. |
| The stylesheet host returns an authorization or SSL error | The request may need HTTP credentials, or the host may have an SSL problem. | Review the documented HTTP authentication options and the exact log error. Do not treat disabling SSL verification as a general fix. |
7. Escalate with the conversion details
If URL resolution, public reachability, the document log, and relevant API options do not explain the missing styles, open the document log’s Details view and review the conversion steps and problems. DocRaptor’s Help Request workflow lets its support team inspect the submitted HTML, output document, and generation log. The documentation says a Help Request is normally available for documents created within the previous seven days.
Include the stylesheet URL, whether you submitted HTML by URL or as document_content, the base URL if configured, and the observed log error. Those details help establish the exact context in which the resource was requested.
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