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If nbconvert reports that Pyppeteer is missing during a WebPDF conversion, first identify the nbconvert version and Python interpreter that is actually running the export. Current nbconvert WebPDF uses Playwright and Chromium, not Pyppeteer. In that same environment, install the WebPDF extra:
python -m pip install 'nbconvert[webpdf]'Then make sure a compatible Chromium browser is available. If your policy permits nbconvert to download it, retry with --allow-chromium-download; otherwise install Chromium through your approved Playwright or system-package process. The message often comes from a mismatch between old documentation and a newer installation, or from installing dependencies into a different environment than the one performing the conversion.
What the error means today
WebPDF conversion has two separate runtime requirements:
- The Python automation library that nbconvert imports.
- A Chromium browser executable that the automation library can launch.
For current nbconvert releases, the automation library is Playwright. The project’s current usage documentation says that the WebPDF exporter requires the Playwright Chromium automation library and can be installed with the webpdf extra. Older nbconvert documentation names Pyppeteer instead. Therefore, blindly installing Pyppeteer may repair an old release but is not the normal fix for a current one.
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A successful pip installation also does not prove that Chromium is installed. Treat the Python package and browser binary as separate checks.
Diagnose the environment before changing it
1. Confirm the executable and nbconvert version
Run the conversion through the interpreter you intend to use:
python -m nbconvert --version
python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)"
python -c "import nbconvert; print(nbconvert.__version__)"Using python -m nbconvert avoids a common PATH problem: the nbconvert command may point to a different installation than the python command that receives your package install.
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2. Check the environment used by the service
Notebook servers, JupyterHub, CI jobs, containers and IDEs can run a kernel or service from a different environment than your interactive shell. Compare the interpreter printed above with the interpreter used by the conversion job. Install the extra in the environment that executes nbconvert, not merely in the environment selected by a notebook kernel.
3. Check whether Playwright imports
python -c "import playwright; print(playwright.__file__)"If this import fails, the WebPDF extra was not installed in this interpreter, or the installation was interrupted. If it succeeds but conversion reports that no suitable Chromium executable exists, the remaining problem is browser installation or access.
Install the current WebPDF dependencies
Install the nbconvert extra
python -m pip install --upgrade 'nbconvert[webpdf]'Quoting the extra is useful in shells that interpret square brackets. You can omit --upgrade if you must stay on a pinned nbconvert version; in that case, install the extra for that exact version instead of allowing an unintended upgrade.
Install Chromium with Playwright
The Python package and browser files are separate. After installing the extra, install Chromium using the Playwright installer available in your environment:
python -m playwright install chromiumOn a managed host, this command may be prohibited or may require an administrator to place the browser in an approved cache. Follow that host’s package and artifact policy rather than copying an arbitrary browser binary.
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Allow nbconvert’s documented download path
If outbound downloads are allowed during conversion, nbconvert provides an opt-in download path:
python -m nbconvert --to webpdf NOTEBOOK.ipynb --allow-chromium-downloadThe option is intentionally explicit. Without it, a missing browser is not silently downloaded. In CI, decide whether downloading at job time is acceptable; many teams instead install the browser while building the image and keep the conversion job network-isolated.
Run a complete WebPDF conversion
Once the extra and browser are available, use the same interpreter for the export:
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python -m nbconvert --to webpdf NOTEBOOK.ipynb --output rendered.pdfIf the browser is not preinstalled and policy allows a download, use:
python -m nbconvert --to webpdf NOTEBOOK.ipynb --output rendered.pdf --allow-chromium-downloadReplace NOTEBOOK.ipynb with a path or filename visible to that process. A successful run writes the PDF at the requested output location. If your notebook has custom HTML, CSS or JavaScript output, WebPDF renders that HTML in headless Chromium, so its appearance follows the browser rendering path rather than TeX layout.
Why an old Pyppeteer fix can be wrong
Dependency guidance changed across nbconvert generations. Legacy documentation describes WebPDF as requiring Pyppeteer and recommends the same-looking nbconvert[webpdf] extra. The project changelog records the move to Playwright, and current project metadata declares Playwright for the WebPDF entry point.
That creates two opposite mistakes:
- On a current release, installing Pyppeteer adds an obsolete dependency while Playwright and Chromium remain unavailable.
- On an older, pinned release, following only current Playwright instructions may not match the exporter that is installed.
Always inspect the installed version first. Do not mix a legacy exporter with packages copied from current documentation unless you have deliberately pinned and tested that combination.
WebPDF versus the other nbconvert PDF path
| Exporter | Rendering route | Main dependencies | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
--to webpdf |
Notebook output is rendered as HTML and exported through headless Chromium. | Playwright and a Chromium browser; HTML templates and browser behavior are supported. | You need browser-like HTML rendering, CSS or JavaScript output in the PDF. |
--to pdf |
Notebook is converted through LaTeX. | TeX, including a suitable XeLaTeX setup identified by the installation guidance. | Your environment already has TeX and you prefer a typesetting pipeline. |
--to html |
An HTML document is produced without making a PDF. | The normal nbconvert HTML dependencies; no PDF engine is required. | HTML is sufficient or a separate, controlled PDF service will process it later. |
Neither PDF route is universally better. Compare what your host can install, whether downloads are permitted, and whether your notebook depends on browser-rendered HTML. The official installation guidance establishes the dependency differences but does not establish a universal speed or visual-quality winner.
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Troubleshooting common failures
“Pyppeteer is missing to support Web PDF conversion”
Likely cause: You are reading a legacy message or using an older nbconvert release.
Fix: Print python -m nbconvert --version. For a current release, install python -m pip install 'nbconvert[webpdf]', verify the Playwright import, and install Chromium. For a deliberately pinned legacy release, follow that release’s documentation and avoid upgrading only one part of the stack.
“No suitable chromium executable found on the system”
Likely cause: Playwright is installed but its browser binary is not present in the environment that launches nbconvert.
Fix: Run python -m playwright install chromium with the same interpreter, or run the conversion with --allow-chromium-download where downloads are permitted. A conda issue report describes this exact pattern and a successful download-enabled recovery; it is an example, not a guarantee for every host.
The install succeeded, but the conversion still cannot import Playwright
Likely cause: pip installed into a different interpreter, virtual environment or container layer.
Fix: Use python -m pip rather than a bare pip, print sys.executable, and repeat the import test from the conversion process. In a container, install the extra in the image that actually runs the command, not only on the host.
Chromium download fails in CI or a managed notebook service
Likely cause: Egress, proxy, certificate, filesystem or security policy blocks the download.
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The command works in a shell but fails from JupyterHub or an IDE
Likely cause: The service and your shell use different users, virtual environments, PATH values or browser caches.
Fix: Log the interpreter path, nbconvert version, Playwright import location and browser-install location from inside the service job. Install dependencies for that identity, then retry there.
A sandbox workaround is suggested online
Do not disable Chromium’s sandbox as a routine fix. The available evidence does not establish that as a safe general remedy. First correct the interpreter, Playwright package, browser installation and host permissions. If your platform requires a special sandbox configuration, obtain it from the platform administrator and document the security trade-off.
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Pin and verify the toolchain
Pin nbconvert and its surrounding environment in CI, then install the matching webpdf extra. Verify both the Python package and browser during image creation rather than discovering a missing binary in a production export.
Separate build-time downloads from conversion-time work
Downloading Chromium on every job adds an external dependency and can fail during an outage or policy change. A prebuilt image with the required browser is more predictable when your organization permits that approach. Conversely, the documented download flag is convenient for disposable environments where network access is reliable and approved.
Use a small smoke test
Before converting a large notebook, export a minimal notebook containing one Markdown cell and one output cell. This distinguishes dependency failures from notebook-specific HTML, JavaScript, memory or timeout problems. Then run the real notebook with the same command and identity.
Choose the fallback deliberately
Switching from WebPDF to LaTeX is not a drop-in browser fix: it introduces TeX and XeLaTeX requirements and can change how HTML output, fonts and CSS appear. HTML output avoids both PDF engines but leaves pagination and final PDF generation to another system.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I install both Pyppeteer and Playwright?
You can, but doing so usually obscures which exporter and browser path are active. Install the dependency required by the nbconvert version you have chosen and remove unneeded legacy packages from production environments.
Does WebPDF execute notebook code?
No. nbconvert conversion renders the notebook and its stored outputs; execute the notebook separately when fresh computation is required, then export the resulting file.
Will changing from WebPDF to LaTeX preserve the exact layout?
No. The two exporters use different rendering engines, so CSS, fonts, page breaks and interactive HTML output can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which command should I try first for a current nbconvert installation?
Run python -m pip install 'nbconvert[webpdf]', then python -m playwright install chromium and retry with python -m nbconvert --to webpdf NOTEBOOK.ipynb.
Why does installing the package not install Chromium automatically?
The Playwright Python package and its browser executable are separate components. Install Chromium explicitly or use nbconvert’s --allow-chromium-download option where policy permits.
What is the simplest fallback if browsers are prohibited?
Use --to pdf only if a TeX/XeLaTeX environment is available; otherwise export with --to html and process that HTML with an approved downstream service.
The Bottom Line
For current nbconvert, replace the Pyppeteer diagnosis with a two-part check: install the webpdf extra in the interpreter running nbconvert, then provide Chromium through Playwright or the documented download flag. If that environment cannot run a browser, choose the TeX-based exporter or HTML output instead.
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