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To generate a PDF in CodeIgniter with wkhtmltopdf, render a complete HTML document from a view, save it temporarily, run the wkhtmltopdf executable against it, check that the process succeeded, and return the resulting PDF as a download or inline response. wkhtmltopdf is a separate command-line program—not a CodeIgniter library—so your application must install and secure the binary as well as handle the HTML and PDF files.
This guide shows a PHP integration pattern and explains the settings that most often affect output. It assumes your server can run an installed executable. CodeIgniter versions expose responses differently, so adapt the final response call to your version; keep PDF generation and process handling separate from that framework-specific step.
What you need before writing the CodeIgniter code
wkhtmltopdf converts HTML into PDF using the Qt WebKit engine. Its basic command takes an input page and an output file, for example: wkhtmltopdf http://google.com google.pdf. It is a headless executable, so PHP asks the operating system to run it; installing a PHP package alone does not install the renderer.
- Install CodeIgniter using the method appropriate for your application. The project recommends Composer for ongoing maintenance, while manual installation is also available.
- Install the wkhtmltopdf binary built for the server’s operating system and architecture. Do not assume a package installed on a developer laptop is equivalent to the server binary.
- Confirm the binary’s absolute path and executable permissions during deployment. Store that path in configuration rather than relying on a shell search path.
- Confirm PHP can write to a private temporary directory and that the web-server account can execute the binary.
The wkhtmltopdf project’s stable series is 0.12.6, released June 11, 2020. Pin and test the binary you deploy, and record its version and path: a package with the same name can vary by operating system or distribution.
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Render a complete HTML document from a CodeIgniter view
Start with the same HTML you would expect a browser to render: a doctype, a character encoding declaration, and explicit asset paths. A partial fragment may work, but a complete document gives you control over styles and encoding.
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Invoice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://example.com/assets/pdf.css">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Invoice #<?= esc($invoiceNumber) ?></h1>
<p>Customer: <?= esc($customerName) ?></p>
</body>
</html>Escape values that came from users or other untrusted sources when rendering them into HTML. Use absolute URLs for remote CSS, images, and fonts, or place assets in a known local directory and explicitly allow only that directory. Relative links can resolve differently when the renderer reads a temporary HTML file than they do in a browser request.
For private assets, choose deliberately between remote URLs, controlled local files, and authenticated resources. If the renderer must fetch protected content, configure only the necessary headers or cookies; do not embed long-lived secrets in HTML that may be retained in temporary files or logs.
Run wkhtmltopdf and return the PDF
The following is a compact CodeIgniter-oriented integration pattern. It uses PHP’s exec() and safely quotes the executable and file paths. Set $wkhtmltopdf from deployment configuration, not from request input. The response line is illustrative for a CodeIgniter 4-style response; use the equivalent download or inline response method for your installed CodeIgniter version.
<?php
$html = view('reports/invoice', [
'invoiceNumber' => $invoiceNumber,
'customerName' => $customerName,
]);
$wkhtmltopdf = getenv('WKHTMLTOPDF_PATH'); // Set to the pinned executable path.
if (!$wkhtmltopdf || !is_executable($wkhtmltopdf)) {
throw new RuntimeException('wkhtmltopdf is not installed or executable');
}
$workDir = WRITEPATH . 'pdf-tmp';
if (!is_dir($workDir) && !mkdir($workDir, 0700, true) && !is_dir($workDir)) {
throw new RuntimeException('Cannot create PDF temporary directory');
}
$htmlPath = tempnam($workDir, 'html-');
$pdfPath = tempnam($workDir, 'pdf-');
if ($htmlPath === false || $pdfPath === false) {
throw new RuntimeException('Cannot create temporary PDF files');
}
try {
file_put_contents($htmlPath, $html);
$command = escapeshellarg($wkhtmltopdf)
. ' --page-size A4 --encoding UTF-8'
. ' --disable-local-file-access'
. ' ' . escapeshellarg($htmlPath)
. ' ' . escapeshellarg($pdfPath)
. ' 2>&1';
exec($command, $output, $exitCode);
if ($exitCode !== 0 || !is_file($pdfPath) || filesize($pdfPath) === 0) {
// Log $output to a restricted application log; do not show it to visitors.
throw new RuntimeException('PDF generation failed');
}
$pdf = file_get_contents($pdfPath);
if ($pdf === false) {
throw new RuntimeException('Could not read generated PDF');
}
return service('response')
->setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/pdf')
->setHeader('Content-Disposition', 'attachment; filename="invoice.pdf"')
->setBody($pdf);
} finally {
if (is_file($htmlPath)) { unlink($htmlPath); }
if (is_file($pdfPath)) { unlink($pdfPath); }
}In a real application, make the temporary directory writable only by the application account, use unpredictable file names, and clean up files even on failure. The command captures combined output so it can be logged for diagnosis; restrict access to those logs because renderer diagnostics can include URLs or other sensitive details. This example does not impose a process timeout. For production, use a process component or worker setup that supports strict timeouts, bounded resource use, and structured stderr logging rather than allowing a web request to wait indefinitely.
For inline viewing instead of a download, change the content disposition to inline, while keeping the PDF content type. Return only a generated, non-empty file, and use a fixed or safely generated filename rather than copying arbitrary request text into a header.
Choose page, asset, and JavaScript options intentionally
Set output-affecting options explicitly so a deployment change does not silently alter layout. The command reference includes page objects, global options, and the output-file contract.
| Need | Option or approach | Practical consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Consistent paper format | --page-size A4 or --orientation Portrait / Landscape |
Choose the paper size and orientation used by the report, rather than relying on defaults. |
| Predictable printable area | Set the margin switches explicitly | Allow room for content and any headers or footers; check for clipping at page boundaries. |
| Correct character rendering | --encoding UTF-8 |
Also include a UTF-8 declaration in the HTML document. |
| Print-specific CSS | --print-media-type |
Use print styles for page breaks, visibility, and layout where appropriate. |
| Page needs JavaScript | --enable-javascript, --javascript-delay, or --window-status |
A bounded delay is a fallback; a readiness status is more explicit when the page can signal that rendering is complete. |
| Page does not need JavaScript | --disable-javascript |
Prefer disabling execution for static reports that do not need it. |
| Local CSS, images, or fonts | --disable-local-file-access by default; use a narrowly scoped --allow directory only when needed |
Keep local-file access disabled unless a specific asset directory must be read. |
| Remote assets | Use controlled absolute URLs | Network access must be available to the renderer if remote resources are required; block it at the OS level when the report does not need it. |
| Authenticated page content | Use the documented header or cookie options | Pass only the credentials needed for that render and protect logs and temporary files. |
Images can be missing because their URL is relative to the temporary file, because a local directory is not allowed, because the remote host cannot be reached, or because the image has not loaded when rendering starts. JavaScript-driven pages can be incomplete if capture begins before the page is ready. Diagnose the specific cause before adding a broad filesystem or network permission.
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wkhtmltopdf’s official download guidance warns: “Do not use wkhtmltopdf with any untrusted HTML – be sure to sanitize any user-supplied HTML/JS, otherwise it can lead to complete takeover of the server it is running on!” Treat HTML and JavaScript supplied by users as hostile. Escaping template values is not a substitute for isolating the renderer if users can submit arbitrary markup or scripts.
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- Generate reports from controlled templates and escape untrusted values. Do not pass raw user HTML or JavaScript to the renderer.
- Keep
--disable-local-file-accessenabled. If local assets are necessary, grant access only to the smallest required directory with--allow. - Run the binary as a low-privilege account, in a non-writable working directory where possible, and remove temporary files after the job.
- Deny network access when the renderer does not need to fetch remote resources. When it does, restrict what it can reach outside the rendering process.
- On supported Linux systems, apply AppArmor; use SELinux controls on systems that use SELinux. Mandatory access controls can reduce damage if a prebuilt binary vulnerability bypasses the local-file setting.
- Limit execution time and resource consumption, and keep diagnostics out of visitor-facing errors.
The project’s status guidance notes its dependence on the WebKit1 in-process API and raises concerns about WebKit security. A configuration switch is not a complete sandbox; operating-system confinement is an additional control, not a guarantee that the renderer is safe for arbitrary input.
Common failures and how to fix them
- “wkhtmltopdf not found” or permission denied: verify the configured absolute path, executable permissions, operating-system compatibility, and the identity of the web-server or worker account.
- PDF is absent or zero bytes: check the process exit code and captured output. Confirm the destination directory is writable and that the renderer can read the input HTML.
- CSS or images disappear: replace unintended relative paths with absolute URLs, or allow only the specific local asset directory. Check remote connectivity if the assets are hosted elsewhere.
- Layout differs from the browser: wkhtmltopdf renders with Qt WebKit, not the browser engine used by a modern visitor. Make paper size, orientation, margins, and print media explicit, then verify the HTML against the renderer’s capabilities.
- Dynamic content is missing: enable JavaScript only if required, then use an appropriate readiness signal or a bounded delay. If the page depends on modern client-side JavaScript, consider a different engine rather than indefinitely increasing the wait.
- Unicode or symbols render incorrectly: set UTF-8 encoding in the command and document, and verify the required fonts are available to the server renderer.
- Request hangs or consumes too many resources: move expensive jobs to a worker, enforce timeouts and resource limits, and log a concise failure diagnostic rather than leaving a web request unbounded.
- Local files remain inaccessible: that is the expected baseline with local-file access disabled. Add a narrowly scoped allowed directory only for assets the report needs; do not enable unrestricted local access as a quick fix.
When wkhtmltopdf is the wrong renderer
wkhtmltopdf can remain useful for controlled, mostly static HTML whose layout matches its WebKit behavior. It is less suitable when the page depends on modern JavaScript, or when security and ongoing maintenance outweigh compatibility with an older rendering engine.
| Option | When to consider it | Trade-off established by the project guidance |
|---|---|---|
| wkhtmltopdf | Controlled reports and legacy layouts that work with its WebKit rendering | Uses the WebKit1 in-process API; pin and test the deployed binary. |
| Puppeteer | Pages that rely on dynamic JavaScript | The project’s status guidance names it for dynamic-JavaScript sites. |
| WeasyPrint | Controlled HTML reports | The project suggests it as an alternative for controlled reports; it is a different rendering engine. |
| Prince | When a commercial option is appropriate | The project names it as a commercial alternative. |
| tc-lib-pdf | When avoiding an external executable is more important than browser-level CSS behavior | The TCPDF project describes it as a Composer-installed PHP library for PHP 8.2+ and documents remote-resource allowlists and signing workflows. |
These are different rendering models, not drop-in guarantees of identical output. Compare JavaScript compatibility, CSS and font fidelity, pagination, startup cost, sandboxing, licensing, maintenance cadence, and support against your specific report before switching.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can the same PDF be generated in a background job?
Yes. The renderer is an external command, so a queue worker can invoke it instead of holding a visitor’s request open. Keep the worker’s filesystem permissions and timeout limits just as restrictive as those used for web requests.
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It can render HTML supplied as a file or page URL, but an internal route may require authentication or depend on session state. Rendering a view to a controlled HTML file avoids exposing a private route or trying to forward a visitor’s session implicitly.
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