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Use an event-driven handshake instead of guessing a delay: set window.status to a non-ready value, listen for the Leaflet tile layer’s load event, then change the status to a known string. Run wkhtmltopdf with --window-status set to that exact string.
Leaflet’s map load event only indicates that the map was initialized at its initial center and zoom. A tile layer’s GridLayer load event fires after all visible tiles for that layer have loaded, which is the signal you normally need before producing a PDF.
The reliable window-status pattern
Attach the tile-layer handler before adding the layer to the map. Initialize window.status before the request starts, and use exactly the same final string in the page and in the command line.
<div id='map' style='height: 500px'></div>
<script>
var map = L.map('map').setView([51.505, -0.09], 13);
var tiles = L.tileLayer('https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', {
attribution: '© OpenStreetMap contributors'
});
window.status = 'map-loading';
tiles.once('load', function () {
window.status = 'leaflet-ready';
});
tiles.addTo(map);
</script>Render the page with JavaScript enabled and wait for that status:
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wkhtmltopdf --enable-javascript --window-status leaflet-ready input.html output.pdfThe manual describes --window-status as waiting until window.status equals the supplied string. If your page already loads Leaflet elsewhere, put only the status and event-handling code after the map and layer have been created.
Why the Leaflet event matters
Map initialization is not tile completion
Leaflet’s map-level load event means the map has been initialized with its initial view. It does not guarantee that every visible image from a basemap or overlay has finished downloading. Waiting on that event alone can produce a PDF with empty or partially painted tiles.
GridLayer load covers visible tiles
A tile layer is a GridLayer. Its load event is fired when the grid layer has loaded all visible tiles. For a normal basemap, that is the appropriate readiness signal. The same API exposes tileloadstart, tileload, tileerror, and isLoading() for diagnosis and more elaborate coordination.
Register before addTo
Install the handler before calling tiles.addTo(map). Registering afterward creates a race: a very fast or cached request could finish before the callback exists, leaving wkhtmltopdf waiting forever.
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A complete page-side implementation
The following version adds a finite timeout and an explicit tile-error state. It is useful when a failed provider request should be visible to the calling process instead of silently producing an apparently complete map.
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<div id='map' style='height: 500px'></div>
<script>
var map = L.map('map').setView([51.505, -0.09], 13);
var base = L.tileLayer('https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', {
attribution: '© OpenStreetMap contributors'
});
window.status = 'map-loading';
var finished = false;
base.once('load', function () {
if (!finished) {
finished = true;
window.status = 'leaflet-ready';
}
});
base.on('tileerror', function (event) {
if (!finished) {
finished = true;
window.status = 'leaflet-error';
console.error('Leaflet tile failed', event);
}
});
base.addTo(map);
setTimeout(function () {
if (!finished) {
finished = true;
window.status = 'leaflet-timeout';
}
}, 15000);
</script>With this policy, only a successful layer reaches leaflet-ready. A conversion wrapper should detect leaflet-error or leaflet-timeout by using an outer process timeout and then report the page problem. If your business rule is to produce a best-effort PDF even when some tiles are missing, change the timeout branch to set leaflet-ready and record a warning in the page; that deliberately trades completeness for a bounded render.
Waiting for several tile layers
If the PDF must contain a basemap and one or more overlays, one layer’s load event is insufficient. Attach a handler to every required layer and set the ready status only after all of them report success.
var map = L.map('map').setView([51.505, -0.09], 13);
var base = L.tileLayer('https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', {
attribution: '© OpenStreetMap contributors'
});
var overlay = L.tileLayer('https://example.invalid/tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.png');
var required = [base, overlay];
var remaining = required.length;
var failed = false;
window.status = 'map-loading';
required.forEach(function (layer) {
layer.once('load', function () {
remaining -= 1;
if (remaining === 0 && !failed) {
window.status = 'leaflet-ready';
}
});
layer.on('tileerror', function (event) {
failed = true;
window.status = 'leaflet-error';
console.error('Tile error', event);
});
layer.addTo(map);
});Use the actual URLs and layer objects from your application. If an overlay is optional, do not include it in required; otherwise a nonessential outage can block every PDF.
Fixed delay versus an event-driven wait
| Method | How it works | Strength | Failure mode |
|---|---|---|---|
--window-status |
The page changes window.status after the tile-layer event. |
Tracks the actual completion condition for visible tiles. | Requires page code that can set the status; an unhandled tile failure can leave the process waiting. |
--javascript-delay <msec> |
wkhtmltopdf waits a fixed number of milliseconds after page loading. | Works when you cannot modify the page. | No universal delay is correct: a slow connection can still be incomplete, while a fast one wastes time. |
The manual also documents --run-script, which lets you execute extra JavaScript after page loading. That can be useful when you need to set a status from outside the original page, but the script still has to observe a meaningful Leaflet condition. A delay remains a coarse fallback, not proof that tiles are ready.
Command-line checks before debugging Leaflet
- Run
wkhtmltopdf --versionand note the packaged build. The Debian Bookworm manual documents these switches, but distributions and patched binaries can differ. - Confirm the page is allowed to run JavaScript. Use
--enable-javascript; do not pass--disable-javascript. - Make sure the status starts as something other than the target value. If it already equals
leaflet-ready, the converter can proceed before any tiles are requested. - Use the exact same spelling and capitalization in
window.statusand--window-status. - Run the conversion in an environment that can resolve the tile host, negotiate HTTPS, and reach any authentication endpoint used by your map.
Troubleshooting common failures
The PDF is created before tiles appear
Usually the command is using a short --javascript-delay, or it waits for the map’s initialization event rather than the tile layer’s load. Move the callback to the GridLayer and use --window-status leaflet-ready.
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wkhtmltopdf waits indefinitely
Check for a spelling mismatch, a handler attached after addTo, or a tile provider that never completes. Add tileerror handling and a finite page timeout. If the page intentionally reports leaflet-error or leaflet-timeout, ensure the calling process has its own deadline and can return a useful error instead of waiting forever.
JavaScript appears not to run
Verify that JavaScript is enabled and that the script is not throwing an exception before the event registration. A quick diagnostic is to set window.status = 'script-started' as the first statement, then temporarily wait for that value. Restore the real readiness status after fixing the exception.
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The map area is blank but status says ready
Inspect the browser-side network requests and tileerror events. The converter may not have DNS, outbound network access, required headers, cookies, or a trusted certificate. A provider can also reject the wkhtmltopdf user agent or require an API key. Resolve that access problem rather than increasing the delay.
Only one of several layers is visible
Coordinate every required layer, as shown above. Also check that the layer is actually added to the map in the conversion path; a layer selected interactively in a normal browser may not be enabled in the headless render.
Google map tiles are involved
Use Google’s supported Maps API rather than fetching tile images directly. Leaflet’s FAQ describes the GoogleMutant plugin route and warns that it can have lag or glitches. The provider’s terms and authentication requirements still apply in the environment running wkhtmltopdf.
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Reliability and rendering considerations
Choose a bounded policy
Network conditions vary, so combine the event handshake with a timeout and an outer process deadline. Decide in advance whether a timeout should fail the job or create a best-effort document. Do not silently label an incomplete map as ready.
Keep the readiness scope narrow
Set the status only after the layers that matter for this PDF have loaded. Waiting for unrelated analytics, chat scripts, or below-the-fold resources can make conversion slower without improving the map.
Re-rendering after map changes
If your script changes the center, zoom, or visible overlays after the first render, reset window.status to a loading value and attach a new completion cycle before making the change. Otherwise wkhtmltopdf may capture the old ready state.
Tile-server policy and attribution
Keep the provider’s required attribution in the map and verify that automated rendering is allowed. A successful HTTP request does not override a tile host’s usage terms.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing window.status change what appears in the PDF?
No. It is a browser-side signal consumed by wkhtmltopdf; the status string is not painted into the document unless your own page displays it.
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The documented GridLayer events are described in the Leaflet 1.9.4 API. Other versions or vendor builds may differ, so verify the event behavior and test the specific Leaflet bundle shipped with your page.
Can I wait for a second map view in the same conversion?
Yes. Before changing the view, set a loading status, observe the relevant layer’s next load cycle, and set the ready status only after the new visible tiles have completed.
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