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World desk7 min

How to Save Web Pages as PDFs with PDFCrowd WebSave

PDFCrowd WebSave adds a PDF export button to your site. Learn the required markup, when to use URL or content mode, and how to handle styling, privacy, and common failures.
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PDFCrowd WebSave lets a website owner add a button that turns a page into a downloadable PDF. Add a button with the pdfcrowd-websave class and a WebSave key, then load the WebSave script. Use URL mode for public pages; use content mode when the PDF must reflect a visitor’s logged-in page or current form values.

WebSave is a site integration, not a browser tool for saving any page you happen to visit. PDFCrowd’s servers perform the conversion, so you do not need to install a PDF renderer on your own server.

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Add a WebSave PDF button

Place the button and script on the page where visitors should see the PDF action. The example uses the documented demo key, which produces watermarked output. Replace it with a production key configured for your domain before publishing.

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<button class="pdfcrowd-websave" data-key="demo">Save as PDF</button>
<script src="https://edge.pdfcrowd.com/websave/1.3.0/websave.min.js"></script>

The pdfcrowd-websave class is required. You can add pdfcrowd-websave-style to use WebSave’s default button styling, icon, and loading animation:

<button class="pdfcrowd-websave pdfcrowd-websave-style" data-key="demo">Save as PDF</button>
<script src="https://edge.pdfcrowd.com/websave/1.3.0/websave.min.js"></script>

Version 1.3.0 is the version shown in the guide used for this example; check PDFCrowd’s current documentation before adopting or updating a version in production. Personal keys are scoped to configured domains or subdomains. The demo key is for watermarked testing, not clean production downloads.

Set options before loading the library

WebSave uses an optional JavaScript configuration object, referenced by the button’s data-config attribute. Define the object before the script loads. If you omit data-config, WebSave uses its defaults. The exact option names and accepted values depend on the setting; use the current WebSave reference rather than guessing configuration properties.

Initialize buttons created after page load

If React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, or other client-side code renders the button after the WebSave script has initialized, call window.WebSave.initButton(...) after the element exists. Pass the newly created button element as the argument, following the API signature in the current reference. Calling initialization before rendering the button cannot attach the PDF action.

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Choose URL mode or content mode

Need URL mode Content mode
Source of the PDF PDFCrowd fetches a fresh copy of the page URL. The browser submits the current page HTML for conversion.
Logged-in or personalized content Does not use the visitor’s login session; the fetched page may therefore not contain protected content. Can convert content already loaded in the visitor’s browser, including a logged-in view.
Current form values Does not capture the visitor’s current input. Documentation says input values, selections, and textarea values are copied into the submitted HTML.
URL parameters Can be adjusted. Works from the submitted page content rather than a fresh fetch of the target URL.
Data sent to PDFCrowd The service fetches the URL. Page HTML is sent to PDFCrowd for server-side conversion.

Use URL mode for a public page

This is the documented default and is usually the appropriate choice for public articles or other pages whose content does not depend on a visitor’s session. Remember that the conversion service fetches the URL itself; it cannot see a login cookie held only in the visitor’s browser.

Use content mode for browser-held state

Choose content mode when the page is already loaded in the browser and contains user-specific material, a completed form, or an application view available only after login. It converts the HTML representation of that page, not a pixel-perfect capture of the visitor’s screen.

Prepare the page before conversion. Content that has not loaded, or interactive state that is not represented in the submitted HTML, will not automatically appear in the PDF. Protected images, fonts, or other assets may also require separate handling. Treat the output as a server-rendered document that may need print-specific styling, not as a guaranteed visual duplicate.

Control the PDF layout and file action

The WebSave guide and reference describe controls for the filename, what happens to the generated file (download, open, or openNewTab), page size, orientation, margins, headers and footers, print CSS, and custom CSS or JavaScript. Use the options that match the document rather than assuming a screen layout will translate cleanly to paper.

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  • For a print-oriented page: provide a print-specific URL or print stylesheet where practical.
  • For unwanted page furniture: use injected CSS or JavaScript, or mark elements to exclude with the pdfcrowd-remove class.
  • For long documents: set page size, orientation, and margins deliberately, then check how headings, tables, and images break across pages.
  • For downloads: set a suitable filename and choose the file action appropriate to the visitor flow.

These options give you ways to tailor the conversion, but no single setting guarantees that every site will paginate or render as intended. Test representative pages, including pages with long text, large images, and dynamic content.

Check domain access and local development

Scope production keys to the actual host

A key’s subdomain setting depends on the domain entered when the key was created; including subdomains does not make sibling domains interchangeable. For example, do not assume a key set up for one host automatically authorizes a different sibling host. In URL mode, a custom target URL is also subject to an exact-host same-origin check.

Test a locally running site through a public URL

PDFCrowd’s servers cannot reach a URL that points to your computer’s localhost. To test a local site with server-side URL fetching, expose it temporarily through a public HTTPS tunnel and use that reachable URL. Do not treat localhost failure as evidence that the button markup is wrong.

Consider privacy when using content mode

Content mode sends the submitted page HTML to PDFCrowd. If that HTML includes personal, confidential, or regulated information, decide whether sending it to a third-party conversion service is appropriate before enabling the feature. Check the current data processing agreement, subprocessors, and applicable terms for your requirements.

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PDFCrowd states that submitted HTML and generated files are deleted from active processing systems within 30 minutes, with no backup copies. Converted URLs may be retained in conversion logs for a default period of 14 days; the vendor says URL retention can be set to no storage. Those are PDFCrowd’s stated practices, and URL-log retention is distinct from the stated handling of submitted HTML and generated files.

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Troubleshoot common WebSave problems

Symptom Likely cause What to check
The button does nothing The required class is missing, the script did not load, or a framework rendered the button after initialization. Confirm the button has pdfcrowd-websave, check that the script loads after the button, and explicitly initialize buttons added later.
The PDF has a watermark The button is using the demo key. Use the production WebSave key configured for the site’s domain.
The PDF shows a logged-out page URL mode fetches the URL without the visitor’s browser login session. Use content mode for content already loaded in the authenticated browser, and verify that the required content is present before conversion.
Form entries are missing URL mode does not include current visitor input, or the values are not represented in the HTML submitted in content mode. Choose content mode and confirm the completed values are present in the page state before starting conversion.
A page or asset is missing Content may not have loaded before capture, or a protected asset may not be available to the conversion process. Wait for the required content to appear and check asset access; do not assume unloaded records or protected resources will be included automatically.
A custom URL fails The conversion server cannot access localhost, or URL mode’s host check rejects a target on another host. Use a reachable public HTTPS URL for local testing and verify the target host against the key and same-origin requirements.
The PDF layout differs from the page PDF conversion uses document rendering and pagination rather than a screen pixel capture. Adjust print CSS, margins, page size, orientation, headers, or custom CSS; test the affected page types.

Or skip the browser setup

If you need a screenshot or PDF capture through an API rather than a visitor-facing WebSave button, ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request capture. Its API can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF; the example below saves a WebP screenshot.

ScreenshotNeo API documentation

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp
  • Before capture, it accepts cookie or consent banners like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be turned off.
  • Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers.
  • An MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
  • The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is available on every plan.

Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan to get 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.

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