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In Puppeteer, set the PDF-generation limit with the timeout property passed to page.pdf(). The value is milliseconds. In the documented Puppeteer 25.12.0 API, the default is 30,000 ms (30 seconds), and 0 disables this particular timeout.
That setting controls PDF rendering only. Navigation, HTML injection, font loading, and any waits you perform have separate timing behavior, so identify the operation that actually times out before changing a limit.
Set the page.pdf() timeout
Here is a complete Node.js example. It gives page navigation 30 seconds, then allows up to 60 seconds for PDF generation:
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(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
headless: true,
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
// This controls navigation, not PDF rendering.
await page.goto('https://example.com', {
waitUntil: 'networkidle2',
timeout: 30_000,
});
await page.pdf({
path: 'output.pdf',
format: 'A4',
printBackground: true,
timeout: 60_000,
});
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();The PDFOptions reference documents timeout in milliseconds. For Puppeteer 25.12.0, its documented default is 30,000 ms; passing 0 disables the PDF call’s timeout. The API reference is the authoritative place to check the default for the version installed in your project: Puppeteer PDFOptions.
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Choose a deadline that matches the workload
There is no universal value recommended by Puppeteer. A simple, already-loaded page may finish quickly, while a long document with many images, complex print CSS, or slow fonts needs more time. Set a limit that fits your document and your outer request deadline. For example, if an HTTP endpoint must respond within 90 seconds, a 60-second PDF timeout leaves time to handle the error and return a response rather than letting the process run until the client disconnects.
Use 0 only when an unlimited wait is genuinely acceptable. An unlimited render can consume a worker indefinitely when a page, font, or resource never completes.
Understand the separate timeout layers
A “PDF timeout” message can originate from several awaited operations. Puppeteer does not use one global switch for all of them.
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| Stage | Typical operation | Controlling setting | Unit/default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navigation | page.goto(), reload() |
The method’s timeout, or page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout() |
Milliseconds; method/API default applies |
| HTML preparation | page.setContent() |
The method’s navigation timeout behavior or page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout() |
Milliseconds |
| Explicit waits | waitForSelector(), waitForFunction(), and similar calls |
The wait’s timeout, or a page default timeout |
Milliseconds; wait API default applies |
| PDF rendering | page.pdf() |
PDFOptions.timeout |
Milliseconds; 30,000 ms documented in Puppeteer 25.12.0; 0 disables |
Page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout() governs navigation-related methods, including goto, reload, and setContent; it does not replace the timeout supplied to page.pdf(). Conversely, increasing a navigation timeout will not make a PDF render wait longer.
Set navigation and PDF limits independently
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
page.setDefaultNavigationTimeout(45_000);
await page.goto('https://example.com/report', {
waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded',
});
await page.pdf({
path: 'report.pdf',
timeout: 90_000,
});
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();Passing a timeout directly to the operation that can fail makes diagnosis easier than changing a broad default. If goto() throws, adjust navigation or page readiness. If pdf() throws after the page is ready, adjust the PDF option or reduce rendering work.
Page readiness, fonts, and print output
PDF rendering starts only after your preceding setup has completed, but it can still spend significant time preparing the print output. Puppeteer’s PDF guide states that Page.pdf() waits for fonts by default. The waitForFonts PDF option is enabled by default, and the documentation notes that font readiness may require bringing a background page to the foreground. Slow, blocked, or unavailable font files can therefore account for a long wait.
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Wait for application data explicitly
Do not use a large PDF timeout as a substitute for waiting for your own application state. Wait for a selector or readiness flag, then render:
await page.goto('https://example.com/invoice/123', {
waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded',
timeout: 30_000,
});
await page.waitForSelector('[data-report-ready="true"]', {
timeout: 20_000,
});
await page.pdf({
path: 'invoice.pdf',
format: 'A4',
printBackground: true,
timeout: 60_000,
});This separates “the page never became ready” from “Chromium could not finish printing.”
Use the intended media type
page.pdf() uses print CSS by default. If the document must match screen styles, call page.emulateMediaType('screen') before generating the file:
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await page.emulateMediaType('screen');
await page.pdf({
path: 'screen-styled.pdf',
timeout: 60_000,
});Changing media type can alter pagination, background images, and the amount of layout work; it does not change which option controls the PDF timeout. See the Page.pdf() API and PDF generation guide.
Handling errors and outer request deadlines
Wrap generation in try/catch and always close the browser or page in finally. A timeout is an operational failure, not a reason to leave a Chromium process running:
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async function createPdf(url, file) {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'networkidle2', timeout: 30_000 });
await page.pdf({ path: file, timeout: 60_000, format: 'A4' });
return file;
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof Error && /timeout/i.test(error.message)) {
throw new Error(`PDF job timed out: ${error.message}`);
}
throw error;
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
}
createPdf('https://example.com', 'output.pdf')
.then(console.log)
.catch(console.error);For a web service, enforce an outer deadline as well (for example, your job-queue or HTTP request limit). The inner Puppeteer timeout should expire before that outer deadline so you can clean up and return a useful error. The page.pdf() reference documents a numeric timeout; it does not document an AbortSignal parameter. Puppeteer’s documented signal support applies to supported wait operations, so do not pass an abort signal to page.pdf() expecting direct cancellation. See WaitTimeoutOptions.
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Troubleshoot a PDF timeout
The error names goto or navigation
- Cause: The URL, redirects, DNS, server response, or chosen
waitUntilcondition did not complete within the navigation limit. - Fix: Increase the
goto()timeoutorsetDefaultNavigationTimeout()only after confirming the page is expected to be slow. Try a less demanding readiness condition such asdomcontentloaded, or wait for a specific application selector after navigation.
The error occurs at page.setContent()
- Cause: Content preparation is governed by navigation-related timing, not the PDF option.
- Fix: Set the timeout on
setContent()where supported and inspect external images, stylesheets, and fonts referenced by the HTML. Keep the separatepage.pdf({ timeout })for rendering.
The error occurs at page.pdf()
- Cause: Chromium has not completed layout and print rendering within
PDFOptions.timeout. - Fix: Raise that value within the job’s outer deadline, reduce page complexity, remove unnecessary resources, or wait for application readiness before calling PDF. Check font requests in the page and browser logs.
The page looks incomplete even though no timeout occurred
- Cause: The PDF call began before client-side data or images were ready, or print CSS hides content.
- Fix: Wait for a reliable selector or readiness flag, verify image loading, inspect print styles, and choose
screenmedia when that is the intended output.
Setting setDefaultTimeout() changed nothing
- Cause: That default primarily affects generic waits; it is not a replacement for the PDF option and does not control navigation in the same way.
- Fix: Set the option on the failing call: navigation timeout for
goto/setContent, wait timeout for a wait operation, andPDFOptions.timeoutforpage.pdf().
Performance and reliability practices
- Measure each phase: Record timestamps before navigation, readiness waits, and PDF generation so the limit is based on the slow phase rather than guesswork.
- Keep documents bounded: Very long pages, large raster images, and complex CSS increase layout and memory pressure. Split oversized reports when your product permits it.
- Make resources deterministic: Self-host or reliably serve fonts and images needed for the document; a font request that never resolves can consume the PDF deadline.
- Reuse carefully: A browser process can serve multiple jobs, but create isolated pages and close them after each job. Always close the browser on fatal errors.
- Retry selectively: A retry can help with a transient upstream response, but repeating an indefinitely blocked page only adds load. Log the failing stage and error before retrying.
- Align all deadlines: Queue visibility, worker execution, HTTP reverse-proxy, and client timeouts should exceed the PDF timeout by enough time for cleanup and an error response.
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cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot"
-d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY
--data-urlencode url=https://example.com
-o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get(
"https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com"},
timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({
access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
url: 'https://example.com'
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`ScreenshotNeo returned ${res.status}`);
const body = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
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What to remember
- Put
timeoutin the options passed topage.pdf(); use milliseconds. - In Puppeteer 25.12.0, the documented default is 30 seconds and
0disables the PDF timeout. - Navigation, content setup, explicit waits, and PDF rendering have different controls.
- Fonts are awaited by default, so font delivery can affect the observed render time.
- Set an outer job deadline and clean up the browser when a render fails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Puppeteer’s PDF timeout include the time spent in page.goto()?
No. The timeout passed to page.pdf() applies to the PDF call. Configure navigation separately with goto() or setDefaultNavigationTimeout().
Can I cancel page.pdf() with an AbortController?
The PDFOptions reference documents a numeric timeout, not an AbortSignal parameter. AbortSignal support documented for wait operations should not be assumed to cancel page.pdf() directly.
What happens when PDFOptions.timeout is set to 0?
Puppeteer treats 0 as disabling the PDF operation’s timeout. Your process can still be constrained by an outer HTTP, queue, worker, or infrastructure deadline.
Why can a PDF wait even after the page appears loaded?
Page.pdf() waits for fonts by default, and print layout still has to complete. Slow font requests or complex print content can account for the additional time.
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