To turn a website into a PDF programmatically, send an authenticated HTTP request to a PDF-rendering endpoint with the page URL and print options, then save the binary response as a .pdf file. Browserless’s /pdf endpoint is one documented example. Use a browser automation session instead when the page needs clicks, a persistent session, or more involved interaction.
Generate a PDF from a URL with a single API request
Browserless accepts a JSON request at its /pdf endpoint and returns PDF bytes. The token belongs on the server, not in browser-side JavaScript or a publicly shipped application. See the Browserless PDF API documentation for the endpoint schema and current options.
curl -X POST 'https://production-sfo.browserless.io/pdf?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN'
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
-H 'Accept: application/pdf'
-d '{
"url": "https://example.com/",
"options": {
"format": "A4",
"printBackground": true,
"displayHeaderFooter": true
}
}'
-o page.pdfReplace YOUR_API_TOKEN with a valid credential and the example URL with the page you are authorized to capture. The command writes the response to page.pdf. Treat the result as binary data; do not decode it as text.
Check the response in application code
Before saving response bytes, check the HTTP status and, where available, the content type. A successful PDF response should be handled as binary. Error responses can indicate a malformed request, failed authentication, a forbidden destination, a timeout, rate limiting, a server error, or service unavailability; surface these to the caller rather than storing an error body with a .pdf extension.
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Choose the input and page options
Use url when the service should navigate to and render a remote page. Use html when your application already has markup to render. Browserless documents these as alternative inputs, not fields to send together. Its endpoint-specific schema is the authority for exact names and supported values.
| Need | Option to consider | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Standard paper dimensions | format, such as A4 or Letter |
Choose the intended paper size for the audience and document. |
| Custom page dimensions | Custom width and height | Check the endpoint schema for accepted units and dimension syntax. |
| Room around content | Margins | Set margins to avoid clipping headers, footers, or page content. |
| Wide layouts | Landscape orientation | Confirm that the page layout benefits from a wider printable area. |
| Specific parts of a long document | Page ranges | Use the provider’s documented range syntax. |
| Branded or labeled pages | Headers and footers | Enable them only when the generated document needs them. |
| Background colors and images | printBackground |
Enable background printing when those visuals matter to the document. |
The schema also describes provider-specific navigation and waiting controls, cookies, request interceptors, user-agent settings, and resource blocking. Check the live documentation before depending on any of these in production; their exact behavior is not universal across PDF APIs.
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Decide whether a one-request API is enough
A REST PDF call is suited to a single navigation-and-render task. Browserless describes its REST APIs as stateless, single-action requests: cookies and browser state do not persist across requests, and one call does not carry out a multi-step workflow such as signing in, clicking through a page, and capturing the result.
For interactive pages, use a browser connection or custom browser function so code can navigate, wait for a page condition, interact, and then create the PDF. Browserless’s example uses Puppeteer to navigate, wait for networkidle2, call page.pdf(), and save the returned bytes. See the Browserless Puppeteer connection documentation.
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- Prefer a direct PDF endpoint for a straightforward URL or HTML input and a conventional document.
- Prefer browser automation when a workflow needs clicks, session state, or explicit waits for page content.
- Do not assume an automated request will be accepted by every site. Bot checks, interactive challenges, or destination restrictions can prevent capture; honor site access rules and report failures accurately.
Understand print styling, accessibility, and page shape
Print appearance can differ from the screen
Puppeteer’s page.pdf() renders using the print CSS media type. A site may therefore use different styles, hide screen-only elements, or add page breaks in the PDF. If you need screen styling, Puppeteer documents emulating screen media before generating the PDF. Print rendering can also modify colors by default; the CSS property -webkit-print-color-adjust can be used when exact color rendering is required. See the Puppeteer page.pdf() documentation.
Tagged output is not a compliance certificate
Browserless says its PDFs contain selectable text rather than being screenshots. Its tagged: true option can add structural tags, including reading order and headings, which may help assistive technology and document parsers. The result is not certified PDF/UA, and its accessibility still depends on the source markup. If formal conformance matters, validate the generated file with an appropriate validator. See the Browserless PDF API documentation.
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Continuous single-page output requires a different workflow
A normal PDF is paginated. Browserless states that its /pdf REST endpoint does not create one continuous, very tall page for an entire website. Its documented route for that result is custom code through /function, which can calculate the page height and set the output format. See the Browserless PDF API documentation.
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ScreenshotNeo is a screenshot API and MCP server for developers. Its endpoint returns PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF output from one GET request. For a PDF, adapt the target URL in the API request and check the current ScreenshotNeo documentation for PDF options and response handling:
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Handle failures and production concerns
Common failure causes
- Malformed request: Check that the JSON is valid, that required fields are present, and that you have not sent both
urlandhtml. - Authentication failure: Verify the token and keep it in server-side configuration. Do not put it in a public page or client bundle.
- Forbidden destination: The endpoint may reject a destination. Confirm you are permitted to access the site and inspect the provider’s response details.
- Timeout or incomplete page: A page may take longer to load or depend on dynamic content. Use documented wait controls or move to browser automation when the capture needs a page condition or interaction.
- Rate limit or service error: Handle non-success statuses explicitly and apply a retry policy appropriate to the status and provider guidance. Avoid blindly retrying a request that is consistently forbidden or malformed.
- PDF looks different from the page: Check print CSS, background printing, page size, margins, and page-break rules. Use screen media emulation in a Puppeteer workflow if the screen presentation is the desired one.
Cost, performance, and reliability
The available provider documentation establishes request capabilities and failure categories but does not provide a comparable benchmark for rendering speed, service reliability, or current Browserless pricing. Measure the latency and failure rate for your own pages and workload, and consult the provider’s current plan and operational documentation before setting budgets or service-level expectations.
For a production integration, set an application timeout, preserve the provider’s status and error details in logs, and distinguish a failed render from a successfully returned PDF. If jobs may take longer than an interactive request allows, design the calling workflow to report progress or retry only where appropriate. Keep credentials server-side and avoid logging them.
Another option for a website you control
DocRaptor documents a referrer-based flow for pages controlled by the account holder: configure permitted domains and link to its /docs/from_site endpoint. In that particular flow, requests whose referrer contains a configured domain can use the account without an API key in the request. JavaScript and PDF options can be passed as query parameters. This is a specialized architecture for a site you control, not a general anonymous URL-to-PDF converter.
Implementation checklist
- Choose whether the input is a URL or HTML.
- Set the page format, orientation, margins, background behavior, and any required headers or page ranges.
- Keep API credentials on the server and use HTTPS.
- Check HTTP status and content type before writing binary output as a PDF.
- Use a browser session for multi-step interaction or persistent browser state.
- Validate the resulting appearance, selectable text, and accessibility needs against the actual document requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert HTML I already have instead of a live URL?
Yes. Browserless documents an html input as an alternative to url; do not send both in the same request.
Will a generated PDF always match what I see in a browser window?
No. PDF generation uses print styling by default in Puppeteer, and print CSS and color handling can change the output.
Quick Recap
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