HTML to PDF: convert a web page to PDF

How to turn a web page into a PDF

1. Paste the full address of the page (with or without https://).
2. Pick the paper size, orientation and style: screen (the page as you see it) or print (the printer-friendly version, often without menus).
3. Click the button: the PDF is ready in 5 to 20 seconds.

The browser used is Chrome in headless mode. Images, web fonts and JavaScript are loaded; cookie banners may still show up in the PDF.

What is allowed, and why

A server that opens addresses for you could be abused to read private pages. To prevent that, the tool applies strict rules:

Pages that need a login (email, social networks, intranets) therefore don't work: the server's browser doesn't have your session.

Screen or print: which to choose

The screen style reproduces the page as it appears, with menus and banners. The print style applies the stylesheet made for printers: often easier-to-read text without navigation. For a blog post or a recipe, try "print" first. Background colors are kept in both cases.

HTML to PDF in five steps

An HTML to PDF job takes seconds. Follow these steps in order.

1. First, copy the full address of the page from your browser bar.
2. Next, paste it into the field, with or without https.
3. Then pick Letter or A4, and portrait or landscape.
4. After that, choose the screen or print style.
5. Finally, start the conversion and wait 5 to 20 seconds.

So your HTML to PDF file is ready to email or save. If the page is very long, the PDF has several sheets. When you want fewer pages, try landscape.

Screen or print: which style fits which page?

The right setting depends on the content. Here are simple rules of thumb for HTML to PDF work.

For example, a recipe often fits on 2 sheets in print style, against 6 in screen style. However, some sites ship no print stylesheet. In that case, the screen style is the safer pick.

When an HTML to PDF conversion fails

A few causes come up again and again. Each one has a fix.

• The page needs a login: the server's browser does not have your session. Use your own browser's Print command instead.
• The address is local: localhost and private networks stay blocked to protect everyone.
• Loading takes more than 25 seconds: try again later, or pick a lighter page.
• You hit 12 pages per hour: wait a little before the next one.
• A cookie banner shows up: the server cannot click it, so it may stay on the first sheet.

On the other hand, images, web fonts and JavaScript load normally. So most public pages work on the first try with HTML to PDF.

Ideas for using HTML to PDF, and tools that help

You can keep a dated copy of a policy, a price list or a listing. Also, an article saved as a PDF reads offline, for example on a flight. For a research file, join several pages with Merge PDF. If the file gets heavy, slim it down with Compress PDF.

When you only need a picture of the page, try the website screenshot tool. In addition, for a document you write yourself, use Word to PDF. Finally, remember that an HTML to PDF copy shows the page at that moment. Run the conversion again if the page changes.

Good habits before you start

First, open the page in your browser. That way you confirm it loads without a login. Next, copy the address from the bar, not from a shortcut. If the address has parameters, keep them. Then the right version of the page prints. When a page changes often, put the date in the file name. For example, rates-10-30-2026.pdf. Also, pick Letter for US mail and A4 for most other countries. So the paper copy looks right. If you want better readability, use the print style. But to keep the original colors, pick screen. Finally, read your HTML to PDF result before you send it. You will spot a banner stuck at the top of the page.