To save a live webpage as a PDF from a Linux shell, use Chrome or Chromium’s headless print-to-PDF option:
google-chrome --headless --print-to-pdf=page.pdf 'https://example.com'Replace google-chrome with the executable installed on your system. This creates a rendered PDF, not a complete preservation of the page’s source code, assets, interactions, or network dependencies.
Save a webpage to PDF with headless Chrome
Chrome’s official headless CLI documentation supports printing a target page to PDF. Its basic form saves a file named output.pdf in the current working directory:
google-chrome --headless --print-to-pdf 'https://example.com'To choose a filename explicitly, use the equals form supported by common Chrome and Chromium builds:
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google-chrome --headless --print-to-pdf=page.pdf 'https://example.com'The official guide documents --print-to-pdf and the default output name; check the installed build’s help if it rejects the equals form. See Chrome’s headless command-line reference.
Remove the printed header and footer
For a cleaner PDF without printed URL, date, or page number, add the current documented flag:
google-chrome --headless --no-pdf-header-footer --print-to-pdf=page.pdf 'https://example.com'Older versions may use the former flag name --print-to-pdf-no-header. If Chrome reports an unknown option, check the documentation or help output for the version actually installed.
Choose where the PDF is saved
A relative filename such as page.pdf is saved in the shell’s current working directory. Use an absolute path to choose a different location:
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google-chrome --headless --print-to-pdf=/tmp/page.pdf 'https://example.com'Ensure the destination directory exists and that your user can write to it. Keep the original URL and capture date alongside the file when those details matter; the PDF by itself does not establish when or from where the page was captured.
Control when Chrome captures dynamic content
Pages can load content after the initial navigation, including through scripts or delayed requests. Chrome provides timing options, but neither guarantees that every element has appeared.
Wait up to a fixed time
Use --timeout to set a maximum wait in milliseconds. For example, this asks Chrome to capture after at most five seconds:
google-chrome --headless --timeout=5000 --print-to-pdf=page.pdf 'https://example.com'Advance virtual time
For some time-dependent page behavior, try a virtual-time budget:
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google-chrome --headless --virtual-time-budget=42000 --print-to-pdf=page.pdf 'https://example.com'These settings can help with pages that need a brief delay or run timed code. They do not prove that a site has finished loading, and a page may still omit content that depends on user interaction, blocked requests, or conditions the headless browser cannot satisfy.
Other command-line renderers
Chrome is a practical starting point for a live site when you want a browser-based rendering path with JavaScript. Alternatives use different engines and suit different needs; no single renderer is established as best for every webpage.
wkhtmltopdf
Run the command with a URL and output filename:
wkhtmltopdf 'https://example.com' page.pdfThe project describes wkhtmltopdf as a headless command-line tool based on Qt WebKit. Its downloads page lists 0.12.6 as the stable series and gives June 11, 2020 as its release date. Because that release is dated, check the output carefully on modern pages rather than assuming current-browser fidelity. See the wkhtmltopdf project and its downloads and security notice.
The project warns against using wkhtmltopdf with untrusted HTML: unsanitized user-supplied HTML or JavaScript can lead to a complete server takeover. Do not feed it untrusted input without appropriate sanitization and isolation.
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WeasyPrint
WeasyPrint can render a URL to PDF with:
weasyprint 'https://weasyprint.org' /tmp/page.pdfIts documentation notes that unsupported CSS properties can produce warnings, so inspect both the output and any warnings when layout matters. It also documents PDF/A output, a constrained format with limitations such as no audio, video, or JavaScript and requirements concerning color spaces and fonts. Consult WeasyPrint’s first steps and common use cases.
What a PDF archive preserves—and what it does not
A PDF is a rendered document. It can preserve a visual representation of the page at capture time, but it is not a full web archive: it does not necessarily include original source, linked assets, interactions, or network dependencies. The cited tool documentation does not claim otherwise.
For records where provenance matters, store the source URL and capture date with the PDF. For preservation that must include underlying files or behavior, a print-to-PDF command alone is not sufficient; choose an archiving method designed for that requirement.
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For an API-based capture, ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot or PDF from one GET request. It accepts cookie and consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be disabled. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, with response headers identifying the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server gives AI agents tools for screenshots, page information, and PDF capture.
Example cURL request (replace the URL with the page you want to capture):
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o page.pdfSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for PDF options and authentication. The service offers 1,000 screenshots per month free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month, with no card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a PDF prove what a webpage looked like on a particular date?
Not by itself. Keep a dated capture record and the page URL with the PDF if you need that context.
Can Chrome’s timeout flags guarantee that every page element appears?
No. The timeout and virtual-time budget affect capture timing, but neither guarantees that all dynamic or interaction-dependent content has loaded.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
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