Python-PDFKit converts a URL, HTML file, or HTML string to PDF by calling the separate wkhtmltopdf program. Install both components: the Python package alone cannot render a PDF. For a new project, note that Python-PDFKit is deprecated, and review whether its older rendering engine meets your requirements before adopting it.
Install Python-PDFKit and wkhtmltopdf
Install the Python wrapper in your environment, then install the wkhtmltopdf executable separately. The executable must be available on your system PATH or configured explicitly. Follow the installation instructions for your operating system in the Python-PDFKit README. Distribution-packaged wkhtmltopdf builds can differ from builds that include the project’s Qt patches, so verify the binary and features actually available in your environment.
Check that the command-line program is discoverable before trying conversion. On Unix-like systems the wrapper uses which for automatic discovery; on Windows it uses where. If automatic discovery fails, configure the executable path as shown below.
Choose the right input method
Use the function that matches where your HTML comes from. Each function can write to a file; leave out the output path to get PDF bytes back for further processing.
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| Input | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A web page | pdfkit.from_url |
pdfkit.from_url("https://example.com", "out.pdf") |
| An HTML file | pdfkit.from_file |
pdfkit.from_file("input.html", "out.pdf") |
| An HTML string | pdfkit.from_string |
pdfkit.from_string("<h1>Hello</h1>", "out.pdf") |
Generate a PDF with runnable Python
After installing both components, this example converts an HTML string and shows the corresponding calls for a local HTML file and a URL:
import pdfkit
# Convert an HTML string to a PDF file.
pdfkit.from_string("<h1>Hello</h1>", "out.pdf")
# Or convert a local HTML file.
pdfkit.from_file("input.html", "out.pdf")
# Or render a web page.
pdfkit.from_url("https://example.com", "out.pdf")To process the PDF in memory instead of writing it to disk, omit the destination argument and capture the returned bytes:
pdf_bytes = pdfkit.from_string("<h1>Hello</h1>")Configure the wkhtmltopdf executable
If the binary is installed outside PATH or automatic discovery does not locate it, give PDFKit its full path through pdfkit.configuration:
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import pdfkit
config = pdfkit.configuration(wkhtmltopdf="/path/to/wkhtmltopdf")
pdfkit.from_string(
"<h1>Hello</h1>",
"out.pdf",
configuration=config,
)Replace /path/to/wkhtmltopdf with the executable’s actual location on your machine. The configuration parameter is passed to the conversion call.
Set page size, margins, and other options
PDFKit passes an options dictionary through to wkhtmltopdf. Option names omit the leading --; values are strings. For example:
import pdfkit
options = {
"page-size": "A4",
"margin-top": "0.75in",
"margin-right": "0.75in",
"margin-bottom": "0.75in",
"margin-left": "0.75in",
"encoding": "UTF-8",
}
pdfkit.from_file("input.html", "out.pdf", options=options)wkhtmltopdf documents controls for page size (including custom dimensions), orientation, margins, print media, JavaScript behavior, and local-file access. Consult its usage documentation for supported options and exact behavior. Availability can depend on the installed build, so an option documented upstream may not work in every packaged binary.
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Debug failed or unexpected conversions
Start with the converter’s own diagnostics. PDFKit supports verbose=True; if that is not enough, inspect the generated command and run it directly to separate a wrapper issue from a wkhtmltopdf issue.
import pdfkit
pdf = pdfkit.PDFKit("input.html", "file", options={"page-size": "A4"})
print(pdf.command())For local images, stylesheets, or other resources, check wkhtmltopdf’s local-file access controls and allow only the files the conversion needs. Its available controls are described in the wkhtmltopdf usage documentation.
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- “No wkhtmltopdf executable found”: install wkhtmltopdf, confirm its executable is on PATH, or pass its full path through
pdfkit.configuration. - The command fails or the output is wrong: enable verbose output, inspect the generated command, then run that command directly. The failure may come from wkhtmltopdf rather than the Python wrapper.
- A page-size or rendering option appears ignored: check the installed binary and its supported features, then test the equivalent command-line option directly. Some distribution builds do not include patched-Qt functionality.
- Local CSS, images, or fonts are missing: check whether local-file access is permitted by the installed wkhtmltopdf version, and grant access only to necessary resources.
Security and maintenance considerations
The wkhtmltopdf project warns against using the converter with untrusted HTML and says to sanitize user-supplied HTML and JavaScript; otherwise, it can lead to a complete server takeover. Treat user-controlled markup and scripts as untrusted input. The PDFKit wrapper does not make them safe.
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The Python-PDFKit README marks the library deprecated to match the status of the wkhtmltopdf project. That makes it important to assess maintenance and rendering requirements before choosing it for a new system. The documentation cited here does not establish a specific replacement recommendation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get PDF data without creating a file?
Yes. Omit the output-path argument in a PDFKit conversion call and assign the returned PDF bytes to a variable.
Does installing pdfkit also install wkhtmltopdf?
No. PDFKit is a Python wrapper; wkhtmltopdf is a separate executable that must be installed and discoverable or explicitly configured.
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