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Open a terminal or command prompt and run wkhtmltopdf --version. The shorter documented form, wkhtmltopdf -V, reports the same version information. The result belongs to the executable your current shell resolves, so check the executable path as well if more than one installation may exist.
Check the version in one command
Run either of these commands:
wkhtmltopdf --versionwkhtmltopdf -VThe wkhtmltopdf command-line manual defines -V, --version as “Output version information and exit.” The command prints version information and then returns you to the prompt; it does not create a PDF.
| Command | Use | Expected behavior |
|---|---|---|
wkhtmltopdf --version |
Long, self-documenting option | Prints the version for the resolved executable and exits |
wkhtmltopdf -V |
Short option | Prints the same version information and exits |
wkhtmltopdf -H |
Full command help | Displays the generated command help, including available options |
What the output actually tells you
The output identifies the binary that your current shell would run when you type wkhtmltopdf. It does not automatically tell you which release an upstream website currently labels as stable, nor does it prove that a package manager would install the same build today.
This distinction matters on machines with several copies. You might have a system package, a manually unpacked binary, and a copy bundled with an application or service. Your interactive shell can resolve one copy while a web server, queue worker, container, or scheduled job invokes another.
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Find the executable selected by your shell
Use the path lookup appropriate to your environment, then run the returned executable directly with --version.
- On macOS or Linux shells, run
command -v wkhtmltopdf. - On Windows Command Prompt, run
where wkhtmltopdf. - In PowerShell, run
Get-Command wkhtmltopdf.
If the lookup prints more than one location, inspect each location by invoking it with --version. Compare those results with the path configured in the application that actually generates your documents. Use quotation marks around a path containing spaces.
Check the application’s binary, not just your login shell
A service often has a different PATH from your terminal, and a configuration file may contain an explicit executable path. Locate the command or setting used by that service, then execute that exact binary with --version. This avoids diagnosing one installation while production uses another.
For a reproducible check, record both the full executable path and the complete version line. That pair is more useful than a version number by itself when you are comparing machines or investigating a rendering difference.
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The official downloads page identifies 0.12.6 as the stable series and dates that release to June 11, 2020. That is release context, not a promise that every installed binary will print exactly 0.12.6.
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Operating-system packages and third-party builds can include packaging revisions or other labeling differences. The project’s GitHub repository is archived and read-only; its release information identifies the 0.12.6 tag and refers to 0.12.6 r1 releases in the packaging repository for binaries. Treat the text printed by your own executable as the authoritative answer to “what version is installed?”
When your output does not say 0.12.6
- Keep the complete output, including any revision suffix.
- Identify the executable path resolved by the shell and the path configured by the application.
- Determine how that binary was installed and which operating-system or architecture package supplied it.
- Compare the binary’s output with the release label used by that distribution rather than deleting the suffix or assuming the installation is broken.
A mismatch is usually an installation-source or path question first. Do not replace a working binary solely because its packaging label is not identical to the upstream stable-series wording.
What to do when wkhtmltopdf is not found
“Command not found” on macOS or Linux
If the shell says that wkhtmltopdf cannot be found, either the program is not installed or its directory is not on PATH. Confirm that an installation exists, then add its directory to the environment used by the command or invoke the executable using its full path. Run the version command again after changing the environment.
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In Command Prompt or PowerShell, the equivalent message means Windows could not resolve the command. Verify that wkhtmltopdf is installed, check the executable location with the Windows path tools, and add the containing directory to the appropriate PATH if you want to call it by name. Open a new terminal after changing PATH so it receives the updated value.
The downloads page does not match your installation
The project’s downloads page lists packages by operating system, distribution, and architecture. Expected installation locations therefore vary. Use the package’s actual executable location and inspect its output rather than assuming a single universal path.
Confirm capabilities after checking the version
Version identification and feature discovery are separate checks. To see the command help generated by your installed build, run:
wkhtmltopdf -HReview that help when a script depends on a particular switch. A version string alone does not show which wrapper, patched build, or distribution packaging choices surround the executable.
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- Run
wkhtmltopdf --versionand save the complete line. - Run the platform-specific path lookup and save the resolved location.
- Run the resolved executable directly with
--version. - Run
wkhtmltopdf -Hif you need to verify an option used by an automation script. - Record the operating system, architecture, installation source, and the application or service that invokes wkhtmltopdf.
This record makes it possible to distinguish a real version difference from two processes simply using different binaries.
Security warning for server-side use
wkhtmltopdf converts HTML through its Qt WebKit-based command-line engine. The project’s downloads documentation warns: “Do not use wkhtmltopdf with any untrusted HTML – be sure to sanitize any user-supplied HTML/JS, otherwise it can lead to complete takeover of the server on which you run it!”
Apply that warning to any service that accepts templates, URLs, HTML fragments, JavaScript, cookies, or other document input from users. Sanitize and constrain input before handing it to wkhtmltopdf, and isolate the conversion process according to your server’s security requirements. Checking the version does not make untrusted conversion safe.
Or skip the browser setup
If your underlying goal is to obtain a clean webpage image or PDF rather than verify a local wkhtmltopdf installation, ScreenshotNeo provides a hosted screenshot API and MCP server. It is not a version-check command and does not replace a binary that your application specifically requires, but it can remove the need to maintain a browser capture setup.
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One GET request returns an image or PDF. For example, this cURL request saves a WebP screenshot:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for parameters and response details. The equivalent Python request is:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)In Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);Why this is different from a bare browser capture
- Before capture, it accepts the cookie or consent banner like a visitor and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be turned off.
- Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Response headers identify the page verdict and whether the request was billed.
- An MCP server exposes
take_screenshot,get_page_info, andcapture_pdffor Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. - The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; every feature is available on every plan, and yearly billing gives two months free.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting version checks
The command prints a version, but the application behaves differently
Check the application’s configured executable path and environment. Invoke that exact binary with --version; do not rely on the result from an interactive shell running under a different account.
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There are several version lines on the machine
Use command -v, where, or Get-Command to enumerate resolutions, then run each reported executable directly. Remove ambiguity by configuring one known path for the service or documenting which copy is intentional.
The output includes a revision suffix
Keep the suffix. Distribution packages and packaging-repository builds can label binaries differently from the upstream 0.12.6 stable-series name. The installed executable’s complete output is the relevant value for your machine.
The command fails after an installation
Recheck the installation’s operating-system, distribution, and architecture package, verify that the executable exists, and refresh the terminal environment after changing PATH. If necessary, execute the binary by its full path to separate a missing installation from a path-resolution problem.
A conversion service accepts user HTML
Stop treating a version check as a security control. Follow the project warning: sanitize and constrain user-supplied HTML and JavaScript before conversion, and design the service so untrusted content cannot take over the host.
Quick Recap
Quick checklist
- Run
wkhtmltopdf --versionorwkhtmltopdf -V. - Record the complete output, including revisions.
- Resolve the executable path with the tool for your operating system.
- Check the exact binary used by any service or application.
- Use
wkhtmltopdf -Hto inspect available options. - Interpret 0.12.6 as the upstream stable-series context dated June 11, 2020, not as a required text for every package.
- Sanitize untrusted HTML and JavaScript before server-side conversion.
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