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Edit the rendered page in Puppeteer’s browser context, wait for every asynchronous change your page requires, and only then call page.pdf(). Puppeteer uses print CSS by default; switch to screen CSS explicitly when the PDF should match the on-screen design.
The reliable edit-then-PDF workflow
A PDF captures the page state that exists when page.pdf() runs. The dependable sequence is therefore:
- Create a page and either navigate to a URL with
page.goto()or load supplied markup withpage.setContent(). - Make the content, attribute, or style changes inside the page with
page.evaluate(),$eval(), or$$eval(). - Await application rendering, data loading, font readiness, or other work that must finish before printing.
- Choose print or screen media and configure the PDF options.
- Call
page.pdf()and close the browser after the file has been written.
page.evaluate() runs in the browser context. If its callback returns a promise, Puppeteer waits for that promise, so an asynchronous callback is the right place to wait for an edit that your own code triggers.
A complete Node.js example
The following script navigates to a page, changes its heading and introductory text, removes a promotional element when it exists, waits for a page-specific readiness marker, and creates a PDF. Replace the URL and selectors with those from your page.
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const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', {
waitUntil: 'networkidle2',
timeout: 90000
});
await page.evaluate(async () => {
const heading = document.querySelector('h1');
if (heading) heading.textContent = 'Updated heading';
const intro = document.querySelector('.intro');
if (intro) {
intro.textContent = 'Text prepared for the PDF.';
}
const promotion = document.querySelector('[data-promotion]');
if (promotion) promotion.remove();
// Await application-specific work here if your edit starts any.
// For example, wait for a readiness marker set by page code:
await new Promise(resolve => {
if (document.documentElement.dataset.pdfReady === 'true') {
resolve();
return;
}
const observer = new MutationObserver(() => {
if (document.documentElement.dataset.pdfReady === 'true') {
observer.disconnect();
resolve();
}
});
observer.observe(document.documentElement, {
attributes: true,
attributeFilter: ['data-pdf-ready']
});
});
});
// page.pdf() uses print CSS unless you select another media type.
// await page.emulateMediaType('screen');
await page.pdf({
path: 'output.pdf',
format: 'A4',
printBackground: true,
waitForFonts: true,
margin: {
top: '18mm',
right: '16mm',
bottom: '18mm',
left: '16mm'
}
});
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();The readiness example is deliberately page-specific. If your page has no asynchronous work after the edit, do not add an artificial wait. If a selector is optional, test the result of querySelector() as shown. By contrast, $eval() is useful when the selector must exist and you want a callback for the first match; a missing selector produces an error, which can be desirable when a missing element means the page is invalid.
Editing content safely in the page context
Change text without rebuilding the document
Use textContent for plain text. It treats the value as text rather than interpreting it as markup.
await page.evaluate(() => {
const title = document.querySelector('[data-pdf-title]');
if (!title) throw new Error('Required title element was not found');
title.textContent = 'Quarterly operations report';
});Use innerHTML only when you intentionally control the markup being inserted. For a collection of elements, $$eval() receives all matching nodes in one callback:
await page.$$eval('.temporary-note', notes => {
for (const note of notes) note.remove();
});Change attributes, classes, and visibility
await page.evaluate(() => {
const logo = document.querySelector('img.logo');
if (logo) {
logo.setAttribute('alt', 'Company logo');
logo.classList.add('pdf-logo');
}
document.querySelectorAll('[data-hide-in-pdf]').forEach(node => {
node.remove();
});
});Removing a node is usually more deterministic than relying on a later stylesheet rule. If the element must remain in the document for layout or scripts, add a class instead and define the corresponding print rule.
Inject a focused style change
page.addStyleTag() can add CSS without changing the site’s source files. This is useful for a one-off print treatment:
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await page.addStyleTag({
content: `
.pdf-only-banner { display: block !important; }
.screen-only-control { display: none !important; }
h1 { color: #111 !important; }
`
});Apply the style before generating the PDF. Remember that the final result still depends on whether the page is using print or screen media at that moment.
Wait for application updates, not just navigation
waitUntil: 'networkidle2' helps navigation settle, but it cannot know when your application has finished a client-side render, an API-driven replacement, or a chart update. Put the relevant wait in an asynchronous page.evaluate() callback, or wait for a page condition that identifies completion. A fixed delay can be useful for a known animation, but a readiness condition is less likely to capture an intermediate state.
await page.evaluate(async () => {
await window.renderReportForPdf();
const report = document.querySelector('#report');
if (!report || report.getAttribute('data-rendered') !== 'true') {
throw new Error('Report did not reach its PDF-ready state');
}
});The callback’s returned promise must represent all work that matters. Starting an asynchronous task without awaiting it lets page.pdf() run too soon.
Printing navigated pages versus supplied HTML
| Starting point | Use | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Existing website | await page.goto(url, options) |
Wait for navigation and then for application-specific rendering before editing. |
| HTML you generate | await page.setContent(html) |
Include the styles, fonts, images, and markup required by the supplied document before editing. |
Choose navigation when the page’s own scripts and assets are part of the document. Choose setContent() when your program already owns the HTML and wants a controlled starting document.
Control the PDF’s media, paper, and pagination
page.pdf() uses the print CSS media type by default. That means a stylesheet’s @media print rules can hide navigation, change colors, or rearrange content. If the PDF should follow the screen stylesheet instead, select screen media immediately before creating the file:
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await page.emulateMediaType('screen');
await page.pdf({ path: 'screen-styled.pdf', printBackground: true });The principal PDF controls are:
| Option or method | What it controls | Default or caveat |
|---|---|---|
emulateMediaType('screen') |
Selects screen CSS rather than print CSS. | Print media is used by default. |
printBackground |
Includes background colors and images. | Defaults to false; set true when those graphics matter. |
waitForFonts |
Waits for fonts before output. | Font waiting is enabled by default. |
format |
Named paper size such as Letter or A4. | Letter is the default when no other size is selected. |
width and height |
Explicit paper dimensions. | Use when a named format does not match the required sheet. |
margin |
Top, right, bottom, and left printable margins. | Specify units such as mm, in, or px. |
landscape |
Rotates the page orientation. | Useful for wide tables and dashboards. |
scale |
Scales rendered content on the sheet. | Changing it affects how much content fits on each page. |
pageRanges |
Limits output to selected page ranges. | Useful after you have verified the full document’s pagination. |
preferCSSPageSize |
Lets CSS @page sizing take precedence. |
Use when the document’s stylesheet defines the authoritative paper size. |
timeout |
Sets the PDF operation’s timeout. | Increase it only when slow rendering is expected and diagnosed. |
Browsers may adjust colors for print. When exact color reproduction is important, the PDF documentation points to the CSS property -webkit-print-color-adjust. Set it in the stylesheet that is active for the selected media type, and still enable printBackground when backgrounds must be emitted.
CSS page sizing and layout decisions
There are two independent decisions: which CSS media rules apply and which source defines the paper dimensions. Let the PDF options define the size when the calling program owns the output contract. Let @page define it when the document’s CSS is designed for a particular paper size, and enable preferCSSPageSize so that definition wins.
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Troubleshooting common failures
The PDF contains the old text
Most often, the edit ran against the wrong selector or an asynchronous render replaced it afterward. Verify the selector inside page.evaluate(), perform the edit after the page’s own render, and await the readiness condition that represents the final DOM.
An optional element causes the script to fail
$eval() expects a match. Use document.querySelector() and an explicit null check when absence is valid, or use $$eval() when zero or more matches are expected.
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The PDF looks different from the browser
Check media first: print CSS is the default. Call await page.emulateMediaType('screen') when screen rules are intended. Then check printBackground, print-only selectors, color adjustment, margins, and scale.
Fonts or icons are missing
Keep waitForFonts: true (the default), make sure the page has reached the state in which the font is requested, and avoid generating the PDF while the application is still replacing fallback text or icons. If a custom readiness signal exists, await it before page.pdf().
The output is blank or incomplete
Confirm that navigation or setContent() completed, that the edit did not remove the main container, and that your asynchronous callback actually awaits its work. A navigation-idle event alone does not guarantee that client-side data has been rendered.
Background artwork is absent
Set printBackground: true. If the artwork is still missing, inspect the active print stylesheet and verify that the resource has loaded before PDF generation.
Pages break in awkward places
Adjust margins, scale, orientation, and the relevant print CSS. If only a known subset is needed, use pageRanges after checking the full document. For a document with deliberate CSS paper sizing, use preferCSSPageSize.
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Performance and reliability practices
- Use a specific readiness condition instead of an unnecessarily long fixed delay.
- Keep DOM edits in one evaluation block when they belong to the same state transition, then generate the PDF once.
- Fail explicitly for required selectors and handle optional selectors without exceptions.
- Choose
networkidle2or another navigation wait appropriate to the page, then add the application-level wait that navigation cannot provide. - Set a PDF timeout that reflects the page’s real asset and rendering time; increasing it does not fix a selector or readiness bug.
- Record the media type, paper settings, margins, scale, and page ranges with the job so that a later run can reproduce the same layout.
Puppeteer itself does not impose a per-document PDF price in this workflow; your practical costs are the browser runtime and the infrastructure that runs it. Measure rendering time and memory in your own environment rather than assuming that a network-idle event predicts total completion.
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import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com"}, timeout=90)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`ScreenshotNeo returned ${res.status}`);
const data = Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer());
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Final production checklist
- Confirm the page source: navigation or
setContent(). - Confirm required selectors before editing.
- Await all application-specific rendering started by the page or by your edit.
- Select print or screen media deliberately.
- Choose paper size, margins, orientation, scale, and CSS page sizing intentionally.
- Enable backgrounds when the design depends on them and keep font waiting enabled.
- Generate the PDF only after the final DOM and styles are ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use both DOM edits and injected CSS in one PDF job?
Yes. Apply the DOM changes in the page context, add any temporary stylesheet, wait for the resulting state, and then call page.pdf(). The order matters because the PDF reflects the page as it exists at print time.
When should CSS @page control the paper size?
Use it when the document stylesheet is the authoritative layout definition, and set preferCSSPageSize so that CSS sizing takes precedence over the PDF format or dimensions.
What does Puppeteer wait for automatically before printing?
Fonts are awaited by default. Other application work is not inferred automatically; navigation and your own asynchronous rendering still need an explicit readiness strategy.
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