Generate a PDF

Export any webpage or HTML content as a PDF using Browserless.

Prerequisites

• A Browserless API token from your account dashboard

Steps

AI Agent

Use the Browserless MCP server to generate a PDF from any MCP-compatible AI agent (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, etc.).

One prompt that installs the Browserless MCP server and runs this example. Paste it into your AI agent.

1. Connect the MCP server

Send this prompt to your AI agent to install the Browserless MCP server:

Go to https://github.com/browserless/browserless-mcp/blob/main/install.md
and follow the instructions to install the Browserless MCP server
for my client.

2. Generate a PDF

Use browserless_smartscraper. It captures the page as a PDF in one call with automatic bot-protection handling.

Use the browserless_smartscraper tool to generate a full-page
PDF of https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report and save it as output.pdf

REST API

Use the /pdf REST endpoint to generate a PDF from a URL. No WebSocket connection needed.

Video Tutorial

Visual learner? Check out this video Generate PDFs from HTML with Puppeteer or API for a step-by-step tutorial.

cURL

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Build the request

Append your token to the PDF endpoint:

https://production-sfo.browserless.io/pdf?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE

2. Send the request

curl -X POST \
  "https://production-sfo.browserless.io/pdf?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE" \
  -H 'Cache-Control: no-cache' \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report",
    "options": {
      "displayHeaderFooter": true,
      "printBackground": true,
      "format": "A4"
    }
  }' \
  -o output.pdf

3. Check the output

The response is a raw PDF binary written to output.pdf in the current directory.

JavaScript

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Send the request

import fs from 'fs';

const response = await fetch(
  'https://production-sfo.browserless.io/pdf?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Cache-Control': 'no-cache',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      url: 'https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report',
      options: {
        displayHeaderFooter: true,
        printBackground: true,
        format: 'A4',
      },
    }),
  }
);

const buffer = await response.arrayBuffer();
fs.writeFileSync('output.pdf', Buffer.from(buffer));

2. Check the output

Run the script with node pdf.mjs. The file output.pdf will appear in the current directory.

Python

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Install dependencies

pip install requests

2. Send the request

import requests

response = requests.post(
    'https://production-sfo.browserless.io/pdf?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE',
    headers={'Cache-Control': 'no-cache', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
    json={
        'url': 'https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report',
        'options': {
            'displayHeaderFooter': True,
            'printBackground': True,
            'format': 'A4',
        },
    },
)

with open('output.pdf', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(response.content)

3. Check the output

Run the script with python pdf.py. The file output.pdf will appear in the current directory.

Java

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Send the request

import java.io.*;
import java.net.URI;
import java.net.http.*;

String token = "YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE";
String endpoint = "https://production-sfo.browserless.io/pdf?token=" + token;

String jsonData = """
    {
        "url": "https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report",
        "options": {
            "displayHeaderFooter": true,
            "printBackground": true,
            "format": "A4"
        }
    }
""";

HttpClient client = HttpClient.newHttpClient();
HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
    .uri(URI.create(endpoint))
    .header("Cache-Control", "no-cache")
    .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
    .POST(HttpRequest.BodyPublishers.ofString(jsonData))
    .build();

HttpResponse<InputStream> response = client.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofInputStream());
try (FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream("output.pdf")) {
    response.body().transferTo(fos);
}
System.out.println("PDF saved as output.pdf");

2. Check the output

Run the class. The file output.pdf will appear in the current directory.

C#

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Send the request

using System.IO;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;
using System.Text.Json;

string token = "YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE";
string endpoint = $"https://production-sfo.browserless.io/pdf?token={token}";

var payload = new
{
    url = "https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report",
    options = new { displayHeaderFooter = true, printBackground = true, format = "A4" },
};

using (HttpClient httpClient = new HttpClient())
{
    var request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, endpoint);
    request.Headers.Add("Cache-Control", "no-cache");
    request.Content = new StringContent(JsonSerializer.Serialize(payload), Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");

    var response = await httpClient.SendAsync(request);
    var contentStream = await response.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync();
    using (var fileStream = new FileStream("output.pdf", FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write))
    {
        await contentStream.CopyToAsync(fileStream);
    }
    Console.WriteLine("PDF saved as output.pdf");
}

2. Check the output

Run the program. The file output.pdf will appear in the current directory.

Frameworks

Use a browser connection when you need to interact with the page or wait for dynamic content before generating the PDF.

Video Tutorial

Visual learner? Check out this video Generate PDFs from HTML with Puppeteer or API for a step-by-step tutorial.

Puppeteer

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Install dependencies

npm install puppeteer-core

2. Connect and generate

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer-core';
import fs from 'fs';

const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
  browserWSEndpoint: 'wss://production-sfo.browserless.io?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE',
});

try {
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.goto('https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report', { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });

  const pdf = await page.pdf({
    format: 'A4',
    printBackground: true,
    displayHeaderFooter: true,
  });

  fs.writeFileSync('output.pdf', pdf);
} finally {
  // Always close to release the session even on error.
  await browser.close();
}

3. Check the output

Run the script with node pdf.mjs. The file output.pdf will appear in the current directory.

Playwright

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Install dependencies

npm install playwright-core

2. Connect and generate

import { chromium } from 'playwright-core';
import fs from 'fs';

const browser = await chromium.connect(
  'wss://production-sfo.browserless.io/chromium/playwright?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE'
);

try {
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.goto('https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });

  const pdf = await page.pdf({
    format: 'A4',
    printBackground: true,
    displayHeaderFooter: true,
  });

  fs.writeFileSync('output.pdf', pdf);
} finally {
  // Always close to release the session even on error.
  await browser.close();
}

3. Check the output

Run the script with node pdf.mjs. The file output.pdf will appear in the current directory.

BAP

1. Install dependencies

npm install @browserless.io/bap-ts

2. Connect and generate

import Browserless from '@browserless.io/bap-ts';

const browser = Browserless.connect({
  browserWSEndpoint: 'wss://production-sfo.browserless.io/chromium/bql',
  token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN_HERE',
});

try {
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.goto('https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report');

  // `path` writes the file directly, so no fs call is needed in Node.js.
  await page.pdf({
    path: 'output.pdf',
    format: 'a4',
    printBackground: true,
    displayHeaderFooter: true,
  });
} finally {
  // Always close to release the session even on error.
  await browser.close();
}

3. Check the output

Run the script with node pdf.mjs. The file output.pdf will appear in the current directory.

BQL

View Full Code on GitHub

1. Write the mutation

Navigate to the URL and generate a PDF in one operation:

mutation PDF {
  goto(url: "https://scraping-sandbox.netlify.app/dashboard-report") {
    status
  }

  pdf(format: a4, printBackground: true, displayHeaderFooter: true) {
    base64
  }
}

2. Run it

Paste into the BQL IDE and click Run.

3. Check the output

The response includes a base64-encoded PDF. Each example above decodes it and saves it as output.pdf.

{
  "data": {
    "goto": { "status": 200 },
    "pdf": { "base64": "JVBERi0xLjQ..." }
  }
}

Next steps

Take a Screenshot

capture the page as an image instead

Scrape Structured Data

extract data from the page

Fill and Submit a Form

automate form interactions before generating a PDF