Export to PDF with Puppeteer

Overview

Exporting scraped data in PDF (Portable Document Format) format using Puppeteer allows us to generate PDF documents encapsulating the scraped information. PDF is a widely supported and versatile format for sharing and presenting documents.

When exporting scraped data in PDF format, Puppeteer enables us to customize the PDF document’s content, formatting, and layout, making it suitable for various use cases.

When to use it

Here are some situations where using PDFs for exporting scraped data is advantageous:

• Report generation: Exporting scraped data in PDF format is ideal for generating reports that contain the scraped information. PDF documents offer a professional and standardized layout, making them suitable for sharing or presenting data in a structured and printable format.

• Data documentation: If we need to document the scraped data, exporting it in PDF format provides a concise and self-contained document. PDFs preserve the information’s layout, styling, and formatting, making them effective for archiving, sharing, or distributing data documentation.

• Presentations and proposals: PDF format is commonly used for presentations, proposals, or project deliverables. Exporting scraped data in PDF format allows us to create professional-looking documents that combine the scraped information with additional content, such as visualizations, analyses, or explanations.

• Legal compliance: In cases where legal compliance is necessary, exporting scraped data in PDF format can be advantageous. PDFs offer features like digital signatures, password protection, and secure document properties, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of the information.

• Data interchange: PDF format serves as a platform-independent data interchange format. If we need to share the scraped data with others who may not have access to the original web pages, exporting it in PDF format ensures the data is accessible and viewable across different devices and operating systems.

• Printing and offline access: Exporting scraped data in PDF format allows us to print or access the information offline without needing an internet connection. PDFs can be easily saved, viewed, and printed using widely available software.

Export to PDF in Puppeteer

We can use Puppeteer’s built-in pdf function to create PDF files. We can pass several configurations to that function to control its behavior. Most commonly, the path configuration is used to define the location where the file gets created, and the format configuration is used to define the page layout.

In addition to these configurations, there are many others that we can use to control the PDF file, like footerTemplate, headerTemplate, height, margins, etc. Let’s see how to implement this in the code snippet below: