🌐 HTML to PDF Evidence Renderer

Renders each HTML document or permitted public URL to a hashed, print-pinned PDF evidence artifact: page count, resource-failure ledger, input+output SHA-256, final URL, and an honest COMPLETE / PARTIAL usability label. Deterministic settings, no login or cookies.

Output is one pdf_render_evidence row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one html to pdf evidence renderer verdict (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.05 per html to pdf evidence renderer verdict).

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run SMA1KXGIWMBpjlUwj on build 0.1.4 (2026-09-17), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

final_url	pdf_key	render_label	browser	browser_version
about:blank (inline HTML)	pdf-0-html	COMPLETE	chromium	153.0.8010.12
https://example.com/	pdf-1-url	COMPLETE	chromium	153.0.8010.12

The run finished with the status message: 2 item(s): 2 usable PDF artifact(s) charged, 0 unbilled (unusable/blocked/unreachable/unparseable) | pdf_render_check charged=2

✅ What you get

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is null):

• input_type (string/null) — e.g. html
• source_ref (string/null) — e.g. <h1>Evidence</h1><p>Rendered deterministically for QA.</p>
• final_url (string/null) — e.g. about:blank (inline HTML)
• http_status (integer/string/null) — e.g. 200
• pdf_key (string/null) — e.g. pdf-0-html
• pdf_bytes (integer/string/null) — e.g. 13887
• page_count (integer/string/null) — e.g. 1
• input_sha256 (string/null) — e.g. 5995dce6313eb902d9cc3a56607c7d2581e0f14d49e2c7e01a29c0d00111863a
• output_sha256 (string/null) — e.g. f64370f57eda8a719c74c405e11b1dbc825d984483c67fe3704aaea7bc45df05
• print_format (string/null) — e.g. A4
• print_settings (string/null) — e.g. {"format":"A4","print_background":true,"margin":{"top":"12mm","bottom":"12mm","l
• resource_failures (string/null) — null in every sample row
• resource_failure_count (integer/string/null) — e.g. 0
• render_label (string/null) — e.g. COMPLETE
• browser (string/null) — e.g. chromium
• browser_version (string/null) — e.g. 153.0.8010.12
• render_timestamp (string/null) — e.g. 2026-09-17T17:27:49.282709+00:00
• render_warnings (string/null) — null in every sample row
• faults (string/null) — null in every sample row
• record_type (string) — e.g. pdf_render_evidence
• source (string/null) — e.g. buyer-submitted HTML or permitted public URLs
• outcome (string/null) — e.g. answer
• input (string/null) — e.g. <h1>Evidence</h1><p>Rendered deterministically for QA.</p>
• outcome_reason (string/null) — null in every sample row
• observed_at (string/null) — null in every sample row
• terminal (string/null) — null in every sample row

Output & billing

One row per item. A render bills once if and only if it produced a valid, openable PDF of at least one page. COMPLETE = valid PDF with zero resource failures; PARTIAL = valid, openable, paginated PDF that had one or more resource failures (a missing image/font) — still genuinely usable, so it bills. A render that never produced an openable PDF is labelled UNUSABLE and never bills; a blocked or unreachable URL never bills. Push-then-charge: every row is delivered before its charge, so a billing hiccup can only ever undercharge.

⚙️ Sample inputs

1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)

{
  "sources": [
    "<h1>Evidence</h1><p>Rendered deterministically for QA.</p>",
    "https://example.com/"
  ],
  "format": "A4",
  "maxItems": 10
}

The sample run charged exactly: 2 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 2 × $0.05 pdf_render_check = $0.14 on the Free tier — every delivered row was billed.

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "sources": [
    "<h1>Evidence</h1><p>Rendered deterministically for QA.</p>",
    "https://example.com/"
  ],
  "format": "A4",
  "maxItems": 5
}

Caps the run at 5 rows — about $0.27 on the Free tier ($0.02 start + 5 × $0.05). format narrows what the source is asked for.

3. A full-size run

{
  "sources": [
    "<h1>Evidence</h1><p>Rendered deterministically for QA.</p>",
    "https://example.com/"
  ],
  "format": "A4",
  "maxItems": 10
}

Up to 10 rows (the schema default for maxItems) — about $0.52 on the Free tier ($0.02 start + 10 × $0.05) if the source has that many.

🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run SMA1KXGIWMBpjlUwj, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "input_type": "html",
  "source_ref": "<h1>Evidence</h1><p>Rendered deterministically for QA.</p>",
  "final_url": "about:blank (inline HTML)",
  "http_status": null,
  "pdf_key": "pdf-0-html",
  "pdf_bytes": 13887,
  "page_count": 1,
  "input_sha256": "5995dce6313eb902d9cc3a56607c7d2581e0f14d49e2c7e01a29c0d00111863a",
  "output_sha256": "f64370f57eda8a719c74c405e11b1dbc825d984483c67fe3704aaea7bc45df05",
  "print_format": "A4",
  "print_settings": "{\"format\":\"A4\",\"print_background\":true,\"margin\":{\"top\":\"12mm\",\"bottom\":\"12mm\",\"left\":\"12mm\",\"right\":\"12mm\"},\"prefer_css_page_size\":false,\"scale\":1.0}",
  "resource_failures": null,
  "resource_failure_count": 0,
  "render_label": "COMPLETE",
  "browser": "chromium",
  "browser_version": "153.0.8010.12",
  "render_timestamp": "2026-09-17T17:27:49.282709+00:00",
  "render_warnings": null,
  "faults": null,
  "record_type": "pdf_render_evidence",
  "source": "buyer-submitted HTML or permitted public URLs",
  "outcome": "answer",
  "input": "<h1>Evidence</h1><p>Rendered deterministically for QA.</p>",
  "outcome_reason": null
}

🔧 How it works

Transport. Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. A headless browser renders the page. robots.txt is read first and a disallowed path is never fetched. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent.

Terminal states. A run ends NORMAL, CAPPED (your cap was reached), PARTIAL (something was withheld and the message says what), GENUINE_EMPTY (the source was read and truly had nothing in scope) or BLOCKED (the source refused or changed shape — the run FAILS loud and bills nothing). A zero-row run is never reported as a silent success.

Charging. Each html to pdf evidence renderer verdict is charged at the moment it is pushed (pdf_render_check); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count.

What you submit

sources — html strings or permitted public urls. Each item is either an inline HTML document (recognized by a leading '<' or a data:text/html URL) or a permitted public http(s) URL. URL items pass the per-origin runtime gate (robots + SSRF) before any fetch. Per item ONE hashed PDF artifact (stored in the run key-value store) with pinned print settings, page count, resource-failure list, input+output SHA-256, final URL, and an honest COMPLETE / PARTIAL label. Deterministic fonts, bounded resources, no login/cookies. A PARTIAL render bills ONLY when the artifact is a valid, openable PDF of at least one page; a render that fails to produce a usable PDF, or a blocked/unreachable URL, never bills.

The runtime source gate (per submitted target)

You choose the targets, so the source contract is enforced at run time — for every URL-mode item (inline HTML is rendered locally and is not fetched) — per origin, before any page is read:

• robots.txt fetched once per origin and honored; no robots / 404 = permitted, a disallowed path or an unavailable/forbidden robots file = BLOCKED.
• SSRF guard — every host is resolved and must be public; private, loopback, link-local, reserved and cloud-metadata addresses are refused before a socket opens.
• HTTP — 403 / 429 / 5xx = BLOCKED; DNS / timeout / connection faults = UNREACHABLE.

A BLOCKED or UNREACHABLE target is delivered as an unbilled status row — never a broken-site verdict, and never charged.

Why this and not the obvious alternative

a hashed, print-pinned PDF evidence artifact per HTML/URL with an honest COMPLETE/PARTIAL usability label and a resource-failure ledger — not a screenshot API and not an unbounded website-to-PDF crawler.

What is not done. No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data.

💰 Pricing example

Event	Free	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Actor Start (apify-actor-start)	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02
HTML to PDF Evidence Renderer verdict (pdf_render_check)	$0.05	$0.04	$0.04	$0.03

Worked at the live Free-tier price:

• 2 html to pdf evidence renderer verdicts: $0.02 start + 2 × $0.05 = $0.12
• 10 html to pdf evidence renderer verdicts: $0.02 start + 10 × $0.05 = $0.52
• 25 html to pdf evidence renderer verdicts: $0.02 start + 25 × $0.05 = $1.27

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee only. A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 2048 MB.

Yield on the sample run: 2 item(s): 2 usable PDF artifact(s) charged, 0 unbilled (unusable/blocked/unreachable/unparseable) | pdf_render_check charged=2. maxItems is a hard ceiling on what is delivered and billed, never a target.

⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public data only. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, keeps to the source's robots rules (checked on every run), identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key or a login?
A: No. the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input; BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee only.

Q: How many rows can one run return?
A: Up to maxItems (default 10). Raise the cap for a bigger run; you pay per delivered row.

Q: How fresh is the data?
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

Q: What formats can I export?
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

Q: How is this different from the other web QA and enrichment tools actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers HTML to PDF Evidence Renderer. The siblings under Related Actors cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

Q: Are there rate limits?
A: The actor paces itself against the source and honours its robots rules; there is no per-buyer limit beyond your Apify plan's concurrency.

🆘 Troubleshooting

• Run FAILED with BLOCKED → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
• Status says CAPPED → your cap (maxItems) was reached → raise it for a bigger run.
• Input validation error on start → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
• Run TIMED-OUT → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.

🔗 Related Actors

• Brand Asset Pack — Give it a list of company domains; it returns one CRM-ready record per domain describing
• Contact Evidence Enricher — Give it a list of company domains; it returns one CRM-ready record per domain describing
• Crossref DOI Metadata QA — A per-DOI QA verdict from official Crossref metadata — each DOI returns valid, not_found, or metadata_incomplete with every missing required field na…
• Internal Link Architecture Verifier — Runs a bounded same-origin crawl unioned with your sitemap, builds the internal link graph, and returns one evidenced verdict per page: orphan-from-s…
• Marketing Stack Enricher — Give it a list of company domains; it returns one CRM-ready record per domain describing
• PDF Text Intake Auditor — Judges whether a PDF is ingestible before you spend on extraction: text-layer presence, page count, encryption, scan likelihood, per-page text densit…
• 🏢 About NexGenData — NexGen Watch is NexGenData's fleet of 256 public monitoring and lookup actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

⭐ Found this useful?

If this actor saved you a manual check, a quick review on the Apify Store helps other teams find it. Feature request or a source that changed? Open it from the Issues tab — every one is read.