Webpages are living things. They reflow, they go behind a paywall, they get redesigned, they disappear. Converting a page to PDF freezes it — which is sometimes exactly what you want.
What the conversion actually does
HTML describes content; the browser decides how to render it. A PDF takes a single rendering and bakes it in: same layout, same fonts, same pixel positions, forever.
A good conversion strips out ads and navigation, keeps the body content readable, and outputs a file that looks the same on any device.
When to reach for it
- Archiving. The page might change. Your copy doesn't.
- Sharing. Not everyone can open a link behind your SSO or on your intranet.
- Printing. Browser "print this page" rarely works well. A proper PDF does.
- Paper trails. Receipts, confirmations, T&Cs at a specific point in time.
How, in Formatly
- Open /convert/html-to-pdf.
- Upload an
.htmlfile or save the webpage first and drop that. - Click Convert, download the PDF.
A few non-obvious tips
- If a page has infinite scroll, save it as a single HTML file first — the conversion only sees what's in the file.
- For pages that load content via JavaScript, print-to-PDF from the browser and drop that in instead.
- Lock the date into the filename so future-you knows exactly when you captured it.