How to Convert Web Pages and Websites to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac)

This tutorial shows how to convert web pages and websites to PDFs in Adobe Acrobat.

Why Not Use a Browser Plug-in?

You can use a browser plug-in to convert individual web pages to PDFs. However, Adobe Acrobat lets you convert individual web pages and entire websites to PDFs while offering more control over the process.

This tutorial’s companion video shows all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 200 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. These steps also apply to Adobe Acrobat 2020 and Adobe Acrobat 2017. In addition, the steps are the same for PC and Mac. Adobe’s free PDF display software, Acrobat Reader, doesn’t offer a way to convert web pages or websites to PDFs.

How to Convert Web Pages and Websites to PDFs

Select the File menu.

File menu in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 1. File menu

Select Create from the drop-down menu.

Create option in the File menu in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 2. Create option

Select PDF from Web Page from the submenu.

PDF from Web Page option in the Create menu in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 3. PDF from Web Page option

Enter the URL for the web page or website into the text box in the Create PDF from Web Page dialog box.

URL text box in the Create PDF from Web Page dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 4. URL text box

Select the Capture Multiple Levels button.

Capture Multiple Levels button in the Create PDF from Web Page dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 5. Capture Multiple Levels button

Enter the number of levels in the site you want to convert in the Get only text box. (Enter “1” to convert an individual web page.)

Alternatively, select Get entire site. Please see the important notes below before making your decision.

Get only level and Get entire site options in the Create PDF from Web Page dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 6. Get only and Get entire site options

Important Notes about Conversion Capture

The levels are based on the hierarchy of the website. For example, the Home page is usually level 1. Pages linked directly from level 1 are level 2, etc.

Each level will appear as a bookmark in Acrobat’s Bookmark panel.

Only select Get entire site if you know how big the site is because the process of converting large sites can crash Acrobat and your computer.

(Recommended) Select Stay on same path to ensure Acrobat only converts pages directly attached to the URL.

"Stay on same path" option in the Create PDF from Web Page dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 7. Stay on same path option

(Recommended) Select Stay on same server to prevent Acrobat from converting linked content stored on a separate server.

"Stay on same server" option in the Create PDF from Web Page option in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 8. Stay on same server option

(Optional) Select the Settings button for additional options related to page layout and how the HTML code is converted.

Settings button in the Create PDF from Web Page dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 9. Settings button

Select the Create button.

Create button in the Create PDF from Web Page dialog box in Adobe Acrobat — Figure 10. Create button

The Download Status dialog box will show the conversion progress. This process may take several moments depending on the size of the web page or website.