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Troubleshooting

  1. Check a PDF Template is selected on the listing type. Without one the engine never loads, and the link has nothing to trigger. This is by far the most common cause.
  2. Check you're on a listing page. Generation runs on vehicle detail pages, where a listing is in context.
  3. Check the browser console for script errors. Another plugin's JavaScript error on the page can stop the engine initialising.
  4. Confirm the extension is active in DMS → Extensions, and that your license is Starter or higher.

Generation is slow

It runs in the visitor's browser, so speed depends on their device and on how much work the template asks for.

  • Lower the Resolution. Ultra (3×) is several times the work of High (2×). Most printed brochures look fine at High.
  • Lower Image Quality from 100% to 90%.
  • Shorten the template. Every extra page is another capture.
  • Test on a mid-range phone, not just your desktop, if your traffic is mostly mobile.

Generation fails on mobile but works on desktop

Usually memory. High resolutions on a long template can exceed what a phone browser will allocate.

Drop Resolution to Medium or High and try again. If your audience is mostly mobile, size the settings for the weakest device you care about.

The PDF looks different from the template preview

The preview shows the layout in a browser; the PDF is a fixed-size page. Differences usually come from:

  • Page size mismatch. A layout designed at screen width paginates awkwardly on Letter or A4. Design to the page size you've selected.
  • Full-bleed margins. With Page Margin set to None, content runs to the sheet edge — which most home printers can't reproduce, so they scale or trim it.
  • Elements that don't translate. Interactive elements have no print equivalent. See widget overrides.

Images are missing or blurry

  • Blurry — raise Resolution, and check the source images are large enough. An image displayed small on screen looks soft when captured at 2× for print.
  • Missing — often externally hosted images that can't be captured. Images served from your own site are safest.
  • Stale map images — use Clear Map Image Directory under PDF Actions, then download again.

Text can't be selected in the PDF

Selectable Text is off in Settings. Turn it on to overlay the invisible text layer.

If it's already on but selection is misaligned, that's the known limitation with non-latin scripts — the overlay is positioned for latin-script text. Turning it off gives a clean image-only PDF.

The filename is wrong

Filename Template in Settings controls it, defaulting to [dms_title]. Don't add .pdf — that's appended automatically, and including it produces name.pdf.pdf.

If a dynamic tag comes through as literal text, check it's a tag DMS recognises for that listing type.

The QR code won't scan

  • Increase the size. Below about 150px, phone cameras struggle with a printed code.
  • Increase contrast. Dark code on a light background. Brand colours are a common cause of unscannable codes.
  • Give it white space. A code pressed against text or a border often fails to register.
  • Test the printed sheet. Screen scanning is far more forgiving than paper.

Check the element's Encodes setting. Listing URL links to the vehicle; Custom value uses whatever you typed, and stays fixed across every listing using that template.

Changes to the template aren't showing

PDFs are built fresh on each download, so there's no PDF cache to clear — but the template itself may be cached.

  • Re-save the template.
  • Clear any page cache.
  • Confirm you edited the template currently selected in Settings, rather than another one.

Pages break in awkward places

Pagination is automatic, based on the page size and margin.

Restructure the template so content sits in blocks that fit a page — a large element straddling a boundary is what forces a bad break. Adjusting Page Margin or switching page size also changes where breaks land.

The file is too large to email

Lower Image Quality to 85% or 80%, and drop Resolution to High or Medium. Both compound, so changing each has a bigger effect than changing one.

Fewer or smaller images in the template is the other lever.