Have a non-blank screen while exports run. #4771

New Issue

OVERLORD · 2026-02-05T09:14:34+03:00

OVERLORD commented

2026-02-05 09:14:34 +03:00

Originally created by @YID-C on GitHub (May 14, 2024).

Describe the feature you'd like

Hi all.

I'm the author behind #4945 and #4946 where I have very large books that contain hundreds of steps and images. Because of this I extended the maximum execution time of my exports as they can take several minutes to complete.

My use case is a bit of an extreme so I encounter it far more frequently, but this also affects regular users and I feel could cause confusion and possibly frustration if not addressed.

Basically, when you do an export, BookStack will open a new tab that will eventually download the exported file. Let's just say we're exporting a .pdf for this example. The issue being the page is completely blank with no indication that anything is happenening. The export usually happens fast enough that the average user shouldn't be looking at it for too long, which is why I believe it has remained this way for so long.

However, I believe it would be a good idea to direct them to some kind of splash/download page that at least states "Your file is being exported and will appear in your downloads once complete", or something to that effect.

Currently, when you do an export and it opens the completely blank tab, it feels as though it's an error or the system has broken somehow. Having used BookStack quite extensively over the past few weeks I'm used to it, even with my long extended export times, but I'm also an I.T. professional and understand what's happenening. Every time I see that page I can't help but think it's going to cause issues for new or unfamiliar users. As I'm quite impressed with BookStack and wish to see the platform succeed, this feature request is my contribution.

See the below screenshot to see what the blank screen looks like. I stare at this for several minutes due to the size of my guides, but even the average user will get this for at least a few seconds.

Describe the benefits this would bring to existing BookStack users

This will help prevent confusion from new an inexperienced users who don't understand the process is running, even if it doesn't look like it is. If a moving element such as a .gif etc is incorporated it would also assist experienced users know when there has been a problem (freeze/lockup) or the export is just taking awhile.

Can the goal of this request already be achieved via other means?

No.

Have you searched for an existing open/closed issue?

I have searched for existing issues and none cover my fundamental request

How long have you been using BookStack?

Under 3 months

Additional context

No response

Originally created by @YID-C on GitHub (May 14, 2024). ### Describe the feature you'd like Hi all. I'm the author behind #4945 and #4946 where I have very large books that contain hundreds of steps and images. Because of this I extended the maximum execution time of my exports as they can take several minutes to complete. My use case is a bit of an extreme so I encounter it far more frequently, but this also affects regular users and I feel could cause confusion and possibly frustration if not addressed. Basically, when you do an export, BookStack will open a new tab that will eventually download the exported file. Let's just say we're exporting a .pdf for this example. The issue being the page is completely blank with no indication that anything is happenening. The export usually happens fast enough that the average user shouldn't be looking at it for too long, which is why I believe it has remained this way for so long. However, I believe it would be a good idea to direct them to some kind of splash/download page that at least states "Your file is being exported and will appear in your downloads once complete", or something to that effect. Currently, when you do an export and it opens the completely blank tab, it feels as though it's an error or the system has broken somehow. Having used BookStack quite extensively over the past few weeks I'm used to it, even with my long extended export times, but I'm also an I.T. professional and understand what's happenening. Every time I see that page I can't help but think it's going to cause issues for new or unfamiliar users. As I'm quite impressed with BookStack and wish to see the platform succeed, this feature request is my contribution. See the below screenshot to see what the blank screen looks like. I stare at this for several minutes due to the size of my guides, but even the average user will get this for at least a few seconds. ![Screenshot_1017](https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack/assets/166672041/136402d2-d0a8-434e-acf8-93aef1d2d125) ### Describe the benefits this would bring to existing BookStack users This will help prevent confusion from new an inexperienced users who don't understand the process is running, even if it doesn't look like it is. If a moving element such as a .gif etc is incorporated it would also assist experienced users know when there has been a problem (freeze/lockup) or the export is just taking awhile. ### Can the goal of this request already be achieved via other means? No. ### Have you searched for an existing open/closed issue? - [X] I have searched for existing issues and none cover my fundamental request ### How long have you been using BookStack? Under 3 months ### Additional context _No response_

OVERLORD added the 🔨 Feature Request label 2026-02-05 09:14:34 +03:00

Sign in to join this conversation.

Branches Tags

1 Participants

Notifications

Due Date

No due date set.

Dependencies

No dependencies set.

Reference: starred/BookStack#4771