API Documentation

Authentication

Every request is authenticated with an API key sent as a Bearer token. Keep your key secret — anyone with it can generate documents on your account.

Authorization: Bearer pm_your_api_key_here

POST Get an API key

Create a free account and receive an API key. The free plan includes 30 PDFs per month. You can also get one from the "Get free API key" button on pdfmintapi.com.

Request

curl -X POST https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/keys \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"[email protected]"}'

Response

{
  "api_key": "pm_a1b2c3...",
  "plan": "free",
  "monthly_limit": 30
}

POST Generate PDF from template

Generate a PDF from a built-in template (invoice, receipt, certificate, report, packing-slip) or a saved custom template. Returns the PDF file by default, or a JSON link when response_format is url.

Body parameters

Request

curl -X POST https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/generate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template": "invoice",
    "language": "en",
    "response_format": "url",
    "data": {
      "invoice_number": "INV-001",
      "from": { "name": "My Studio" },
      "to": { "name": "Acme Corp" },
      "items": [
        { "name": "Design work", "qty": 1,
          "unit_price": "500.00", "amount": "500.00", "currency": "$" }
      ],
      "subtotal": "500.00", "total": "500.00", "currency": "$"
    }
  }'

Response response_format: url

{
  "document_id": "a1b2c3d4e5",
  "filename": "document.pdf",
  "pdf_url": "https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/documents/a1b2c3d4e5/raw",
  "view_url": "https://pdfmintapi.com/d/a1b2c3d4e5",
  "usage": "1/30"
}

// Without response_format, the response body is the raw PDF (Content-Type: application/pdf). The tracking link is returned in the X-View-Url header.

POST Generate PDF from HTML

Render your own HTML and CSS into a PDF with a real Chromium engine. Full control over layout when the built-in templates aren't enough.

curl -X POST https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/generate/html \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"html":"<h1>Hello PDF</h1>","filename":"page"}'

POST Generate PDF from Markdown

Convert Markdown into a professionally styled PDF report — headings, tables, code blocks, blockquotes, and lists all render cleanly.

curl -X POST https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/generate/markdown \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"markdown":"# Report\n\n**Bold** and a list:\n- one\n- two"}'

POST Create a Magic Template AI

Describe the document you need in plain English and get a custom, reusable template built by AI. Once created, use it like any built-in template with "template": "custom:your-name".

curl -X POST https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/templates/magic \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"description":"a modern price quote with a client name and a price table","name":"quote"}'

GET List templates

Returns all built-in templates, each with a ready-to-use sample payload you can copy straight into a generate request. No authentication required.

curl https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/templates

GET Document status tracking

Check whether a generated document has been opened, when, and how many times. This is the tracking data that makes PDFMint different — know when your invoice was actually seen.

{
  "document_id": "a1b2c3d4e5",
  "viewed": true,
  "viewed_at": "2026-07-08T14:20:00Z",
  "view_count": 3
}

GET Usage

Returns your current plan, billing period, PDFs used, and monthly limit. Useful for checking your quota before hitting it.

curl https://pdfmintapi.com/v1/usage \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_your_key"

// → { "plan": "free", "period": "2026-07", "used": 3, "limit": 30 }

Languages

Pass "language" on any template request to translate the document's fixed labels. Your own data is never translated — only labels like INVOICE, Bill to, and Total due.

Errors & limits

Errors return a JSON body with an error message and a standard HTTP status code.

Plans