HTML to PDF / Node.js Reference

class HtmlToPdfClient

All setter methods return HtmlToPdfClient object unless specified otherwise.

Constructor

function HtmlToPdfClient(userName, apiKey)

Constructor for the PDFCrowd API client.

Parameters:
  • userName - Your username at PDFCrowd.
  • apiKey - Your API key.

Conversion Input

function convertUrl(url, callbacks)

Convert a web page.

Parameters:
  • url - The address of the web page to convert.
    Constraint:
    • Supported protocols are http:// and https://.
  • callbacks - The object that defines the following functions:
    • data(readStream) - called when the output data can be read from readStream
    • error(message, statusCode) - called when an error occurs
    • end() - called when the conversion finishes
    The client library provides 2 helper functions that can be used here:
    • saveToFile(filePath[, callback]) - saves the output data to a file
      • filePath - the output file path
      • callback(err, filePath) - called when the conversion finishes
    • sendPdfInHttpResponse(response[, fileName, disposition]) - sends the generated PDF in an HTTP response
      • response - the response object
      • fileName - the desired file name
      • disposition - the response content disposition, can be "attachment" or "inline", the default is "attachment".

function convertUrlToFile(url, filePath, callback)

Convert a web page and write the result to a local file.

Parameters:
  • url - The address of the web page to convert.
    Constraint:
    • Supported protocols are http:// and https://.
  • filePath - The output file path.
  • callback - The callback(error, filePath) function is called when the conversion finishes. The error object is present if an error occurred, filePath is the output file path.

function convertFile(file, callbacks)

Convert a local file.

Parameters:
  • file - The path to a local file to convert.
    The file can be either a single file or an archive (.tar.gz, .tar.bz2, or .zip).
    If the HTML document refers to local external assets (images, style sheets, javascript), zip the document together with the assets.
    Constraints:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
    • The file name must have a valid extension.
  • callbacks - The object that defines the following functions:
    • data(readStream) - called when the output data can be read from readStream
    • error(message, statusCode) - called when an error occurs
    • end() - called when the conversion finishes
    The client library provides 2 helper functions that can be used here:
    • saveToFile(filePath[, callback]) - saves the output data to a file
      • filePath - the output file path
      • callback(err, filePath) - called when the conversion finishes
    • sendPdfInHttpResponse(response[, fileName, disposition]) - sends the generated PDF in an HTTP response
      • response - the response object
      • fileName - the desired file name
      • disposition - the response content disposition, can be "attachment" or "inline", the default is "attachment".

function convertFileToFile(file, filePath, callback)

Convert a local file and write the result to a local file.

Parameters:
  • file - The path to a local file to convert.
    The file can be either a single file or an archive (.tar.gz, .tar.bz2, or .zip).
    If the HTML document refers to local external assets (images, style sheets, javascript), zip the document together with the assets.
    Constraints:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
    • The file name must have a valid extension.
  • filePath - The output file path.
  • callback - The callback(error, filePath) function is called when the conversion finishes. The error object is present if an error occurred, filePath is the output file path.

function convertString(text, callbacks)

Convert a string.

Parameters:
  • text - The string content to convert.
  • callbacks - The object that defines the following functions:
    • data(readStream) - called when the output data can be read from readStream
    • error(message, statusCode) - called when an error occurs
    • end() - called when the conversion finishes
    The client library provides 2 helper functions that can be used here:
    • saveToFile(filePath[, callback]) - saves the output data to a file
      • filePath - the output file path
      • callback(err, filePath) - called when the conversion finishes
    • sendPdfInHttpResponse(response[, fileName, disposition]) - sends the generated PDF in an HTTP response
      • response - the response object
      • fileName - the desired file name
      • disposition - the response content disposition, can be "attachment" or "inline", the default is "attachment".

function convertStringToFile(text, filePath, callback)

Convert a string and write the output to a file.

Parameters:
  • text - The string content to convert.
  • filePath - The output file path.
  • callback - The callback(error, filePath) function is called when the conversion finishes. The error object is present if an error occurred, filePath is the output file path.

function convertStream(inStream, callbacks)

Convert the contents of an input stream.

Parameters:
  • inStream (InputStream) - The input stream with source data.
    The stream can contain either HTML code or an archive (.zip, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2).
    The archive can contain HTML code and its external assets (images, style sheets, javascript).
  • callbacks - The object that defines the following functions:
    • data(readStream) - called when the output data can be read from readStream
    • error(message, statusCode) - called when an error occurs
    • end() - called when the conversion finishes
    The client library provides 2 helper functions that can be used here:
    • saveToFile(filePath[, callback]) - saves the output data to a file
      • filePath - the output file path
      • callback(err, filePath) - called when the conversion finishes
    • sendPdfInHttpResponse(response[, fileName, disposition]) - sends the generated PDF in an HTTP response
      • response - the response object
      • fileName - the desired file name
      • disposition - the response content disposition, can be "attachment" or "inline", the default is "attachment".

function convertStreamToFile(inStream, filePath, callback)

Convert the contents of an input stream and write the result to a local file.

Parameters:
  • inStream (InputStream) - The input stream with source data.
    The stream can contain either HTML code or an archive (.zip, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2).
    The archive can contain HTML code and its external assets (images, style sheets, javascript).
  • filePath - The output file path.
  • callback - The callback(error, filePath) function is called when the conversion finishes. The error object is present if an error occurred, filePath is the output file path.

function setZipMainFilename(filename)

Set the file name of the main HTML document stored in the input archive. If not specified, the first HTML file in the archive is used for conversion. Use this method if the input archive contains multiple HTML documents.

Parameter:
  • filename - The file name.

Page Setup

function setPageSize(size)

Set the output page size.

Parameter:
  • size
    Allowed Values:
    • A0
    • A1
    • A2
    • A3
    • A4
    • A5
    • A6
    • Letter
    Default:
    A4

function setPageWidth(width)

Set the output page width. The safe maximum is 200in otherwise some PDF viewers may be unable to open the PDF.

Parameter:
  • width
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    8.27in
Examples:
  • A4 landscape / A3 portrait width: setPageWidth("297mm")
  • US Letter/Legal standard width: setPageWidth("8.5in")

function setPageHeight(height)

Set the output page height. Use -1 for a single page PDF. The safe maximum is 200in otherwise some PDF viewers may be unable to open the PDF.

Parameter:
  • height
    Constraint:
    • The value must be -1 or specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    11.7in
Examples:
  • A3 standard height for large format: setPageHeight("420mm")
  • Auto-fit entire content in single page: setPageHeight("-1")
  • US Legal for contracts and documents: setPageHeight("14in")

function setPageDimensions(width, height)

Set the output page dimensions.

Parameters:
  • width - Set the output page width. The safe maximum is 200in otherwise some PDF viewers may be unable to open the PDF.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    8.27in
  • height - Set the output page height. Use -1 for a single page PDF. The safe maximum is 200in otherwise some PDF viewers may be unable to open the PDF.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be -1 or specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    11.7in
Examples:
  • A4 portrait dimensions: setPageDimensions("210mm", "297mm")
  • US Letter dimensions: setPageDimensions("8.5in", "11in")
  • A3 portrait dimensions: setPageDimensions("297mm", "420mm")

function setOrientation(orientation)

Set the output page orientation.

Parameter:
  • orientation
    Allowed Values:
    • landscape
    • portrait
    Default:
    portrait

function setMarginTop(top)

Set the output page top margin.

Parameter:
  • top
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in
Examples:
  • Wide margin for binding: setMarginTop("1in")
  • Narrow professional margin: setMarginTop("10mm")

function setMarginRight(right)

Set the output page right margin.

Parameter:
  • right
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in
Examples:
  • Wide margin for binding: setMarginRight("1in")
  • Narrow professional margin: setMarginRight("10mm")

function setMarginBottom(bottom)

Set the output page bottom margin.

Parameter:
  • bottom
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in
Examples:
  • Wide margin for binding: setMarginBottom("1in")
  • Narrow professional margin: setMarginBottom("10mm")

function setMarginLeft(left)

Set the output page left margin.

Parameter:
  • left
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in
Examples:
  • Wide margin for binding: setMarginLeft("1in")
  • Narrow professional margin: setMarginLeft("10mm")

function setNoMargins(value)

Disable page margins.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to disable margins.
    Default:
    false

function setPageMargins(top, right, bottom, left)

Set the output page margins.

Parameters:
  • top - Set the output page top margin.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in
  • right - Set the output page right margin.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in
  • bottom - Set the output page bottom margin.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in
  • left - Set the output page left margin.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    0.4in

function setPrintPageRange(pages)

Set the page range to print.

Parameter:
  • pages
    Constraint:
    • A comma separated list of page numbers or ranges. Special strings may be used, such as 'odd', 'even' and 'last'.
Examples:
  • Just the second page is printed: setPrintPageRange("2")
  • The first, third, and last pages are printed: setPrintPageRange("1,3,last")
  • Everything except the first page is printed: setPrintPageRange("2-")
  • Just first 3 pages are printed: setPrintPageRange("-3")
  • Pages 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are printed: setPrintPageRange("3,6-9")

function setContentViewportWidth(width)

Set the viewport width for formatting the HTML content when generating a PDF. By specifying a viewport width, you can control how the content is rendered, ensuring it mimics the appearance on various devices or matches specific design requirements.

Availability:
API client >= 6.0.0, converter >= 24.04. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • width - The width of the viewport.
    Allowed Values:
    • balanced — The smart option to adjust the viewport width dynamically to fit the print area, ensuring an optimal layout.
    • small — A compact layout where less text fits on each PDF page, ideal for detailed sections or mobile views.
    • medium — A balanced amount of text per page, striking a good compromise between readability and content density.
    • large — A broader layout that accommodates more text per page, perfect for reducing page count and enhancing flow.
    • extra-large — Maximize the text per page, creating a spacious and content-rich PDF, akin to a widescreen experience.
    • pixel width — A precise viewport width in pixels, such as 1024px, to tailor the PDF's text density to your specific requirements. The value must be in the range 96-65000px.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be 'balanced', 'small', 'medium', 'large', 'extra-large', or a number in the range 96-65000px.
    Default:
    medium
Examples:
  • Use the "large" viewport: setContentViewportWidth("large")
  • Use an 800 pixels wide viewport: setContentViewportWidth("800px")

function setContentViewportHeight(height)

Set the viewport height for formatting the HTML content when generating a PDF. By specifying a viewport height, you can enforce loading of lazy-loaded images and also affect vertical positioning of absolutely positioned elements within the content.

Availability:
API client >= 6.0.0, converter >= 24.04. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • height - The viewport height.
    Allowed Values:
    • auto — The height of the print area is used.
    • large — Value suitable for documents with extensive lazy-loaded content.
    • pixel height — A specific numerical value, such as 10000px, to set as the window height, allowing precise control based on the document's requirements.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be 'auto', 'large', or a number.
    Default:
    auto
Examples:
  • Load all lazy images and content: setContentViewportHeight("large")
  • Force tall viewport for long pages: setContentViewportHeight("5000px")

function setContentFitMode(mode)

Specifies the mode for fitting the HTML content to the print area by upscaling or downscaling it.

Availability:
API client >= 6.0.0, converter >= 24.04. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • mode - The fitting mode.
    Allowed Values:
    • auto — Automatic mode
    • smart-scaling — Smartscaling to fit more content into the print area.
    • no-scaling — No scaling is performed.
    • viewport-width — The viewport width fits the print area width.
    • content-width — The HTML content width fits the print area width.
    • single-page — The entire HTML content fits the print area of a single page.
    • single-page-ratio — The entire HTML content fits the print area of a single page, maintaining the aspect ratio of the page height and width.
    Default:
    auto

function setRemoveBlankPages(pages)

Specifies which blank pages to exclude from the output document.

Availability:
API client >= 5.13.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • pages - The empty page behavior.
    Allowed Values:
    • trailing — Trailing blank pages are removed from the document.
    • all — All empty pages are removed from the document.
    • none — No blank page is removed from the document.
    Default:
    trailing

Watermark & Background

function setPageWatermark(watermark)

Apply a watermark to each page of the output PDF file. A watermark can be either a PDF or an image. If a multi-page file (PDF or TIFF) is used, the first page is used as the watermark.

Parameter:
  • watermark - The file path to a local file.
    Constraint:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
Examples:
  • Multi-page PDF for watermarking: setPageWatermark("/home/user/john/watermark.pdf")
  • Transparent PNG overlay: setPageWatermark("/home/user/john/watermark.png")

function setPageWatermarkUrl(url)

Load a file from the specified URL and apply the file as a watermark to each page of the output PDF. A watermark can be either a PDF or an image. If a multi-page file (PDF or TIFF) is used, the first page is used as the watermark.

Parameter:
  • url
    Constraint:
    • Supported protocols are http:// and https://.
Examples:
  • Download watermark from server: setPageWatermarkUrl("http://myserver.com/watermark.pdf")
  • Remote logo watermark: setPageWatermarkUrl("http://myserver.com/watermark.png")

function setMultipageWatermark(watermark)

Apply each page of a watermark to the corresponding page of the output PDF. A watermark can be either a PDF or an image.

Parameter:
  • watermark - The file path to a local file.
    Constraint:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
Examples:
  • Multi-page PDF for watermarking: setMultipageWatermark("/home/user/john/watermark.pdf")
  • Transparent PNG overlay: setMultipageWatermark("/home/user/john/watermark.png")

function setMultipageWatermarkUrl(url)

Load a file from the specified URL and apply each page of the file as a watermark to the corresponding page of the output PDF. A watermark can be either a PDF or an image.

Parameter:
  • url
    Constraint:
    • Supported protocols are http:// and https://.
Examples:
  • Download watermark from server: setMultipageWatermarkUrl("http://myserver.com/watermark.pdf")
  • Remote logo watermark: setMultipageWatermarkUrl("http://myserver.com/watermark.png")

function setPageBackground(background)

Apply a background to each page of the output PDF file. A background can be either a PDF or an image. If a multi-page file (PDF or TIFF) is used, the first page is used as the background.

Parameter:
  • background - The file path to a local file.
    Constraint:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
Examples:
  • PDF template background: setPageBackground("/home/user/john/background.pdf")
  • Image texture background: setPageBackground("/home/user/john/background.png")

function setPageBackgroundUrl(url)

Load a file from the specified URL and apply the file as a background to each page of the output PDF. A background can be either a PDF or an image. If a multi-page file (PDF or TIFF) is used, the first page is used as the background.

Parameter:
  • url
    Constraint:
    • Supported protocols are http:// and https://.
Examples:
  • Download template background: setPageBackgroundUrl("http://myserver.com/background.pdf")
  • Remote background pattern: setPageBackgroundUrl("http://myserver.com/background.png")

function setMultipageBackground(background)

Apply each page of a background to the corresponding page of the output PDF. A background can be either a PDF or an image.

Parameter:
  • background - The file path to a local file.
    Constraint:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
Examples:
  • PDF template background: setMultipageBackground("/home/user/john/background.pdf")
  • Image texture background: setMultipageBackground("/home/user/john/background.png")

function setMultipageBackgroundUrl(url)

Load a file from the specified URL and apply each page of the file as a background to the corresponding page of the output PDF. A background can be either a PDF or an image.

Parameter:
  • url
    Constraint:
    • Supported protocols are http:// and https://.
Examples:
  • Download template background: setMultipageBackgroundUrl("http://myserver.com/background.pdf")
  • Remote background pattern: setMultipageBackgroundUrl("http://myserver.com/background.png")

function setPageBackgroundColor(color)

The page background color in RGB or RGBA hexadecimal format. The color fills the entire page regardless of the margins.

Parameter:
  • color
    Constraint:
    • The value must be in RRGGBB or RRGGBBAA hexadecimal format.
Examples:
  • red color: setPageBackgroundColor("FF0000")
  • green color: setPageBackgroundColor("00ff00")
  • green color with 50% opacity: setPageBackgroundColor("00ff0080")

General Options

function setUsePrintMedia(value)

Use the print version of the page if available (@media print).

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to use the print version of the page.
    Default:
    false

function setNoBackground(value)

Do not print the background graphics.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to disable the background graphics.
    Default:
    false

function setDisableJavascript(value)

Do not execute JavaScript.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to disable JavaScript in web pages.
    Default:
    false

function setDisableImageLoading(value)

Do not load images.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to disable loading of images.
    Default:
    false

function setDisableRemoteFonts(value)

Disable loading fonts from remote sources.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true disable loading remote fonts.
    Default:
    false

function setUseMobileUserAgent(value)

Deprecated Replaced with: setConverterUserAgent

Use a mobile user agent.

Availability:
API client >= 5.3.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to use a mobile user agent.
    Default:
    false

function setLoadIframes(iframes)

Specifies how iframes are handled.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • iframes
    Allowed Values:
    • all — All iframes are loaded.
    • same-origin — Only iframes with the same origin as the main page are loaded.
    • none — Iframe loading is disabled.
    Default:
    all

function setBlockAds(value)

Try to block ads. Enabling this option can produce smaller output and speed up the conversion.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to block ads in web pages.
    Default:
    false

function setDefaultEncoding(encoding)

Set the default HTML content text encoding.

Parameter:
  • encoding - The text encoding of the HTML content.
    Default:
    auto detect
Examples:
  • Set to use Latin-2 encoding: setDefaultEncoding("iso8859-2")
  • Set to use UTF-8 encoding: setDefaultEncoding("utf-8")

function setLocale(locale)

Set the locale for the conversion. This may affect the output format of dates, times and numbers.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • locale - The locale code according to ISO 639.
    Default:
    en-US
Example:
  • Set to use Japanese locale: setLocale("ja-JP")

function setHttpAuth(userName, password)

Set credentials to access HTTP base authentication protected websites.

Parameters:
  • userName - Set the HTTP authentication user name.
  • password - Set the HTTP authentication password.

function setCookies(cookies)

Set HTTP cookies to be included in all requests made by the converter.

Parameter:
  • cookies - The cookie string.
Example:
  • Multiple cookies for authentication: setCookies("session=6d7184b3bf35;token=2710")

function setVerifySslCertificates(value)

Do not allow insecure HTTPS connections.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to enable SSL certificate verification.
    Default:
    false

function setFailOnMainUrlError(failOnError)

Abort the conversion if the main URL HTTP status code is greater than or equal to 400.

Parameter:
  • failOnError (bool) - Set to true to abort the conversion.
    Default:
    false

function setFailOnAnyUrlError(failOnError)

Abort the conversion if any of the sub-request HTTP status code is greater than or equal to 400 or if some sub-requests are still pending. See details in a debug log.

Parameter:
  • failOnError (bool) - Set to true to abort the conversion.
    Default:
    false

function setNoXpdfcrowdHeader(value)

Do not send the X-Pdfcrowd HTTP header in PDFCrowd HTTP requests.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to disable sending X-Pdfcrowd HTTP header.
    Default:
    false

function setCssPageRuleMode(mode)

Specifies behavior in presence of CSS @page rules. It may affect the page size, margins and orientation.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • mode - The page rule mode.
    Allowed Values:
    • default — The PDFCrowd API page settings are preferred.
    • mode1 — The converter version 18.10 mode.
    • mode2 — CSS @page rule is preferred.
    Default:
    default

function setCustomCss(css)

Apply custom CSS to the input HTML document. It allows you to modify the visual appearance and layout of your HTML content dynamically. Tip: Using !important in custom CSS provides a way to prioritize and override conflicting styles.

Availability:
API client >= 5.14.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • css - A string containing valid CSS.
Examples:
  • Set the page background color to gray: setCustomCss("body { background-color: gray; }")
  • Do not show nav HTML elements and the element with ad-block ID in the output PDF: setCustomCss("nav, #ad-block { display: none !important; }")

function setCustomJavascript(javascript)

Run a custom JavaScript after the document is loaded and ready to print. The script is intended for post-load DOM manipulation (add/remove elements, update CSS, ...). In addition to the standard browser APIs, the custom JavaScript code can use helper functions from our JavaScript library.

Parameter:
  • javascript - A string containing a JavaScript code.
Example:
  • Set the page background color to gray: setCustomJavascript("document.body.style.setProperty('background-color', 'gray', 'important')")

function setOnLoadJavascript(javascript)

Run a custom JavaScript right after the document is loaded. The script is intended for early DOM manipulation (add/remove elements, update CSS, ...). In addition to the standard browser APIs, the custom JavaScript code can use helper functions from our JavaScript library.

Parameter:
  • javascript - A string containing a JavaScript code.
Example:
  • Set the page background color to gray: setOnLoadJavascript("document.body.style.setProperty('background-color', 'gray', 'important')")

function setCustomHttpHeader(header)

Set a custom HTTP header to be included in all requests made by the converter.

Parameter:
  • header
    Constraint:
    • A string containing the header name and value separated by a colon.
Example:
  • API client tracking header: setCustomHttpHeader("X-My-Client-ID:k2017-12345")

function setJavascriptDelay(delay)

Wait the specified number of milliseconds to finish all JavaScript after the document is loaded. Your license defines the maximum wait time by "Max Delay" parameter.

Parameter:
  • delay (int) - The number of milliseconds to wait.
    Constraint:
    • Must be a positive integer or 0.
    Default:
    200
Example:
  • Wait for 2 seconds: setJavascriptDelay(2000)

function setElementToConvert(selectors)

Convert only the specified element from the main document and its children. The element is specified by one or more CSS selectors. If the element is not found, the conversion fails. If multiple elements are found, the first one is used.

Parameter:
Examples:
  • The first element with the id main-content is converted: setElementToConvert("#main-content")
  • The first element with the class name main-content is converted: setElementToConvert(".main-content")
  • The first element with the tag name table is converted: setElementToConvert("table")
  • The first element with the tag name table or with the id main-content is converted: setElementToConvert("table, #main-content")
  • The first element <p class="article"> within <div class="user-panel main"> is converted: setElementToConvert("div.user-panel.main p.article")

function setElementToConvertMode(mode)

Specify the DOM handling when only a part of the document is converted. This can affect the CSS rules used.

Parameter:
  • mode
    Allowed Values:
    • cut-out — The element and its children are cut out of the document.
    • remove-siblings — All element's siblings are removed.
    • hide-siblings — All element's siblings are hidden.
    Default:
    cut-out

function setWaitForElement(selectors)

Wait for the specified element in a source document. The element is specified by one or more CSS selectors. The element is searched for in the main document and all iframes. If the element is not found, the conversion fails. Your license defines the maximum wait time by "Max Delay" parameter.

Parameter:
Examples:
  • Wait until an element with the id main-content is found: setWaitForElement("#main-content")
  • Wait until an element with the class name main-content is found: setWaitForElement(".main-content")
  • Wait until an element with the tag name table is found: setWaitForElement("table")
  • Wait until an element with the tag name table or with the id main-content is found: setWaitForElement("table, #main-content")
  • Wait until <p class="article"> is found within <div class="user-panel main">: setWaitForElement("div.user-panel.main p.article")

function setAutoDetectElementToConvert(value)

The main HTML element for conversion is detected automatically.

Availability:
API client >= 5.5.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to detect the main element.
    Default:
    false

function setReadabilityEnhancements(enhancements)

The input HTML is automatically enhanced to improve the readability.

Availability:
API client >= 5.5.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • enhancements
    Allowed Values:
    • none — No enhancements are used.
    • readability-v1 — Version 1 of the enhancements is used.
    • readability-v2 — Version 2 of the enhancements is used.
    • readability-v3 — Version 3 of the enhancements is used.
    • readability-v4 — Version 4 of the enhancements is used.
    Default:
    none

PDF Format

Miscellaneous values for PDF output.

function setEnablePdfForms(value)

Convert HTML forms to fillable PDF forms. Details can be found in the blog post.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to make fillable PDF forms.
    Default:
    false

function setLinearize(value)

Create linearized PDF. This is also known as Fast Web View.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to create linearized PDF.
    Default:
    false

function setEncrypt(value)

Encrypt the PDF. This prevents search engines from indexing the contents.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to enable PDF encryption.
    Default:
    false

function setUserPassword(password)

Protect the PDF with a user password. When a PDF has a user password, it must be supplied in order to view the document and to perform operations allowed by the access permissions.

Parameter:
  • password - The user password.
Example:
  • Simple document password: setUserPassword("123456")

function setOwnerPassword(password)

Protect the PDF with an owner password. Supplying an owner password grants unlimited access to the PDF including changing the passwords and access permissions.

Parameter:
  • password - The owner password.
Example:
  • Admin access password: setOwnerPassword("123456")

function setNoPrint(value)

Disallow printing of the output PDF.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to set the no-print flag in the output PDF.
    Default:
    false

function setNoModify(value)

Disallow modification of the output PDF.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to set the read-only only flag in the output PDF.
    Default:
    false

function setNoCopy(value)

Disallow text and graphics extraction from the output PDF.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to set the no-copy flag in the output PDF.
    Default:
    false

function setTitle(title)

Set the title of the PDF.

Parameter:
  • title - The title.
Example:
  • Personal CV title: setTitle("My Resume")

function setSubject(subject)

Set the subject of the PDF.

Parameter:
  • subject - The subject.
Example:
  • Technical position subject: setSubject("CV - Software Developer")

function setAuthor(author)

Set the author of the PDF.

Parameter:
  • author - The author.
Example:
  • Document author name: setAuthor("John Doe")

function setKeywords(keywords)

Associate keywords with the document.

Parameter:
  • keywords - The string with the keywords.
Example:
  • Technical skills for searchability: setKeywords("software developer, Unix, databases")

function setExtractMetaTags(value)

Extract meta tags (author, keywords and description) from the input HTML and use them in the output PDF.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to extract meta tags.
    Default:
    false

Viewer Preferences

These preferences specify how a PDF viewer should present the document. The preferences may be ignored by some PDF viewers.

function setPageLayout(layout)

Specify the page layout to be used when the document is opened.

Parameter:
  • layout
    Allowed Values:
    • single-page — Display one page at a time.
    • one-column — Display the pages in one column.
    • two-column-left — Display the pages in two columns, with odd-numbered pages on the left.
    • two-column-right — Display the pages in two columns, with odd-numbered pages on the right.

function setPageMode(mode)

Specify how the document should be displayed when opened.

Parameter:
  • mode
    Allowed Values:
    • full-screen — Full-screen mode.
    • thumbnails — Thumbnail images are visible.
    • outlines — Document outline is visible.

function setInitialZoomType(zoomType)

Specify how the page should be displayed when opened.

Parameter:
  • zoomType
    Allowed Values:
    • fit-width — The page content is magnified just enough to fit the entire width of the page within the window.
    • fit-height — The page content is magnified just enough to fit the entire height of the page within the window.
    • fit-page — The page content is magnified just enough to fit the entire page within the window both horizontally and vertically. If the required horizontal and vertical magnification factors are different, use the smaller of the two, centering the page within the window in the other dimension.

function setInitialPage(page)

Display the specified page when the document is opened.

Parameter:
  • page (int)
    Constraint:
    • Must be a positive integer.
Example:
  • Start at second page: setInitialPage(2)

function setInitialZoom(zoom)

Specify the initial page zoom in percents when the document is opened.

Parameter:
  • zoom (int)
    Constraint:
    • Must be a positive integer.
Example:
  • Half-size zoom level: setInitialZoom(50)

function setHideToolbar(value)

Specify whether to hide the viewer application's tool bars when the document is active.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to hide tool bars.
    Default:
    false

function setHideMenubar(value)

Specify whether to hide the viewer application's menu bar when the document is active.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to hide the menu bar.
    Default:
    false

function setHideWindowUi(value)

Specify whether to hide user interface elements in the document's window (such as scroll bars and navigation controls), leaving only the document's contents displayed.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to hide ui elements.
    Default:
    false

function setFitWindow(value)

Specify whether to resize the document's window to fit the size of the first displayed page.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to resize the window.
    Default:
    false

function setCenterWindow(value)

Specify whether to position the document's window in the center of the screen.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to center the window.
    Default:
    false

function setDisplayTitle(value)

Specify whether the window's title bar should display the document title. If false , the title bar should instead display the name of the PDF file containing the document.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to display the title.
    Default:
    false

function setRightToLeft(value)

Set the predominant reading order for text to right-to-left. This option has no direct effect on the document's contents or page numbering but can be used to determine the relative positioning of pages when displayed side by side or printed n-up

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to set right-to-left reading order.
    Default:
    false

Data

Methods related to HTML template rendering.

function setDataString(dataString)

Set the input data for template rendering. The data format can be JSON, XML, YAML or CSV.

Parameter:
  • dataString - The input data string.
Example:
  • Template variables for mail merge: setDataString("{"recipient": "Anna May", "sender": "John Doe"}")

function setDataFile(dataFile)

Load the input data for template rendering from the specified file. The data format can be JSON, XML, YAML or CSV.

Parameter:
  • dataFile - The file path to a local file containing the input data.
Example:
  • External data for template rendering: setDataFile("/home/user/john/data.json")

function setDataFormat(dataFormat)

Specify the input data format.

Parameter:
  • dataFormat - The data format.
    Allowed Values:
    • auto — the data format is auto detected
    • json
    • xml
    • yaml
    • csv
    Default:
    auto

function setDataEncoding(encoding)

Set the encoding of the data file set by setDataFile.

Parameter:
  • encoding - The data file encoding.
    Default:
    utf-8
Example:
  • Set to use Latin-2 encoding: setDataEncoding("iso8859-2")

function setDataIgnoreUndefined(value)

Ignore undefined variables in the HTML template. The default mode is strict so any undefined variable causes the conversion to fail. You can use {% if variable is defined %} to check if the variable is defined.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to ignore undefined variables.
    Default:
    false

function setDataAutoEscape(value)

Auto escape HTML symbols in the input data before placing them into the output.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to turn auto escaping on.
    Default:
    false

function setDataTrimBlocks(value)

Auto trim whitespace around each template command block.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to turn auto trimming on.
    Default:
    false

function setDataOptions(options)

Set the advanced data options:
  • csv_delimiter - The CSV data delimiter, the default is ,.
  • xml_remove_root - Remove the root XML element from the input data.
  • data_root - The name of the root element inserted into the input data without a root node (e.g. CSV), the default is data.
Parameter:
  • options - Comma separated list of options.
Examples:
  • Use semicolon to separate CSV data: setDataOptions("csv_delimiter=;")
  • Name the root of data rows and use the name in the template loop {% for row in rows %}...{% endfor %}: setDataOptions("data_root=rows")
  • Remove XML root so it the HTML template can be more simple: setDataOptions("xml_remove_root=1")

Miscellaneous

function setDebugLog(value)

Turn on the debug logging. Details about the conversion are stored in the debug log. The URL of the log can be obtained from the getDebugLogUrl method or available in conversion statistics.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to enable the debug logging.
    Default:
    false

function getDebugLogUrl() { return string; }

Get the URL of the debug log for the last conversion.

Returns:
string - The link to the debug log.

function getRemainingCreditCount() { return int; }

Get the number of conversion credits available in your account.
This method can only be called after a call to one of the convertXtoY methods.
The returned value can differ from the actual count if you run parallel conversions.
The special value 999999 is returned if the information is not available.

Returns:
int - The number of credits.

function getConsumedCreditCount() { return int; }

Get the number of credits consumed by the last conversion.

Returns:
int - The number of credits.

function getJobId() { return string; }

Get the job id.

Returns:
string - The unique job identifier.

function getPageCount() { return int; }

Get the number of pages in the output document.

Returns:
int - The page count.

function getTotalPageCount() { return int; }

Get the total number of pages in the original output document, including the pages excluded by setPrintPageRange().

Returns:
int - The total page count.

function getOutputSize() { return int; }

Get the size of the output in bytes.

Returns:
int - The count of bytes.

function getVersion() { return string; }

Get the version details.

Returns:
string - API version, converter version, and client version.

function setTag(tag)

Tag the conversion with a custom value. The tag is used in conversion statistics. A value longer than 32 characters is cut off.

Parameter:
  • tag - A string with the custom tag.
Example:
  • Track job in analytics: setTag("client-1234")

function setHttpProxy(proxy)

A proxy server used by the conversion process for accessing the source URLs with HTTP scheme. It can help to circumvent regional restrictions or provide limited access to your intranet.

Parameter:
  • proxy
    Constraint:
    • The value must have format DOMAIN_OR_IP_ADDRESS:PORT.
Examples:
  • Corporate proxy server: setHttpProxy("myproxy.com:8080")
  • Direct IP proxy connection: setHttpProxy("113.25.84.10:33333")

function setHttpsProxy(proxy)

A proxy server used by the conversion process for accessing the source URLs with HTTPS scheme. It can help to circumvent regional restrictions or provide limited access to your intranet.

Parameter:
  • proxy
    Constraint:
    • The value must have format DOMAIN_OR_IP_ADDRESS:PORT.
Examples:
  • Secure proxy for HTTPS: setHttpsProxy("myproxy.com:443")
  • Direct secure proxy IP: setHttpsProxy("113.25.84.10:44333")

function setClientCertificate(certificate)

A client certificate to authenticate the converter on your web server. The certificate is used for two-way SSL/TLS authentication and adds extra security.

Parameter:
  • certificate - The file must be in PKCS12 format.
    Constraint:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
Example:
  • Custom CA certificate path: setClientCertificate("/home/user/john/pdfcrowd.crt")

function setClientCertificatePassword(password)

A password for PKCS12 file with a client certificate if it is needed.

Parameter:
  • password
Example:
  • PKCS12 certificate password: setClientCertificatePassword("123456")

Tweaks

Expert options for fine-tuning output.

function setLayoutDpi(dpi)

Set the internal DPI resolution used for positioning of PDF contents. It can help in situations when there are small inaccuracies in the PDF. It is recommended to use values that are a multiple of 72, such as 288 or 360.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • dpi (int) - The DPI value.
    Constraint:
    • The accepted range is 72-600.
    Default:
    300
Example:
  • Low DPI for faster processing: setLayoutDpi(144)

function setContentAreaX(x)

Set the top left X coordinate of the content area. It is relative to the top left X coordinate of the print area.

Parameter:
  • x
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'. It may contain a negative value.
    Default:
    0in
Examples:
  • Extend content beyond left margin: setContentAreaX("-1in")
  • Slight inset from print edge: setContentAreaX("10mm")

function setContentAreaY(y)

Set the top left Y coordinate of the content area. It is relative to the top left Y coordinate of the print area.

Parameter:
  • y
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'. It may contain a negative value.
    Default:
    0in
Examples:
  • Extend content beyond left margin: setContentAreaY("-1in")
  • Slight inset from print edge: setContentAreaY("10mm")

function setContentAreaWidth(width)

Set the width of the content area. It should be at least 1 inch.

Parameter:
  • width
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    The width of the print area.
Examples:
  • Content for letter-width viewport: setContentAreaWidth("8in")
  • Content for A4 portrait layout: setContentAreaWidth("210mm")

function setContentAreaHeight(height)

Set the height of the content area. It should be at least 1 inch.

Parameter:
  • height
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    The height of the print area.
Examples:
  • Content for letter-width viewport: setContentAreaHeight("8in")
  • Content for A4 portrait layout: setContentAreaHeight("210mm")

function setContentArea(x, y, width, height)

Set the content area position and size. The content area enables to specify a web page area to be converted.

Parameters:
  • x - Set the top left X coordinate of the content area. It is relative to the top left X coordinate of the print area.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'. It may contain a negative value.
    Default:
    0in
  • y - Set the top left Y coordinate of the content area. It is relative to the top left Y coordinate of the print area.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'. It may contain a negative value.
    Default:
    0in
  • width - Set the width of the content area. It should be at least 1 inch.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    The width of the print area.
  • height - Set the height of the content area. It should be at least 1 inch.
    Constraint:
    • The value must be specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.
    Default:
    The height of the print area.

function setContentsMatrix(matrix)

A 2D transformation matrix applied to the main contents on each page. The origin [0,0] is located at the top-left corner of the contents. The resolution is 72 dpi.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • matrix - A comma separated string of matrix elements: "scaleX,skewX,transX,skewY,scaleY,transY"
    Default:
    1,0,0,0,1,0
Examples:
  • Fine tune the contents height: setContentsMatrix("1,0,0,0,1.001,0")
  • Translate the contents by -10 points in both directions: setContentsMatrix("1,0,-10,0,1,-10")

function setHeaderMatrix(matrix)

A 2D transformation matrix applied to the page header contents. The origin [0,0] is located at the top-left corner of the header. The resolution is 72 dpi.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • matrix - A comma separated string of matrix elements: "scaleX,skewX,transX,skewY,scaleY,transY"
    Default:
    1,0,0,0,1,0
Examples:
  • Fine tune the header contents height: setHeaderMatrix("1,0,0,0,1.001,0")
  • Translate the header contents by -10 points in both directions: setHeaderMatrix("1,0,-10,0,1,-10")

function setDisablePageHeightOptimization(value)

Disable automatic height adjustment that compensates for pixel to point rounding errors.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to disable automatic height scale.
    Default:
    false

function setMainDocumentCssAnnotation(value)

Add special CSS classes to the main document's body element. This allows applying custom styling based on these classes:
  • pdfcrowd-page-X - where X is the current page number
  • pdfcrowd-page-odd - odd page
  • pdfcrowd-page-even - even page
Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to add the special CSS classes.
    Default:
    false
Example:

function setMaxLoadingTime(maxTime)

Set the maximum time to load the page and its resources. After this time, all requests will be considered successful. This can be useful to ensure that the conversion does not timeout. Use this method if there is no other way to fix page loading.

Availability:
API client >= 5.15.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • maxTime (int) - The number of seconds to wait.
    Constraint:
    • The accepted range is 10-30.

function setConversionConfig(jsonString)

Allows to configure conversion via JSON. The configuration defines various page settings for individual PDF pages or ranges of pages. It provides flexibility in designing each page of the PDF, giving control over each page's size, header, footer etc. If a page or parameter is not explicitly specified, the system will use the default settings for that page or attribute. If a JSON configuration is provided, the settings in the JSON will take precedence over the global options.

The structure of the JSON must be:

  • pageSetup: An array of objects where each object defines the configuration for a specific page or range of pages. The following properties can be set for each page object:
    • pages: A comma-separated list of page numbers or ranges. Special strings may be used, such as `odd`, `even` and `last`. For example:
      • 1-: from page 1 to the end of the document
      • 2: only the 2nd page
      • 2,4,6: pages 2, 4, and 6
      • 2-5: pages 2 through 5
      • odd,2: the 2nd page and all odd pages
    • pageSize: The page size (optional). Possible values: A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, Letter.
    • pageWidth: The width of the page (optional).
    • pageHeight: The height of the page (optional).
    • marginLeft: Left margin (optional).
    • marginRight: Right margin (optional).
    • marginTop: Top margin (optional).
    • marginBottom: Bottom margin (optional).
    • displayHeader: Header appearance (optional). Possible values:
      • none: completely excluded
      • space: only the content is excluded, the space is used
      • content: the content is printed (default)
    • displayFooter: Footer appearance (optional). Possible values:
      • none: completely excluded
      • space: only the content is excluded, the space is used
      • content: the content is printed (default)
    • headerHeight: Height of the header (optional).
    • footerHeight: Height of the footer (optional).
    • orientation: Page orientation, such as "portrait" or "landscape" (optional).
    • backgroundColor: Page background color in RRGGBB or RRGGBBAA hexadecimal format (optional).

Dimensions may be empty, 0 or specified in inches 'in', millimeters 'mm', centimeters 'cm', pixels 'px', or points 'pt'.

Availability:
API client >= 6.1.0, converter >= 24.04. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • jsonString - The JSON string.
Examples:
  • Modify the margins and orientation, and hide the header and footer on some pages. 
    {
  "pageSetup": [
    {
      "pages": "1,3",
      "marginLeft": "72pt",
      "marginRight": "72pt",
      "marginTop": "72pt",
      "marginBottom": "72pt",
      "displayHeader": "content",
      "displayFooter": "none"
    },
    {
      "pages": "2-5",
      "orientation": "landscape",
      "marginTop": "0",
      "marginBottom": "0",
      "headerHeight": "1cm",
      "displayHeader": "content",
      "displayFooter": "none"
    },
    {
      "pages": "10",
      "pageWidth": "6in",
      "pageHeight": "10in",
      "displayHeader": "none",
      "displayFooter": "content"
    },
    {
      "pages": "last",
      "backgroundColor": "00ff0080"
    }
  ]
}
  • A header is placed only on the first page, and a footer only on the last page. No space is occupied on other pages. 
    {
  "pageSetup": [
    {
      "pages": "1-",
      "displayHeader": "none",
      "displayFooter": "none"
    },
    {
      "pages": "1",
      "displayHeader": "content"
    },
    {
      "pages": "last",
      "displayFooter": "content"
    }
  ]
}

function setConversionConfigFile(filepath)

Allows to configure the conversion process via JSON file. See details of the JSON string.

Availability:
API client >= 6.1.0, converter >= 24.04. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • filepath - The file path to a local file.
    Constraint:
    • The file must exist and not be empty.
Examples:
  • External conversion settings: setConversionConfigFile("/home/user/john/conv_config.json")
  • see example of the JSON string

function setConverterUserAgent(agent)

Specifies the User-Agent HTTP header that will be used by the converter when a request is made to the converted web page.

Availability:
API client >= 6.4.0 See versioning.
Parameter:
  • agent - The user agent.
    Allowed Values:
    • chrome-desktop — The user-agent for desktop chrome corresponding to the converter used.
    • chrome-mobile — The user-agent for mobile chrome corresponding to the converter used.
    • latest-chrome-desktop — The user-agent of the recently released Chrome browser on desktops.
    • latest-chrome-mobile — The user-agent of the recently released Chrome browser on mobile devices.
    • custom string — A custom string for the user agent.
    Default:
    latest-chrome-desktop
Examples:
  • Mimic the recent chrome on mobiles: setConverterUserAgent("latest-chrome-mobile")
  • Mimic Safari 18.0 browser: setConverterUserAgent("Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 14_7_1) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/18.0 Safari/605.1.15")

API Client Options

function setConverterVersion(version)

Set the converter version. Different versions may produce different output. Choose which one provides the best output for your case.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0. See versioning.
Parameter:
  • version - The version identifier.
    Allowed Values:
    • 24.04 — Version 24.04.
    • 20.10 — Version 20.10.
    • 18.10 — Version 18.10.
    • latest — Version 20.10 is used.
    Default:
    24.04

function setUseHttp(value)

Specify whether to use HTTP or HTTPS when connecting to the PDFCrowd API.

Parameter:
  • value (bool) - Set to true to use HTTP.
    Default:
    false

function setClientUserAgent(agent)

Specifies the User-Agent HTTP header that the client library will use when interacting with the API.

Availability:
API client >= 6.4.0 See versioning.
Parameter:
  • agent - The user agent string.

function setUserAgent(agent)

Deprecated Replaced with: setClientUserAgent

Set a custom user agent HTTP header. It can be useful if you are behind a proxy or a firewall.

Parameter:
  • agent - The user agent string.
    Default:
    pdfcrowd_nodejs_client/6.5.3 (https://pdfcrowd.com)

function setProxy(host, port, userName, password)

Specifies an HTTP proxy that the API client library will use to connect to the internet.

Parameters:
  • host - The proxy hostname.
  • port (int) - The proxy port.
  • userName - The username.
  • password - The password.

function setRetryCount(count)

Specifies the number of automatic retries when the 502 or 503 HTTP status code is received. The status code indicates a temporary network issue. This feature can be disabled by setting to 0.

Parameter:
  • count (int) - Number of retries.
    Default:
    1
Example:
  • Retry failed requests three times: setRetryCount(3)