PDF to HTML / HTTP API Reference

Conversion Input

url

The address of the PDF to convert.

Constraint:
  • Supported protocols are http:// and https://.

file

The path to a local file to convert.

Constraint:
  • The file must exist and not be empty.

data

Convert raw binary data to the desired output format.

Use this for processing binary content, handling file uploads as byte arrays, or when working with data from external APIs. Provides maximum flexibility for binary data conversions.

Conversion Format

input_format

The format of the input file. Specify the source format to ensure correct processing (HTML, PDF, image, etc.).

Allowed Values:
  • pdf

output_format

The output file format.

Default:
html
Allowed Values:
  • html

Response

output_name

The file name of the created file (max 180 chars). If not specified, the name is auto-generated.

content_disposition

The value of the Content-Disposition HTTP header sent in the response.

Default:
attachment
Allowed Values:
  • attachment — Forces the browser to pop up a Save As dialog.
  • inline — The browser will open the result file in the browser window.

General Options

pdf_password

Password to open the encrypted PDF file.

scale_factor

Set the scaling factor (zoom) for the main page area.

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer.
Default:
100

print_page_range

Set the page range to print.

Constraint:
  • A comma separated list of page numbers or ranges.
Examples:
  • Just the second page is printed: 2
  • The first and the third page are printed: 1,3
  • Everything except the first page is printed: 2-
  • Just first 3 pages are printed: -3
  • Pages 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are printed: 3,6-9

dpi

Set the output graphics DPI. Higher values (144-300) improve quality but increase file size. Use 144 for web, 300 for print.

Availability:
Available for converters >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
144

image_mode

Specify where the images are stored. Use separate files for better performance with large images or when serving images from a CDN. Use embedded for single-file portability.

Default:
embed
Allowed Values:
  • embed — The images are embedded into the output HTML file.
  • separate — The images are saved to separate files. In this mode the output of the conversion is a zip file containing the HTML and all image files.
  • none — The images are ignored and not converted.

image_format

Specify the format for the output images. Use PNG for lossless quality, JPG for smaller file sizes, or SVG for vector graphics.

Availability:
Available for converters >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
png
Allowed Values:
  • png
  • jpg
  • svg

css_mode

Specify where the style sheets are stored. Use separate files for better browser caching and easier debugging. Use embedded for single-file HTML output.

Default:
embed
Allowed Values:
  • embed — Style sheets are embedded into the output HTML file.
  • separate — Style sheets are saved to separate files. In this mode the output of the conversion is a zip file containing the HTML and all style sheets.

font_mode

Specify where the fonts are stored. Use separate files for better browser caching and to reduce HTML file size. Use embedded for single-file portability.

Default:
embed
Allowed Values:
  • embed — The fonts are embedded into the output HTML file.
  • separate — The font are saved to separate files. In this mode the output of the conversion is a zip file containing HTML and all font files.

type3_mode

Set the processing mode for handling Type 3 fonts.

Availability:
Available for converters >= 24.04. See versioning.
Default:
raster
Allowed Values:
  • raster — Rasters Type 3 fonts into images, ensuring an exact visual representation in the HTML output.
  • convert — Attempts to convert Type 3 fonts to a web font, resulting in smaller file sizes with some possible visual discrepancies.

split_ligatures

Converts ligatures, two or more letters combined into a single glyph, back into their individual ASCII characters.

Default:
false
Allowed Values:
  • true, 1 or on
  • false, 0 or off

custom_css

Apply custom CSS to the output HTML document to modify the visual appearance and layout. Use this to customize the styling of the converted HTML, adjust fonts, colors, spacing, or override default conversion styles.

Use !important in your CSS rules to prioritize and override conflicting styles.

Availability:
Available for converters >= 24.04. See versioning.
Example:
  • Set the main background color to azure: #page-container { background-color: azure; }

html_namespace

Add the specified prefix to all id and class attributes in the HTML content, creating a namespace for safe integration into another HTML document. This ensures unique identifiers, preventing conflicts when merging with other HTML.

Availability:
Available for converters >= 24.04. See versioning.
Constraint:
  • Start with a letter or underscore, and use only letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores, or colons.
Examples:
  • Namespace for first PDF embed: pdf1_
  • Custom namespace to avoid conflicts: uniqueID123_

force_zip

Enforce the zip output format. Use when you want output as a zip archive even if single-file output would be possible.

Default:
false
Allowed Values:
  • true, 1 or on
  • false, 0 or off

title

Set the HTML title. The title from the input PDF is used by default.

subject

Set the HTML subject. The subject from the input PDF is used by default.

author

Set the HTML author. The author from the input PDF is used by default.

keywords

Associate keywords with the HTML document. Keywords from the input PDF are used by default.

Miscellaneous

debug_log

Turn on debug logging to troubleshoot conversion issues. Details about the conversion process, including resource loading, rendering steps, and error messages are stored in the debug log. Use this when conversions fail or produce unexpected results. The URL of the log is returned in the x-pdfcrowd-debug-log response header or available in conversion statistics.

Default:
false
Allowed Values:
  • true, 1 or on
  • false, 0 or off

tag

Tag the conversion with a custom value for tracking and analytics. Use this to categorize conversions by customer ID, document type, or business unit. The tag appears in conversion statistics. A value longer than 32 characters is cut off.

Example:
  • Track job in analytics: client-1234

http_proxy

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

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

https_proxy

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

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