PDF to Image - HTTP POST Guide

This page serves as a guide for using the Pdfcrowd API to convert PDF into images via HTTP POST. The API is HTTP-based and communicates through standard HTTP requests. You can call the API by sending an HTTP request to the API server address with options passed as POST data.

You can also check out our API Client Libraries if you want to implement the API in your favorite programming language.

Quick Start

Below are HTTP POST examples to help you quickly get started with the API. Explore our additional examples for more insights.

For a multi-page PDF, the API returns a ZIP archive containing an image for each page. For a single-page PDF, the output is directly an image (e.g., PNG). To determine the output format, check the Content-Type response header. You can enforce the use of a ZIP archive by using force_zip. 

curl -f -u "demo:ce544b6ea52a5621fb9d55f8b542d14d" \
    -o "invoice.zip" \
    -F "input_format=pdf" \
    -F "output_format=png" \
    -F "force_zip=true" \
    -F "url=https://pdfcrowd.com/static/pdf/apisamples/invoice.pdf" \
    https://api.pdfcrowd.com/convert/24.04/

Authentication

To access the API, you will need to use your Pdfcrowd username and API key. For initial testing, you may use the following demo credentials without registering:

  • Username: demo
  • API key: ce544b6ea52a5621fb9d55f8b542d14d

To obtain your personal API credentials, consider starting a free API trial or purchasing the API license.

The authentication method for user credentials is HTTP Basic Access Authentication. You provide your credentials every time you make a request.

Server Address

The server address: https://api.pdfcrowd.com/convert/24.04/

Older API versions:

  • https://api.pdfcrowd.com/convert/20.10/ specifically for API version 20.10
  • https://api.pdfcrowd.com/convert/18.10/ specifically for API version 18.10
  • https://api.pdfcrowd.com/convert/latest/ deprecated

The content type for POST requests must be `multipart/form-data` if the request uploads any local files. Otherwise, `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` can also be used.

Response Headers

The HTTP response contains the following headers.

Name Description
x-pdfcrowd-debug-log URL of the debug log
x-pdfcrowd-remaining-credits The number of conversion credits remaining in your account
x-pdfcrowd-consumed-credits The number of credits used for the conversion
x-pdfcrowd-job-id The unique identifier for the conversion
x-pdfcrowd-output-size Size of the output data in bytes

Troubleshooting

  • If you are receiving an error, refer to the API Status Codes for more information.
  • Utilize debug_log to obtain detailed information about the conversion process, including load errors, load times, browser console output, etc.
  • Consult the FAQ for answers to common questions.
  • Contact us if you need assistance or if there is a feature you are missing.

POST Parameter Reference

Refer to the PDF to Image POST Reference for a description of all options.