PDF to Text / 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:
txt
Allowed Values:
  • txt

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

The password to open the encrypted PDF file.

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 the first 3 pages are printed: -3
  • Pages 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are printed: 3,6-9

no_layout

Ignore the original PDF layout. Extract text in reading order without preserving column structure or positioning. Simpler output for pure text extraction.

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

eol

The end-of-line convention for the text output.

Default:
unix
Allowed Values:
  • unix — Unix convention "LF" is used.
  • dos — DOS convention "CR LF" is used.
  • mac — Mac convention "CR" is used.

page_break_mode

Specify the page break mode for the text output.

Default:
none
Allowed Values:
  • none — No page breaks are inserted.
  • default — The standard page break code "FF" is used.
  • custom — A custom page break is used.

custom_page_break

Specify the custom page break.

Examples:
  • Clear text between pages: END OF PAGE
  • Visual separator with line break 
    ----my page break----

paragraph_mode

Specify the paragraph detection mode. Enable to format output with proper paragraph breaks. Use "none" for raw text, or detection modes for formatted output.

Default:
none
Allowed Values:
  • none — No paragraph detection.
  • bounding-box — Paragraph detection based on line bounding boxes.
  • characters — Paragraph detection based on the number of characters in the line.

line_spacing_threshold

Set the maximum line spacing when the paragraph detection mode is enabled.

Constraint:
  • The value must be a positive integer percentage.
Default:
10%

remove_hyphenation

Remove the hyphen character from the end of lines.

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

remove_empty_lines

Remove empty lines from the text output.

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

crop_area_x

Set the top left X coordinate of the crop area in points.

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer or 0.
Example:
  • Start extraction at 1.4 inches from left: 100

crop_area_y

Set the top left Y coordinate of the crop area in points.

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer or 0.
Example:
  • Start extraction at 1.4 inches from top: 100

crop_area_width

Set the width of the crop area in points.

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer or 0.
Default:
PDF page width.
Example:
  • Extract narrow 1.4 inch width: 100

crop_area_height

Set the height of the crop area in points.

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer or 0.
Default:
PDF page height.
Example:
  • Extract small 1.4 inch height: 100

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