Pdfcrowd Blog

PDFCrowd Now Available on Integrately

Thu, 29 January 2026 07:35:04 +0200

PDFCrowd is now integrated with Integrately, bringing automated PDF generation to your workflows without writing code.

Get Started

Visit our Integrately integration page, connect your API credentials, and start automating.

URL to PDF — Convert a publicly accessible web page to PDF
HTML to PDF — Convert HTML markup directly from other apps in your automation
Full customization — Control page size, margins, headers, footers, and more

Use Cases

Generate invoices
Create scheduled PDF reports from spreadsheet data
Archive emails or form submissions as PDFs
Send PDF receipts after payments
Convert web pages to PDF for offline sharing

PDFCrowd Now Available on Bubble

Wed, 28 January 2026 07:00:39 +0200

PDFCrowd is now integrated with Bubble, bringing automated PDF generation to your no-code applications.

Get Started

Install the PDF Export by PDFCrowd plugin from the Bubble marketplace, connect your API credentials, and start generating PDFs.

URL to PDF — Convert any publicly accessible web page to PDF
HTML to PDF — Convert raw HTML content from your Bubble app
Seamless Bubble integration — Use dynamic data from your Bubble database in PDF generation
Full customization — Control page size, margins, headers, footers, and more
File output — Get a downloadable PDF file URL to use in your workflows

Use Cases

Generate invoices from app data
Create PDF reports from database records
Export user dashboards as PDFs
Send PDF receipts after purchases
Let users download content as PDF

PDFCrowd Now Available on Postman

Tue, 27 January 2026 17:12:09 +0200

PDFCrowd is now available on Postman, making it easy to test and explore our PDF generation API.

Get Started

Visit our Postman Collection, fork it to your workspace, add your API credentials, and start testing.

URL to PDF — Convert any publicly accessible web page to PDF
HTML to PDF — Convert raw HTML content to PDF
Pre-configured requests — Ready-to-use API requests with common options
Full customization — Control page size, margins, headers, footers, and more
Environment variables — Store your API credentials securely

Use Cases

Test API parameters before integration
Explore conversion options
Generate sample PDFs for stakeholders
Share API examples with your team
Prototype PDF workflows

PDFCrowd Now Available on Zapier and Make

Tue, 13 January 2026 14:59:24 +0200

PDFCrowd is now integrated with Zapier and Make, bringing automated PDF generation to your workflows without writing code.

Get Started

Visit our Zapier or Make integration page, connect your API credentials, and start automating.

URL to PDF — Convert web pages to PDF automatically
HTML to PDF — Transform dynamic content from other apps
Full customization — Control page size, margins, headers, footers, and more

Use Cases

Generate invoices
Create scheduled PDF reports from spreadsheet data
Archive emails or form submissions as PDFs
Send PDF receipts after payments
Convert web pages to PDF for offline sharing

PDFCrowd WebSave updated to 1.4.0

Tue, 13 January 2026 14:24:54 +0200

We have released a new version of our WebSave product.

Improved

Content mode conversions now upload faster on modern browsers, especially for larger pages.

WordPress Plugins updated to 4.5.6

Tue, 13 January 2026 12:19:29 +0200

We have released a new version of our Save as PDF and Save as Image WordPress plugins.

Fixed:

Reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability when the plugin is used in demo mode without an API key configured (CVE-2026-0862, low severity).

PHP API client updated to 6.5.5

Tue, 13 January 2026 10:05:08 +0200

We have released a new version of our PHP API client library.

Fixed:

removed PHP deprecated get_magic_quotes_runtime usage

Export PDF in Django

Wed, 3 December 2025 08:52:23 +0200

Converting HTML to PDF is a common requirement in Django applications - generating invoices, reports, certificates, or any printable document. This tutorial shows how to integrate PDFCrowd's HTML to PDF API into your Django views.

If you prefer a client-only solution without server-side code, see WebSave as PDF.

Installation

Install the PDFCrowd Python client:

pip install pdfcrowd

Converting a URL to PDF

The simplest approach is to create a Django view that serves content at a URL, then convert that URL to PDF. This ensures all static assets (CSS, images) are accessible to the conversion API:

import urllib.parse
from django.http import HttpResponse
from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
import pdfcrowd

@require_POST
def generate_invoice_pdf(request, invoice_id):
    try:
        client = pdfcrowd.HtmlToPdfClient('demo', 'demo')
        client.setPageSize('A4')
        client.setPageMargins('10mm', '10mm', '10mm', '10mm')

        # Build the URL to convert
        invoice_url = request.build_absolute_uri(f'/invoices/{invoice_id}/html/')

        # Prepare the HTTP response
        response = HttpResponse(content_type='application/pdf')
        response['Cache-Control'] = 'max-age=0'
        response['Accept-Ranges'] = 'none'
        response['Content-Disposition'] = (
            "attachment; filename*=UTF-8''" +
            urllib.parse.quote(f'invoice_{invoice_id}.pdf', safe='')
        )

        client.convertUrlToStream(invoice_url, response)
        return response

    except pdfcrowd.Error as why:
        return HttpResponse(
            str(why),
            status=why.getStatusCode(),
            content_type='text/html'
        )

Create a corresponding HTML view that renders the invoice:

from django.shortcuts import render, get_object_or_404

def invoice_html(request, invoice_id):
    invoice = get_object_or_404(Invoice.objects.select_related('customer'), pk=invoice_id)
    return render(request, 'invoices/invoice.html', {
        'invoice': invoice,
        'line_items': invoice.items.all(),
    })

# urls.py
urlpatterns = [
    path('invoices/<int:invoice_id>/html/', invoice_html, name='invoice_html'),
    path('invoices/<int:invoice_id>/pdf/', generate_invoice_pdf, name='invoice_pdf'),
]

Other Conversion Methods

Besides URL conversion, the API supports converting HTML strings and local files.

Use convertStringToStream for rendering Django templates - ideal for documents like invoices or contracts that don't need a public URL:

from django.template.loader import render_to_string

html_content = render_to_string('invoices/invoice_pdf.html', {
    'invoice': invoice,
    'line_items': invoice.items.all(),
})
client.convertStringToStream(html_content, response)

Use convertFileToStream for processing uploaded HTML files:

if hasattr(uploaded_file, 'temporary_file_path'):
    client.convertFileToStream(uploaded_file.temporary_file_path(), response)
else:
    # Small files are kept in memory, use convertString instead
    client.convertStringToStream(uploaded_file.read().decode('utf-8'), response)

Note that when using convertString, any relative URLs for images or CSS won't resolve. Use convertUrl for pages with static assets, or add a <base> tag to your template (requires request in the template context):

<head>
    <base href="{{ request.scheme }}://{{ request.get_host }}/">
    ...
</head>

Adding a "Save as PDF" Button

Create a reusable include template for the PDF button:

<!-- templates/includes/pdf_button.html -->
<form method="post" action="{% url 'save_as_pdf' %}">
    {% csrf_token %}
    <input type="hidden" name="url" value="{{ request.build_absolute_uri }}">
    <input type="hidden" name="filename" value="{{ pdf_filename|default:'page.pdf' }}">
    <button type="submit">Save as PDF</button>
</form>

Then include it on any page that needs PDF export:

<!-- templates/invoices/invoice_detail.html -->
{% extends "base.html" %}

{% block content %}
    <h1>Invoice {{ invoice.number }}</h1>
    ...
    {% include "includes/pdf_button.html" with pdf_filename=invoice.number|add:".pdf" %}
{% endblock %}

Create a generic view that converts any URL:

from django.conf import settings

@require_POST
def save_as_pdf(request):
    try:
        client = pdfcrowd.HtmlToPdfClient('demo', 'demo')
        client.setPageSize('A4')

        # Pass session cookie for authenticated pages
        session_cookie = request.COOKIES.get(settings.SESSION_COOKIE_NAME)
        if session_cookie:
            client.setCookies(f'{settings.SESSION_COOKIE_NAME}={session_cookie}')

        url = request.POST.get('url')
        filename = request.POST.get('filename', 'page.pdf')

        # Validate URL is from your domain
        if not url.startswith(request.build_absolute_uri('/')[:-1]):
            return HttpResponse('Invalid URL', status=400)

        response = HttpResponse(content_type='application/pdf')
        response['Content-Disposition'] = (
            "attachment; filename*=UTF-8''" +
            urllib.parse.quote(filename, safe='')
        )

        client.convertUrlToStream(url, response)
        return response

    except pdfcrowd.Error as why:
        return HttpResponse(
            str(why),
            status=why.getStatusCode(),
            content_type='text/html'
        )

# urls.py
urlpatterns = [
    path('save-as-pdf/', save_as_pdf, name='save_as_pdf'),
]

Now any page can include the PDF button where needed, with a custom filename passed via with.

The example above includes session cookie forwarding via setCookies(), which allows converting password-protected pages. You can pass multiple cookies if needed:

client.setCookies('sessionid=abc123; csrftoken=xyz789')

Configuration Best Practices

Store your API credentials in Django settings:

# settings.py
import os

PDFCROWD_USERNAME = os.environ.get('PDFCROWD_USERNAME')
PDFCROWD_API_KEY = os.environ.get('PDFCROWD_API_KEY')

Then use them in your views:

client = pdfcrowd.HtmlToPdfClient(
    settings.PDFCROWD_USERNAME,
    settings.PDFCROWD_API_KEY
)

Learn More

HTML to PDF Python API - getting started guide
Python API Reference - all available options and methods

Add a PDF Settings Dialog for Your Website Users with WebSave

Wed, 26 November 2025 11:48:46 +0200

When you add a "Save as PDF" button to your website using WebSave, you might want to give visitors control over how their PDF looks. Instead of using fixed settings, you can show a dialog where users choose their preferred page size, filename, and other options before downloading. Learn how to build a custom PDF settings dialog with WebSave.

The Key: onBeforeConversion Hook

WebSave provides an onBeforeConversion callback that runs before PDF conversion starts. This callback receives the configuration object and can:

Modify settings (like apiSettings or fileName)
Return true to cancel the conversion, or false (or nothing) to proceed
Return a Promise for async operations (like waiting for user input)

The last point is crucial: by returning a Promise, we can show a dialog, wait for the user's choice, and then either proceed or cancel.

Step 1: Connect the Hook to Your Button

First, set up the button configuration with onBeforeConversion:

<script src="{{ ws.full_url }}"></script>

<script>
  window.myButtonConfig = {
    onBeforeConversion: function(cfg) {
      return showPrintDialog(cfg);
    }
  };
</script>

<button class="pdfcrowd-websave pdfcrowd-websave-style"
        data-key="demo"
        data-config="myButtonConfig">
  Save as PDF
</button>

Step 2: Create the Dialog Logic

The showPrintDialog function returns a Promise. When the user clicks "Download PDF", we modify the config and resolve with false to proceed. When they cancel, we resolve with true to abort:

let printDialog = null;

function showPrintDialog(cfg) {
  return new Promise((resolve) => {
    // Create dialog once, reuse on subsequent calls
    if (!printDialog) {
      printDialog = createPrintDialog();
      document.body.appendChild(printDialog);
    }

    // Show dialog
    printDialog.style.display = 'flex';

    // Handle Download - apply settings and proceed
    document.getElementById('print-download').onclick = () => {
      const pageSize = document.getElementById('print-page-size').value;
      const fileName = document.getElementById('print-filename').value;

      // Modify the config before conversion
      cfg.apiSettings = cfg.apiSettings || {};
      cfg.apiSettings.page_size = pageSize;
      cfg.fileName = fileName;

      printDialog.style.display = 'none';
      resolve(false);  // false = proceed with conversion
    };

    // Handle Cancel
    document.getElementById('print-cancel').onclick = () => {
      printDialog.style.display = 'none';
      resolve(true);  // true = cancel conversion
    };

    // Close on overlay click
    printDialog.onclick = (e) => {
      if (e.target === printDialog) {
        printDialog.style.display = 'none';
        resolve(true);
      }
    };
  });
}

The dialog is created once and reused. This preserves user's previous selections between clicks.

Step 3: Build the Dialog UI

The createPrintDialog function builds a simple form with page size and filename fields:

function createPrintDialog() {
  const overlay = document.createElement('div');
  overlay.className = 'pdf-dialog-overlay';

  overlay.innerHTML = `
    <div class="pdf-dialog">
      <h3>PDF Options</h3>

      <div class="pdf-dialog-field">
        <label>Page Size</label>
        <select id="print-page-size">
          <option value="a4">A4</option>
          <option value="letter">Letter</option>
          <option value="a3">A3</option>
          <option value="a5">A5</option>
        </select>
      </div>

      <div class="pdf-dialog-field">
        <label>File Name</label>
        <input type="text" id="print-filename" value="document.pdf">
      </div>

      <div class="pdf-dialog-buttons">
        <button id="print-download" class="primary">Download PDF</button>
        <button id="print-cancel">Cancel</button>
      </div>
    </div>
  `;

  return overlay;
}

Add some basic CSS to style the overlay and dialog. You can customize these styles to match your website design:

CSS Styles for the Dialog

<style>
  .pdf-dialog-overlay {
    position: fixed;
    top: 0;
    left: 0;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    background: rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
    display: none;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    z-index: 10000;
  }
  .pdf-dialog {
    background: white;
    padding: 24px;
    border-radius: 8px;
    min-width: 300px;
    font-family: sans-serif;
  }
  .pdf-dialog h3 {
    margin-top: 0;
  }
  .pdf-dialog-field {
    margin-bottom: 16px;
  }
  .pdf-dialog-field label {
    display: block;
    margin-bottom: 4px;
  }
  .pdf-dialog-field select,
  .pdf-dialog-field input {
    width: 100%;
    padding: 8px;
    box-sizing: border-box;
  }
  .pdf-dialog-buttons {
    text-align: center;
    margin-top: 16px;
  }
  .pdf-dialog-buttons button {
    padding: 8px 16px;
    cursor: pointer;
    border: none;
    border-radius: 4px;
    background: #e7e7e7;
    color: #333;
  }
  .pdf-dialog-buttons .primary {
    background: #4a7cdb;
    color: white;
  }
</style>

Adding More Options

You can easily extend the dialog with additional input fields for orientation, margins, password protection, and more. Just add the HTML elements and read their values into cfg.apiSettings:

// Orientation
cfg.apiSettings.orientation = document.getElementById('print-orientation').value;

// Password protect the PDF
cfg.apiSettings.user_password = document.getElementById('print-password').value;

See the HTML to PDF API Reference for all available options.

Live Demo

Try it yourself:

Here's a complete HTML file you can deploy to your web server:

Complete Working Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>PDF Settings Dialog Example</title>
  <script src="{{ ws.full_url }}" async></script>
  <style>
    .pdf-dialog-overlay {
      position: fixed;
      top: 0;
      left: 0;
      width: 100%;
      height: 100%;
      background: rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
      display: none;
      align-items: center;
      justify-content: center;
      z-index: 10000;
    }
    .pdf-dialog {
      background: white;
      padding: 24px;
      border-radius: 8px;
      min-width: 300px;
      font-family: sans-serif;
    }
    .pdf-dialog h3 {
      margin-top: 0;
    }
    .pdf-dialog-field {
      margin-bottom: 16px;
    }
    .pdf-dialog-field label {
      display: block;
      margin-bottom: 4px;
    }
    .pdf-dialog-field select,
    .pdf-dialog-field input {
      width: 100%;
      padding: 8px;
      box-sizing: border-box;
    }
    .pdf-dialog-buttons {
      text-align: center;
      margin-top: 16px;
    }
    .pdf-dialog-buttons button {
      padding: 8px 16px;
      cursor: pointer;
      border: none;
      border-radius: 4px;
      background: #e7e7e7;
      color: #333;
    }
    .pdf-dialog-buttons .primary {
      background: #4a7cdb;
      color: white;
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>PDF Settings Dialog Demo</h1>
  <p>Click the button to see the settings dialog.</p>

  <button class="pdfcrowd-websave pdfcrowd-websave-style"
          data-key="demo"
          data-config="myButtonConfig">
    Save as PDF
  </button>

  <script>
    function createPrintDialog() {
      const overlay = document.createElement('div');
      overlay.className = 'pdf-dialog-overlay';

      overlay.innerHTML = `
        <div class="pdf-dialog">
          <h3>PDF Options</h3>

          <div class="pdf-dialog-field">
            <label>Page Size</label>
            <select id="print-page-size">
              <option value="a4">A4</option>
              <option value="letter">Letter</option>
              <option value="a3">A3</option>
              <option value="a5">A5</option>
            </select>
          </div>

          <div class="pdf-dialog-field">
            <label>File Name</label>
            <input type="text" id="print-filename" value="document.pdf">
          </div>

          <div class="pdf-dialog-buttons">
            <button id="print-download" class="primary">Download PDF</button>
            <button id="print-cancel">Cancel</button>
          </div>
        </div>
      `;

      return overlay;
    }

    let printDialog = null;

    function showPrintDialog(cfg) {
      return new Promise((resolve) => {
        if (!printDialog) {
          printDialog = createPrintDialog();
          document.body.appendChild(printDialog);
        }

        printDialog.style.display = 'flex';

        document.getElementById('print-download').onclick = () => {
          const pageSize = document.getElementById('print-page-size').value;
          const fileName = document.getElementById('print-filename').value;

          cfg.apiSettings = cfg.apiSettings || {};
          cfg.apiSettings.page_size = pageSize;
          cfg.fileName = fileName;

          printDialog.style.display = 'none';
          resolve(false);
        };

        document.getElementById('print-cancel').onclick = () => {
          printDialog.style.display = 'none';
          resolve(true);
        };

        printDialog.onclick = (e) => {
          if (e.target === printDialog) {
            printDialog.style.display = 'none';
            resolve(true);
          }
        };
      });
    }

    window.myButtonConfig = {
      onBeforeConversion: function(cfg) {
        return showPrintDialog(cfg);
      }
    };
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Learn More

WebSave Documentation - Complete guide to WebSave
WebSave Configuration Reference - All WebSave options and callbacks
HTML to PDF API Reference - All available PDF options
Add PDF Export to Reactive Apps - Using WebSave with React, Vue, Svelte and more

PDFCrowd WebSave updated to 1.3.0

Thu, 13 November 2025 15:04:11 +0200

We have released a new version of our WebSave product.

Version 1.3.0

New Features

window.WebSave.initButton(element) - Manually initialize buttons added to the page after WebSave loads. Required for single-page applications and dynamically generated content.
Example:
```
window.WebSave.initButton(document.querySelector('.my-button'))
```

Version 1.2.0

New Features

Automatic form capture - All form values (text inputs, textareas, checkboxes, radio buttons, select elements) are automatically captured and included in the output when using content mode. No additional configuration needed.
Reactive configuration - Configuration objects are now read fresh before each conversion.

Version 1.1.0

Improvements

NoScript cleanup - <noscript> tags are now automatically removed in content mode.

Version 1.0.0

Initial release - Save any web page as PDF or image directly from the browser.