PDF Export in Zapier Reference

Overview

This document provides complete technical reference for the PDFCrowd Zapier integration. The integration allows you to convert HTML content or web pages to PDF directly within your Zaps. For general Zapier documentation, see the Zapier Help Center.

Authentication

The PDFCrowd Zapier integration uses your PDFCrowd account credentials for authentication. You can find your credentials in your PDFCrowd account.

Username

Your PDFCrowd username. This is the username you use to log in to your PDFCrowd account. Find it in your account settings.

API Key

Your PDFCrowd API key. This is different from your account password. Find it in your API settings.

Convert HTML to PDF Action

The "Convert HTML to PDF" action converts a URL or HTML string to a PDF file. You can use either a public URL or provide raw HTML content for conversion. The action supports two modes: Basic mode shows common options, while Expert mode reveals all available conversion parameters organized by category.

Conversion Input

Specify the content to convert. You must provide either a URL or HTML content.

URL

The URL of the web page to convert to PDF. **Important: The URL must be publicly accessible.** If both URL and HTML Content are provided, the URL takes precedence.

HTML String

Raw HTML content to convert to PDF. Use this when you have HTML generated by a previous step in your Zap, or when converting content that is not available at a public URL.

Output Filename

The filename for the generated PDF.

Default:
document.pdf

Options Mode

Control which conversion options are displayed.

Options Mode

Basic mode shows common options. Expert mode shows all available options organized by category.

Default:
Basic
Allowed Values:
  • Basic — Show common options only
  • Expert — Show all available options

Page Setup

Page Size

Set the output page size using standard formats (A4, Letter, A3, etc.). Use A4 for international documents, Letter for US-based content, or larger sizes like A3 for posters and presentations.

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

Page Width

Set custom page dimensions when standard sizes don't fit your needs. Useful for banners, receipts, custom forms, or when matching specific printing equipment.

The safe maximum is 200in - larger sizes may fail to open in some PDF viewers. For standard sizes like A4 or Letter, use the predefined page size option instead.

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: "297mm"
  • US Letter/Legal standard width: "8.5in"

Page Height

Set custom page height for specific formats like receipts, banners, or legal documents. Set to "-1" for a single-page PDF that expands to fit all content vertically - ideal for web pages, infographics, or documents where page breaks are undesirable.

The safe maximum is 200in otherwise some viewers cannot open the PDF. For standard sizes, use the predefined page size option instead.

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: "420mm"
  • Auto-fit entire content in single page: "-1"
  • US Legal for contracts and documents: "14in"

Orientation

Set the output page orientation to portrait or landscape. Use landscape for wide content like spreadsheets, charts, or dashboards. Use portrait for standard documents and text-heavy content.

Default:
portrait
Allowed Values:
  • landscape
  • portrait

Margin Top

Control white space at the top of the page. Increase for header space, formal documents, or annotation room (e.g., 1in or more). Decrease to maximize content area or fit more content (e.g., 5mm to 10mm).

Default 0.4in balances readability with space efficiency. Set to 0 for full-bleed designs. Affects where content starts and where headers appear.

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: "1in"
  • Narrow professional margin: "10mm"

Margin Right

Control white space on the right edge of the page. Increase for binding/hole-punch clearance or note-taking space (e.g., 1in or more). Decrease to fit wider content (e.g., 5mm to 10mm).

Default 0.4in balances readability with space efficiency. Set to 0 for full-bleed designs. Affects where content wraps and text line length.

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: "1in"
  • Narrow professional margin: "10mm"

Margin Bottom

Control white space at the bottom of the page. Increase for footer space, page numbers, or formal documents (e.g., 1in or more). Decrease to fit more content per page (e.g., 5mm to 10mm).

Default 0.4in balances readability with space efficiency. Set to 0 for full-bleed designs. Affects where content ends and where footers appear.

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: "1in"
  • Narrow professional margin: "10mm"

Margin Left

Control white space on the left edge of the page. Increase for binding/hole-punch clearance or note-taking space (e.g., 1in or more). Decrease to fit wider content (e.g., 5mm to 10mm).

Default 0.4in balances readability with space efficiency. Set to 0 for full-bleed designs. Affects where content starts horizontally and text line length.

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: "1in"
  • Narrow professional margin: "10mm"

No Margins

Disable all page margins to use the entire page area. Use this for full-bleed designs where content should extend to the page edges, such as posters, certificates, or branded materials.

Combine with custom CSS to ensure your content fills the page properly.

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

Print Page Range

Set the page range to print when you only need specific pages from the conversion. Use this to extract individual pages (e.g., "2"), specific ranges (e.g., "3-7"), or combinations (e.g., "1,4-6,last"). Ideal for creating excerpts from long documents or excluding cover pages from batch processing.

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: "2"
  • The first, third, and last pages are printed: "1,3,last"
  • 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"

Content Viewport Width

Set the viewport width for formatting the HTML content when generating a PDF. Use this to control how responsive designs render - prevent mobile styles from applying when you want desktop layout, or ensure content appears at the right width.

Specify a viewport width to control content rendering, ensuring it mimics the appearance on various devices or matches specific design requirements.

Availability:
API client >= 6.0.0, converter >= 24.04. See versioning.
Constraint:
  • The value must be 'balanced', 'small', 'medium', 'large', 'extra-large', or a number in the range 96-65000px.
Default:
medium
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.
  • 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.
Examples:
  • Use the "large" viewport: "large"
  • Use an 800 pixels wide viewport: "800px"

Content Viewport Height

Set the viewport height for formatting the HTML content when generating a PDF. Specify a viewport height to enforce loading of lazy-loaded images and affect vertical positioning of absolutely positioned elements within the content.

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

Content Fit Mode

Specify the mode for fitting the HTML content to the print area by upscaling or downscaling it. Use this to prevent content from being cut off at page edges or to enable smart scaling of oversized content.

Availability:
API client >= 6.0.0, converter >= 24.04. See versioning.
Default:
auto
Allowed Values:
  • auto — Automatic mode
  • smart-scaling — Smartscaling to fit more content into the print area.
  • no-scaling — No scaling is performed. Content may be cut off if it exceeds page boundaries. Use for pixel-perfect output.
  • 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.

Remove Blank Pages

Specify which blank pages to exclude from the output document to create cleaner PDFs. Use "trailing" to remove empty pages at the end caused by page break issues. Use "all" to remove blank pages throughout the document when converting content with formatting quirks. Helps eliminate unwanted white pages from the final output.

Availability:
API client >= 5.13.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
trailing
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.

Watermark & Background

Page Watermark 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.

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

Multipage Watermark 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.

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

Page Background 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.

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

Multipage Background 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.

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

Page Background Color

Set a solid background color for all pages, filling the entire page area including margins. Useful for creating branded PDFs with corporate colors, highlighting draft documents, or improving readability with off-white backgrounds.

Supports transparency with RGBA format - use semi-transparent colors for subtle effects without obscuring content. Format as RGB (FF0000) or RGBA (FF000080) hexadecimal.

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

General Options

Use Print Media

Use the print version of the page if available via @media print CSS rules. Enable this when converting websites that have print-optimized styles. Many sites hide navigation, ads, and sidebars in print mode.

Produces cleaner PDFs by using the design the website creator intended for printing.

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

No Background

Do not print the background graphics to create printer-friendly PDFs. Use this when documents will be physically printed to save ink costs and improve readability.

Removes background colors, images, and patterns while preserving text and foreground content. Particularly useful for documents with dark backgrounds or decorative elements.

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

Disable JavaScript

Do not execute JavaScript during conversion. Use this to improve conversion speed when JavaScript is not needed, prevent dynamic content changes, or avoid security risks from untrusted scripts.

Note that disabling JavaScript means lazy-loaded images and AJAX content will not load.

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

Disable Image Loading

Do not load images during conversion to create text-only PDFs. Use this to significantly speed up conversion, reduce file size, or create accessible text-focused documents.

Ideal for converting documentation where images are not needed, reducing bandwidth usage, or creating lightweight PDFs for email distribution.

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

Disable Remote Fonts

Disable loading fonts from remote sources. Use this to speed up conversion by avoiding font download delays, ensure consistent rendering with system fonts, or work around font loading failures.

Note that text will fall back to system fonts, which may change the document's appearance.

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

Use Mobile User Agent

Deprecated Replaced with: converter_user_agent

Use a mobile user agent when making requests to the source URL.

Availability:
API client >= 5.3.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
false
Allowed Values:
  • true, 1 or on
  • false, 0 or off

Load Iframes

Specifies how iframes are handled during conversion. Use "all" to include all embedded content (videos, maps, widgets). Use "same-origin" to include only content from the same domain for security purposes. Use "none" to exclude all iframes for faster conversion and to avoid third-party content issues.

Disabling iframes can significantly improve performance and reliability.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
all
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.

Block Ads

Automatically block common advertising networks and tracking scripts during conversion, producing cleaner PDFs with faster conversion times. Filters out third-party ad content, analytics beacons, and ad network resources.

Ideal for converting news sites, blogs, or any ad-heavy content where ads distract from the main message. May occasionally block legitimate third-party content - disable if critical third-party resources are missing.

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

Default Encoding

Specify the character encoding when the HTML lacks proper charset declaration or has incorrect encoding. Prevents garbled text for non-English content, especially legacy pages without UTF-8 encoding.

Set to "utf-8" for modern content, "iso-8859-1" for Western European legacy pages, or other encodings for specific regional content. Only needed when auto-detection fails and you see corrupted characters in the output.

Default:
auto detect
Examples:
  • Set to use Latin-2 encoding: "iso8859-2"
  • Set to use UTF-8 encoding: "utf-8"

Locale

Set the locale for the conversion to control regional formatting of dates, times, and numbers. Use this when converting content for specific regions - for example, set to "en-US" for MM/DD/YYYY dates and comma thousand separators, or "de-DE" for DD.MM.YYYY dates and period thousand separators.

Essential for financial reports, invoices, or localized content.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
en-US
Example:
  • Set to use Japanese locale: "ja-JP"

HTTP Auth User Name

Set the HTTP authentication user name. Required to access protected web pages or staging environments.

Example:
  • HTTP auth username: "John"

HTTP Auth Password

Set the HTTP authentication password. Required to access protected web pages or staging environments.

Example:
  • Simple password for protected sites: "123456"

Cookies

Set HTTP cookies to be included in all requests made by the converter to access authenticated or session-based content. Use this when converting pages that require login, maintain user sessions, or personalize content based on cookies.

Essential for converting member-only areas, dashboards, or any content behind cookie-based authentication. Format as semicolon-separated name=value pairs.

Example:
  • Multiple cookies for authentication: "session=6d7184b3bf35;token=2710"

Verify SSL Certificates

Enforce SSL certificate validation for secure connections, preventing conversions from sites with invalid certificates. Enable when converting from production sites with valid certificates to ensure security.

When disabled, allows conversion from any HTTPS site regardless of certificate validity - including development servers with self-signed certificates, internal corporate sites with expired certificates, or local testing environments.

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

Fail On Main URL Error

Abort the conversion if the HTTP status code of the main URL is greater than or equal to 400 (client/server errors). Use this in automated workflows to catch broken URLs or authentication failures early rather than producing invalid PDFs. Ensures your system does not silently generate error page PDFs when source content is unavailable.

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

Fail On Any URL Error

Abort the conversion if any sub-request (images, stylesheets, scripts) fails with HTTP 400+ errors. Use this for strict quality control when all assets must load successfully.

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

CSS Page Rule Mode

Specifies behavior in the presence of CSS @page rules to control which settings take precedence. Use "default" to prioritize API settings over CSS rules, ensuring consistent output regardless of input HTML. Use "mode2" to respect CSS @page rules for print-optimized HTML.

This solves conflicts when CSS tries to override your API page setup.

Availability:
API client >= 5.0.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
default
Allowed Values:
  • default — The PDFCrowd API page settings are preferred.
  • mode1 — The converter version 18.10 mode. Use for backward compatibility with legacy conversion behavior.
  • mode2 — CSS @page rule is preferred. Use when your HTML has print-optimized @page rules that should override API settings.

Custom CSS

Apply custom CSS to the input HTML document to modify the visual appearance and layout of your content dynamically. Use this to override default styles, adjust spacing, change fonts, or fix layout issues without modifying the source HTML.

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

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

Custom JavaScript

Run a custom JavaScript after the document is loaded and ready to print. Use this to modify page content before conversion, remove unwanted elements, or trigger specific page states. 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.

Example:
  • Set the page background color to gray: "document.body.style.setProperty('background-color', 'gray', 'important')"

On Load 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.

Example:
  • Set the page background color to gray: "document.body.style.setProperty('background-color', 'gray', 'important')"

Custom HTTP Header

Set a custom HTTP header to be included in all requests made by the converter. Use this to pass authentication tokens to protected sites, add tracking headers for analytics, or provide API keys for accessing private content.

Essential when converting content from APIs or internal systems that require special headers for access control.

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

JavaScript Delay

Wait the specified number of milliseconds to finish all JavaScript after the document is loaded. Use this to ensure lazy-loaded images, AJAX content, or animations complete before conversion. Your license defines the maximum wait time by "Max Delay" parameter.

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer or 0.
Default:
200
Example:
  • Wait for 2 seconds: 2000

Element To Convert

Convert only the specified element from the main document and its children. Use this to extract specific portions of a page (like article content) while excluding navigation, headers, footers, or sidebars. 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.

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

Element To Convert Mode

Control how CSS styles are applied when converting only part of a page. The "cut-out" option extracts the element into a new document root, which may break CSS selectors like "body > div". The "remove-siblings" option keeps the element in its original DOM position but deletes other elements, preserving descendant selectors. The "hide-siblings" option keeps all elements but hides non-selected ones with display:none, preserving all CSS context.

Default:
cut-out
Allowed Values:
  • cut-out — The element and its children are cut out of the document.
  • remove-siblings — All element's siblings are removed from the DOM. Keeps target element in position but may break descendant CSS selectors.
  • hide-siblings — All element's siblings are hidden using display:none. Preserves CSS context while hiding non-target content.

Wait For Element

Wait for the specified element in a source document. Use this when specific dynamic content must be ready before conversion, avoiding unnecessary delays from a fixed JavaScript delay. 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 the "Max Delay" parameter.

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

Auto Detect Element To Convert

The main HTML element for conversion is detected automatically. Use this when you want to extract article or main content without knowing the exact CSS selector, automatically excluding navigation and sidebars.

Availability:
API client >= 5.5.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
false
Allowed Values:
  • true, 1 or on
  • false, 0 or off

Readability Enhancements

Automatically enhance the input HTML to improve readability by removing clutter and reformatting content. Use this when converting web pages with excessive navigation, ads, or sidebars that distract from the main content.

Different versions (v1-v4) use progressively aggressive algorithms - start with "v1" and increase if more cleanup is needed. Ideal for converting blog posts, articles, or documentation into clean PDFs.

Availability:
API client >= 5.5.0, converter >= 20.10. See versioning.
Default:
none
Allowed Values:
  • none — No enhancements are used.
  • readability-v1 — Version 1 of the enhancements is used. Basic cleanup for simple pages with moderate clutter.
  • readability-v2 — Version 2 of the enhancements is used. More aggressive cleanup for pages with more ads and navigation.
  • readability-v3 — Version 3 of the enhancements is used. Strong cleanup for heavily cluttered pages with multiple sidebars.
  • readability-v4 — Version 4 of the enhancements is used. Maximum cleanup for extremely cluttered pages. May remove some content.

PDF Format

Miscellaneous values for PDF output.

Enable PDF Forms

Convert HTML forms to fillable PDF forms that users can complete in PDF readers. Use this to create interactive PDFs from HTML forms.

Ideal for creating fillable applications, surveys, or order forms that work offline. Details can be found in the blog post.

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

Linearize

Create linearized PDF. This is also known as Fast Web View. Use this to optimize PDFs for progressive download, allowing users to start viewing the first page while the rest downloads.

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

Encrypt

Encrypt the PDF to prevent search engines from indexing the contents and add an extra layer of security. Use this for confidential documents, internal reports, or any content you do not want appearing in search results.

Combine with a password to require authentication for viewing, or just use encryption alone to prevent indexing while keeping the PDF publicly readable.

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

User Password

Protect the PDF with a user password to restrict who can open and view the document. Recipients must enter this password to view the PDF. Use this for confidential documents, sensitive data, or content distribution where you want to control access.

Combine with permission flags to restrict what users can do after opening.

Example:
  • Simple document password: "123456"

Owner Password

Protect the PDF with an owner password for administrative control. This password allows changing permissions, passwords, and document restrictions - like a master key. Use different user and owner passwords to give recipients restricted access while retaining full control.

The owner password should be kept confidential and different from the user password.

Example:
  • Admin access password: "123456"

No Print

Disallow printing of the output PDF to protect sensitive content. Use this for confidential documents, copyrighted materials, or preview versions you want to restrict.

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

No Modify

Disallow modification of the output PDF to maintain document integrity. Use this for official documents, contracts, or records that should not be altered after creation. Prevents recipients from editing content, adding annotations, or extracting pages.

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

No Copy

Disallow text and graphics extraction from the output PDF to protect copyrighted content. Use this for ebooks, proprietary documents, or materials where you want to prevent easy copying and redistribution.

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

Title

Set the title of the PDF that appears in PDF reader title bars and document properties. Use descriptive titles for better organization and searchability in document management systems.

This metadata helps users identify documents when multiple PDFs are open and improves accessibility for screen readers.

Example:
  • Personal CV title: "My Resume"

Subject

Set the subject of the PDF to categorize or summarize the document content. Use this to add searchable metadata for document management systems, improve organization in large PDF libraries, or provide context about the document's purpose.

Appears in PDF properties dialog.

Example:
  • Technical position subject: "CV - Software Developer"

Author

Set the author of the PDF for attribution and document tracking. Use this to identify who created the document, important for official documents, reports, or publications.

This metadata appears in PDF properties and helps with document management and version control.

Example:
  • Document author name: "John Doe"

Keywords

Associate keywords with the document to improve searchability in document management systems. Use relevant terms that describe the content, making it easier to find documents later.

Separate multiple keywords with commas. Particularly useful for large document repositories or DAM systems.

Example:
  • Technical skills for searchability: "software developer, Unix, databases"

Extract Meta Tags

Extract meta tags (author, keywords and description) from the input HTML and automatically populate PDF metadata. Use this when converting web pages that already have proper HTML meta tags, saving you from manually setting title, author, and keywords.

Ideal for automated conversion workflows where source HTML is well-structured.

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

Viewer Preferences

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

Page Layout

Control how pages appear when the PDF opens in viewers that respect these preferences. "single-page" for focused reading one page at a time. "one-column" for continuous scrolling like a web page. "two-column-left" for book-like layouts with odd pages on left (international standard). "two-column-right" for magazines with odd pages on right.

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.

Page Mode

Control the initial display mode when the PDF opens. "full-screen" for presentations and kiosk displays where you want an immersive experience. "thumbnails" for long documents where visual page navigation is helpful. "outlines" for structured documents with bookmarks/table of contents.

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

Initial Zoom Type

Control how the PDF is initially zoomed when opened.

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.

Initial Page

Display the specified page when the document is opened.

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer.
Example:
  • Start at second page: 2

Initial Zoom

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

Constraint:
  • Must be a positive integer.
Example:
  • Half-size zoom level: 50

Hide Toolbar

Hide the viewer's toolbar when the PDF is opened to provide a cleaner, more focused reading experience. Use this for presentations, kiosk displays, or immersive reading where you want minimal UI distractions.

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

Hide Menubar

Hide the viewer's menu bar when the PDF is opened for a cleaner interface. Use this for kiosk mode, presentations, or embedded PDFs where you want to minimize UI elements.

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

Hide Window UI

Hide user interface elements like scroll bars and navigation controls when the PDF opens. Use this for presentation mode, digital signage, or embedded PDFs where you want the most minimal interface possible.

Combines with other UI hiding options for full-screen immersive viewing.

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

Fit Window

Resize the PDF viewer window to fit the size of the first displayed page when opened. Use this to ensure the PDF opens at an appropriate size rather than filling the entire screen.

Particularly useful for small documents, forms, or certificates that look better at actual size.

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

Center Window

Position the PDF viewer window in the center of the screen when opened. Use this with window resizing to create a professional, centered display for forms, certificates, or small documents.

Improves the initial viewing experience by avoiding corner-positioned windows.

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

Display Title

Display the title of the HTML document in the PDF viewer's title bar instead of the filename. Use this to show more descriptive titles when PDFs are opened - particularly useful when the filename is cryptic or auto-generated.

Improves user experience by showing meaningful document names.

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

Right To Left

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.

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

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 can be obtained from the getDebugLogUrl method 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"

Tweaks

Expert options for fine-tuning output.

Layout DPI

Set the internal DPI resolution used for positioning of PDF contents. It can help in situations where 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.
Constraint:
  • The accepted range is 72-600.
Default:
300
Example:
  • Low DPI for faster processing: 144

Main Document CSS Annotation

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

Conversion Config

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.
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"
    }
  ]
}

Connection Options

Converter 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.
Default:
24.04
Allowed Values:
  • 24.04 — Version 24.04.
  • 20.10 — Version 20.10.
  • 18.10 — Version 18.10.

Output Fields

After a successful conversion, the action returns the following fields that you can use in subsequent steps of your Zap.

PDF File

The generated PDF file. This is a Zapier file object that can be used with other Zapier actions that accept files, such as uploading to cloud storage, sending via email, or attaching to records in other apps.

Filename

The filename of the generated PDF, as specified in the Output Filename input field.

Job ID

A unique identifier for this conversion job. Useful for tracking and debugging purposes.

Page Count

The number of pages in the generated PDF document.

Output Size

The size of the generated PDF file in bytes.

Credits Used

The number of API credits consumed by this conversion.

Credits Remaining

The number of API credits remaining in your account after this conversion.

Debug Log URL

URL to the debug log for this conversion (only available if debug logging is enabled). Useful for troubleshooting conversion issues.