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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallTo create a PDF from HTML with PDFShift in Node.js, send the HTML in the source property to https://api.pdfshift.io/v3/convert/pdf, authenticate with an X-API-Key header, and write the returned PDF bytes to a file. Use raw HTML for generated or private markup; use a URL when PDFShift can fetch the page and that better fits your workflow.
Convert raw HTML to a PDF in Node.js
This example uses SuperAgent, one of the Node.js HTTP clients for which PDFShift publishes an example. It reads the API key from an environment variable, checks that the key is present, and saves the response body as result.pdf.
const superagent = require('superagent');
const fs = require('node:fs');
async function main() {
const apiKey = process.env.PDFSHIFT_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) {
throw new Error('Set the PDFSHIFT_API_KEY environment variable.');
}
const html = `<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Example</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>PDFShift from Node.js</h1>
<p>Generated from HTML.</p>
</body>
</html>`;
const response = await superagent
.post('https://api.pdfshift.io/v3/convert/pdf')
.set('X-API-Key', apiKey)
.send({ source: html })
.responseType('blob');
fs.writeFileSync('result.pdf', response.body);
console.log('Wrote result.pdf');
}
main().catch((error) => {
console.error('PDF conversion failed:', error.message);
process.exitCode = 1;
});Install SuperAgent with npm install superagent, then set the key in the shell before running the script: PDFSHIFT_API_KEY=your_key node convert.js. On Windows PowerShell, set it for the current session with $env:PDFSHIFT_API_KEY="your_key", then run node convert.js. Keep the key out of source control.
The request shape follows PDFShift’s raw-HTML Node.js guide. The API key must be supplied in the X-API-Key header, and the response body contains the PDF data. The example uses synchronous file writing for brevity; for a large application, choose an output path deliberately and handle file-system errors as well as request errors.
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Choose raw HTML or a URL
| Input | Use it when | What happens |
|---|---|---|
Raw HTML in source |
Your application already has the markup, the document is private, or you want control over the HTML sent for rendering. | PDFShift receives the markup directly and does not need to fetch the source page itself. You can inline CSS and JavaScript where practical to reduce external resource requests. |
A page URL in source |
The page is reachable to PDFShift and fetching the live page suits your workflow. | PDFShift fetches the page URL and renders it. External page resources may also need to load for the output to look as intended. |
PDFShift recommends raw HTML as a way to reduce network requests and loading time, but its guide does not provide a measured speed comparison or guarantee a specific improvement. See its raw-HTML guide and URL-to-PDF guide for the respective request patterns.
Use a URL as the source
When the page is publicly reachable and you want the converter to load it, send the URL as the same source property. The request endpoint and authentication header do not change. PDFShift’s Node.js URL example uses Axios; the following illustrates that pattern with response bytes written to a file:
const axios = require('axios');
const fs = require('node:fs');
async function main() {
const apiKey = process.env.PDFSHIFT_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error('Set PDFSHIFT_API_KEY first.');
const response = await axios.post(
'https://api.pdfshift.io/v3/convert/pdf',
{ source: 'https://example.com' },
{
headers: { 'X-API-Key': apiKey },
responseType: 'arraybuffer',
}
);
fs.writeFileSync('result.pdf', response.data);
}
main().catch((error) => {
console.error('PDF conversion failed:', error.message);
process.exitCode = 1;
});Install Axios with npm install axios. Substitute a URL PDFShift can access. A URL that requires a browser login or is blocked from external requests may not be suitable without additional authentication or request configuration.
Rank #2
What to configure for real documents
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and external assets
Raw HTML gives your application control of the markup. If the document depends on styles, scripts, images, or fonts hosted elsewhere, those resources still need to be available to the renderer. Inline critical styles or scripts when appropriate to avoid unnecessary external fetches; this is a practical recommendation, not a promise that every dependency will load or that conversion time will improve by a fixed amount.
Headers, footers, pages, and timing
PDFShift’s Node.js guide index includes examples and tutorials for secured pages, custom headers and footers, watermarks, CSS and JavaScript inputs, timeouts, page selection, full-height documents, cookies, webhooks, remote storage, Amazon S3 delivery, and waiting for a custom element. Use the relevant feature when the document needs it rather than assuming a basic HTML request covers those cases. The official guide index is at PDFShift’s Node.js guides.
HTTP client choice
PDFShift lists Node examples for Axios, Bent, Got, Needle, NodeFetch, SuperAgent, and Unfetch. Choose the client already used by your application; the available examples do not establish that one client is faster or universally better.
Rank #3
Limits, credits, and planning
PDFShift’s pricing page accessed on October 3, 2026 listed the free plan at 50 credits per month, a maximum file size of 15 MB, and a 30-second timeout. It says one credit is counted per 5 MB of generated data. These are plan details shown on that date, not permanent guarantees; check the current PDFShift pricing page before budgeting or relying on a limit.
The same pricing page lists CSS/JavaScript injection and advanced headers/footers among basic features. It lists no file size limit, AWS S3 delivery, and parallel/asynchronous responses among features beyond the free-plan limits. Review the current plan terms for the exact availability and constraints that apply to your account.
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Troubleshoot common PDF conversion problems
The script reports a missing API key
Set PDFSHIFT_API_KEY in the environment of the process running Node.js. Check for shell or deployment-environment mismatches, and do not paste the key into a committed JavaScript file.
Rank #4
The request fails before a PDF is saved
Check that the request reaches https://api.pdfshift.io/v3/convert/pdf, that the key is sent as X-API-Key, and that source contains either the HTML string or the intended page URL. Log the service’s error response in a way that does not expose credentials. The sample catches rejected requests, but production error handling should retain useful status and diagnostic information.
Images or other resources are missing
Verify that the resource URLs are valid and reachable to the renderer, not just from your local browser. For a document built in your application, consider embedding or inlining the assets where appropriate. PDFShift’s Help Center has a topic on missing images and other conversion issues; consult the specific article for detailed remedies.
Content overlaps a header or footer, or a chart is absent
These are layout and rendering-timing problems rather than reasons to change the basic endpoint. The Help Center index covers content spilling under headers or footers, custom fonts, waiting for an element such as a chart, conversion time, credit counting, and sensitive documents. Use the specific support guidance for the feature causing the problem instead of guessing at an undocumented fix.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is a clean image capture rather than a PDF document, ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot from one API request. It is a website screenshot API and MCP server for developers; it does not replace PDFShift’s HTML-to-PDF conversion.
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation. Before capture it can accept cookie or consent banners and remove 60-plus known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides screenshot tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan to get 1,000 screenshots a month with no card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can PDFShift convert HTML that is not publicly accessible?
Yes, send the HTML itself in the source property instead of asking PDFShift to fetch a page URL. The application can submit markup it already has.
Does PDFShift require SuperAgent?
No. PDFShift publishes Node.js examples for several clients, including Axios, Got, NodeFetch, and SuperAgent; use one that fits your project.
Quick Recap
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