Use a Zapier trigger followed by Webhooks by Zapier → POST to send document data to DocRaptor and generate a PDF. DocRaptor’s Zapier guide shows a JSON request to https://docraptor.com/docs; the general API documentation describes a different host, https://api.docraptor.com/docs, and a different presentation of HTTP Basic Authentication. Follow one documented setup rather than mixing the endpoint and authentication examples.
What the Zap does—and what it does not
This is an API-based Zap using Webhooks by Zapier, not a workflow that assumes a native DocRaptor Zapier app. The trigger supplies data such as an order, form submission, or record; a POST action sends document-generation parameters to DocRaptor; a later action handles the response.
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Zapier describes webhooks as a way to connect with API services, and its API Request actions can also interact directly with APIs. For the DocRaptor-specific walkthrough below, use the Webhooks route documented by DocRaptor. Zapier: Webhooks integrations
Build the Zap with Webhooks by Zapier
- Choose a trigger. In Zapier, select the app and event that provide the source data, then test the trigger so representative fields are available for mapping.
- Add the POST action. Add Webhooks by Zapier and choose POST. DocRaptor’s Zapier guide specifies the endpoint
https://docraptor.com/docsand a JSON payload. - Map the document fields. Set the output
typetopdf, and provide eitherdocument_contentcontaining HTML/XML or adocument_urlthat DocRaptor can retrieve. The guide’s example usesdocument_contentand hosted output. - Configure authentication using the Zapier-specific instructions. DocRaptor’s Zapier guide says to enter the API key followed by a pipe character (
|) as the Basic Authentication key, with no spaces. Do not substitute the general API example without also following its matching host and format. - Test and inspect the response. Determine whether the action returns PDF bytes, hosted-document JSON, or an asynchronous job identifier before mapping a later step.
- Add the next action. Map the actual response to the destination—for example, a file-handling step for PDF bytes, or a URL field for hosted output.
- Turn on the Zap only after validating the complete path. Confirm that both the generated document and the downstream action work using realistic trigger data.
DocRaptor’s setup details are in its Making PDF Documents with Zapier guide. Zapier’s separate webhook request help explains the general webhook workflow.
#1 Best Overall
Choose input, output, and rendering behavior
Document input
Use document_content when the Zap or an earlier step can construct the HTML/XML to render. Use document_url when the document is already available at a URL DocRaptor can fetch. Ensure mapped values are escaped and inserted into valid document markup; malformed content can produce an unsuccessful or unexpected render.
Response type determines the next step
| Request behavior | What the response contains | Workflow implication |
|---|---|---|
| Synchronous, not hosted | Document bytes | Handle the response as a file payload; do not assume it is a public URL. |
| Synchronous, hosted | JSON with hosted-document information | Map the hosted response fields required by the next step. Hosted documents are a paid add-on. |
| Asynchronous | A status_id |
Retrieve job status and output later, or configure the optional callback URL. |
These response distinctions are documented in DocRaptor’s API overview and API reference. Choose the downstream Zap action only after checking which response mode the request uses.
Print styles, screen styles, and JavaScript
PDF generation defaults to print media rules. If a document’s layout differs from its browser appearance, check its print CSS and the API’s media setting; DocRaptor documents prince_options.media with screen as an option. JavaScript processing is disabled by default; enable the javascript parameter only when the source document needs JavaScript to render correctly.
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The API reference lists pdf, xls, and xlsx as document types. Its stated default pipeline is version 10.1; pipeline versions select Prince and JavaScript-engine combinations, so verify the current API reference before explicitly setting a version-sensitive value.
When to use asynchronous generation
A synchronous request returns the document or hosted response in the action itself. For jobs that take longer or are more complex, DocRaptor’s asynchronous flow returns a status_id. The workflow then needs a way to check the job status and retrieve the finished result, or it can use the optional callback URL documented by DocRaptor. Design the later Zap step around that separate completion event instead of treating the initial job response as a PDF.
Test the document before relying on it
DocRaptor says test documents are unlimited and do not count against monthly limits. Test PDFs include a watermark. Test hosted documents have a five-download limit and expire after one day. Use test output to check formatting and response mapping, then account for those test-mode differences when validating a production workflow. DocRaptor API reference: test mode
Rank #4
Troubleshooting common failures
The POST request is rejected
- Check that the Zap uses the Zapier guide’s endpoint and its matching authentication instruction: the API key followed by
|, with no spaces. - Do not combine that setup with the general API overview’s host and Basic Authentication description. The general overview says to POST JSON to
https://api.docraptor.com/docs, using the key as the username and a blank password; that is not the same documented pairing as the Zapier guide. - Confirm the request is configured as JSON and includes the required document type and one of the supported content inputs.
The next Zap step cannot find a PDF URL
A non-hosted synchronous request returns document bytes, not necessarily a public URL. Hosted synchronous output returns JSON, while an asynchronous request initially returns a status_id. Match the downstream mapping to the selected response mode.
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The PDF looks different from the browser page
Inspect print-specific CSS first because print media is the PDF default. If the document is intentionally designed for screen rules, consider setting prince_options.media to screen. If content is populated at runtime, check whether JavaScript is required and whether the javascript parameter is enabled.
Best Value
The job has not returned a finished document
For asynchronous requests, the initial response is a job identifier, not the finished file. Add status retrieval or configure the documented callback mechanism, then handle the output after completion.
A hosted test link stops working
Test hosted documents expire after one day and allow five downloads. Validate the workflow within those test limits; do not treat a test URL as a durable production file.
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