To generate an invoice PDF with PDFShift in Laravel, render the invoice as server-side HTML, send that HTML in a POST request to https://api.pdfshift.io/v3/convert/pdf using your secret key in the X-API-Key header, then save the returned PDF in storage you control. PDFShift can also return a temporary hosted URL when you supply a filename; that URL is available for two days, so it is not a durable invoice archive.
Choose the right invoice-generation path
PDFShift converts HTML or a URL supplied by your application into a PDF. This fits invoices whose layout and content belong to your Laravel app. If the document is instead an invoice in an existing Stripe billing flow, Laravel Cashier documents invoice-PDF functionality for that context: Laravel Cashier billing documentation.
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The workflow below is an implementation pattern based on PDFShift’s documented endpoint and request shape, not a tested, PDFShift-specific Laravel sample. Verify current API options and Laravel client behavior against their documentation before deploying.
Prepare the Laravel invoice view and API key
Render HTML from trusted invoice data
Keep the invoice markup in a Blade view and pass it the invoice data assembled by your application. Escape user-controlled values through Blade’s normal escaped output syntax; do not build HTML by concatenating untrusted strings.
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<!-- resources/views/invoices/pdf.blade.php -->
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Invoice {{ $invoice->number }}</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Invoice {{ $invoice->number }}</h1>
<p>{{ $invoice->customer_name }}</p>
<p>Total: {{ $invoice->formatted_total }}</p>
</body>
</html>Adapt fields, line items, taxes, branding and layout to your own invoice model. This example only illustrates HTML rendering; it does not establish legal invoice requirements.
Keep the key on the server
Put the PDFShift key in the server environment, such as PDFSHIFT_API_KEY, and expose it to Laravel configuration. Never embed it in browser JavaScript or send it to a client: PDFShift warns that frontend users can inspect code and recover the key. Its authentication help says the API moved to X-API-Key authentication as of 2025-05-06: PDFShift authentication and watermark help.
// config/services.php
'pdfshift' => [
'key' => env('PDFSHIFT_API_KEY'),
],Send the HTML and retain the PDF
Laravel’s HTTP client can be used to post JSON containing source with the rendered HTML. The following is a pattern, not a verified drop-in implementation: confirm current Laravel response handling and PDFShift’s current response and error details before relying on it.
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use IlluminateSupportFacadesHttp;
use IlluminateSupportFacadesStorage;
$html = view('invoices.pdf', ['invoice' => $invoice])->render();
$response = Http::withHeaders([
'X-API-Key' => config('services.pdfshift.key'),
])->withOptions([
'stream' => true,
])->post('https://api.pdfshift.io/v3/convert/pdf', [
'source' => $html,
]);
if (! $response->successful()) {
throw new RuntimeException('PDFShift conversion did not succeed.');
}
$path = 'invoices/' . $invoice->id . '.pdf';
Storage::disk('private')->put($path, $response->body());
$invoice->pdf_path = $path;
$invoice->save();The example assumes the response body is PDF bytes and that your Laravel application has a private disk configured. Check the response content and error behavior in your actual integration rather than treating every successful HTTP response as a valid PDF. Persist the storage path against the invoice so the application can retrieve the document later. For API request and option details, consult PDFShift’s documented conversion request pattern.
Direct PDF response or temporary hosted URL
Without filename, PDFShift says it returns the PDF itself. When filename is supplied, PDFShift says the generated document is stored temporarily and its response is JSON containing a URL available for two days. If you use that mode, your server must parse the documented JSON response, fetch the file while the URL is valid, and save the bytes to application-controlled storage when you need longer retention. The precise Laravel response parsing and download code depends on the current API response format, which should be checked in PDFShift’s current reference.
Protect the conversion workflow
- Authenticate and authorize invoice-generation requests so one user cannot request another customer’s invoice.
- Build invoice HTML from trusted application data and keep the PDFShift credential exclusively server-side.
- Store invoice PDFs on a private disk or in another access-controlled location; provide them to users through your application’s authorization checks.
- Handle failures explicitly. Do not mark an invoice as having a ready PDF until a valid file has been saved and its path recorded.
- Choose retention and retry behavior to suit your application. The collected API details do not establish exact timeout, retry, or error-schema parameters.
Common issues and what to check
Authentication failure
Confirm the key is present in server configuration and sent in X-API-Key. Check that deployment environment variables are loaded; do not try to solve an authentication error by moving the key into frontend code.
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The response is JSON rather than a PDF
Check whether your request included filename. In PDFShift’s documented behavior, that option produces a JSON response with a temporary URL; omit it for a direct PDF response, or implement the server-side fetch-and-save path.
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The invoice is missing or malformed
Inspect the rendered Blade HTML before making the API request. Ensure the view receives the expected invoice data and that its referenced styles or assets are accessible to the conversion service under the request configuration you use. The exact rendering options are not established here; verify them in the current PDFShift API reference.
The saved file is empty or unusable
Check the HTTP status and response content before storing, then verify the resulting file can be read from the configured disk. Avoid recording a completed invoice PDF when conversion or storage has failed.
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A previously saved PDF link no longer works
If the application saved only PDFShift’s hosted URL, it can expire after two days. Fetch and retain the PDF in your own storage for durable access.
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PDFShift’s FAQ says an account receives 50 credits per month at no charge and without a credit card; that allowance is stated by PDFShift and should be checked against current account terms. The FAQ also explicitly lists invoice generation as a use case: PDFShift FAQ.
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Use PDFShift when your app owns the HTML invoice and needs conversion. Use Cashier’s documented PDF feature when the requirement is specifically a Stripe/Cashier billing invoice. In either path, decide where the durable copy belongs; PDFShift’s temporary URL is not a substitute for application-controlled retention.
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ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API, not an invoice PDF conversion service, so it is not a replacement for PDFShift in this workflow. If your Laravel app also needs screenshots of web pages or HTML-based visuals, its API can return image captures. One GET request can be made from the server:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpKeep its access key on the backend and see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, popups and chat widgets before the shot; bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are never billed; an MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, and paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn about ScreenshotNeo or sign up for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a PDFShift hosted invoice URL last?
PDFShift says the URL returned when you provide filename remains available for two days.
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Yes. PDFShift’s FAQ explicitly lists invoice generation.
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