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PDF.co API

PDF Search and Replace Text

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Description: Search and replace text of your choice in a pdf file

Status Errors

CodeDescription
200The request has succeeded
400bad input parameters
401unauthorized
403not enough credits
405Timeout error. To process large documents or files please use asynchronous mode ( set async parameter to true) and then check the status using /job/check endpoint. If a file contains many pages then specify a page range using pages parameter. The number of pages of the document can be obtained using the endpoint /pdf/info

Example 1: single text replacement

GET

https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/edit/replace-text?url=https://bytescout-com.s3.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-split/sample.pdf&searchString=conspicuous&replaceString=replaced&x-api-key=YOUR-API-KEY

or

POST

{
  "url": "https://bytescout-com.s3.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-split/sample.pdf",
  "searchString": "conspicuous feature",
  "replaceString": "Replaced1",
  "caseSensitive": true,
  "name": "finalFile"
}

or

cURL (uploading your file along with the request)

curl -F "x-api-key=PASTE_YOUR_API_KEY_HERE" -F "searchString=conspicuous feature" -F "replaceString=Replaced1"  -F "file=@./sample.pdf" https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/edit/replace-text

Example 2: batch texts replacement

Sample Request:

! Don’t forget to set x-api-key url param or http header param (preferred) to API key, get yours here

POST

{
  "url": "https://bytescout-com.s3.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-split/sample.pdf",
  "searchStrings": [
    "conspicuous feature",
    "Martian"
  ],
  "replaceStrings": [
    "Replaced1",
    "Replaced2"
  ],
  "caseSensitive": true,
  "name": "finalFile"
}

Available Methods

[POST] /pdf/edit/replace-text (multiple replacements)

  • url required. URL to the source file. Supports links from Google Drive, Dropbox and from built-in PDF.co files storage. For uploading files via API please check Files Upload section. If you are randomly getting Too Many Requests or Access Denied error for your input url, please try to add cache: to enable built-in url caching.
  • httpusername (optional) - http auth user name if required to access source url.
  • httppassword (optional) - http auth password if required to access source url.
  • searchStrings[] array of strings to search.
  • replaceStrings[] array of replacements strings.
  • replacementLimit. optional. Limit number of search & replacements for every item. default is -1 which means unlimited searches and replacements so every found occurrence will be replaced.
  • caseSensitive optional. Set to false to use case-insensitive search.
  • name optional. File name for generated output. Must be a String.
  • expiration (optional). Output link expiration in minutes. Default is 60 (i.e. 60 minutes or 1 hour). After this delay generated output file(s) (if any) will be auto-removed from PDF.co temporary files storage. Max allowed expiration period depends on your current subscription plan. To store permanent input files (e.g. re-usable images, pdf, documents), please use PDF.co built-in Files Storage instead.
  • password optional. Password of PDF file. Must be a String.
  • pages optional. Comma-separated list of page indices (or ranges) to process. IMPORTANT: the very first page starts at 0 (zero). To set a range use the dash -, for example: 0,2-5,7-. To set a range from index to the last page use range like this: 2- (from page #3 as the index starts at zero and till the end of the document). For ALL pages just leave this param empty. Example: 0,2-5,7- means first page, then 3rd page to 6th page, and then the range from 8th (index = 7) page till the end of the document. Must be a String.
  • encrypt optional. Enable encryption for the output file. Must be one of: true, false.
  • async optional. Runs processing asynchronously. Returns Use JobId that you may use with /job/check to check the state of the processing (possible states: working, failed, aborted and success). Must be one of: true, false.

  • profiles optional. Must be a String. Use this param to set additional configuration for fine tuning and extra options. Explore PDF.co knowledgebase for profile examples.

  • Method: POST
  • URL: /v1/pdf/edit/replace-text

Query parameters

No query parameters accepted.

Body payload

{
  "url": "https://bytescout-com.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-to-text/sample.pdf",
  "searchStrings": [
    "Your Company Name",
    "Client Name",
    "Item"
  ],
  "replaceStrings": [
    "XYZ LLC",
    "ACME",
    "SKU"
  ],
  "caseSensitive": true,
  "replacementLimit": 1,
  "pages": "",
  "password":"",
  "name": "finalFile",
  "async": false
}

Example responses

/pdf/edit/replace-text (multiple replacements)
{
    "url": "https://pdf-temp-files.s3.amazonaws.com/e79f0b9c82984740973ca670d7c93cad/finalFile.pdf",
    "pageCount": 1,
    "error": false,
    "status": 200,
    "name": "finalFile.pdf",
    "remainingCredits": 99089875,
    "credits": 21
}

Code Snippet

CURL
curl --location --request POST 'https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/edit/replace-text' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'x-api-key: ' \
--data-raw '{
  "url": "https://bytescout-com.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-to-text/sample.pdf",
  "searchStrings": [
    "Your Company Name",
    "Client Name",
    "Item"
  ],
  "replaceStrings": [
    "XYZ LLC",
    "ACME",
    "SKU"
  ],
  "caseSensitive": true,
  "replacementLimit": 1,
  "pages": "",
  "password":"",
  "name": "finalFile",
  "async": false
}'

[POST] /pdf/edit/replace-text (single replacement)

  • url required. URL to the source file. Supports links from Google Drive, Dropbox and from built-in PDF.co files storage. For uploading files via API please check Files Upload section. If you are randomly getting Too Many Requests or Access Denied error for your input url, please try to add cache: to enable built-in url caching.
  • httpusername (optional) - http auth user name if required to access source url.
  • httppassword (optional) - http auth password if required to access source url.
  • searchString required for single text replacement. Word or phrase to be replaced. Must be a String.
  • replaceString required for single text replacement. Word to be replaced with. Must be a String.
  • caseSensitive optional. Set to false to use case-insensitive search.
  • replacementLimit. optional. Limit number of search & replacements for every item. default is -1 which means unlimited searches and replacements so every found occurrence will be replaced.
  • name optional. File name for generated output. Must be a String.
  • expiration (optional). Output link expiration in minutes. Default is 60 (i.e. 60 minutes or 1 hour). After this delay generated output file(s) (if any) will be auto-removed from PDF.co temporary files storage. Max allowed expiration period depends on your current subscription plan. To store permanent input files (e.g. re-usable images, pdf, documents), please use PDF.co built-in Files Storage instead.
  • password optional. Password of PDF file. Must be a String.
  • pages optional. Comma-separated list of page indices (or ranges) to process. IMPORTANT: the very first page starts at 0 (zero). To set a range use the dash -, for example: 0,2-5,7-. To set a range from index to the last page use range like this: 2- (from page #3 as the index starts at zero and till the end of the document). For ALL pages just leave this param empty. Example: 0,2-5,7- means first page, then 3rd page to 6th page, and then the range from 8th (index = 7) page till the end of the document. Must be a String.
  • encrypt optional. Enable encryption for the output file. Must be one of: true, false.
  • async optional. Runs processing asynchronously. Returns Use JobId that you may use with /job/check to check the state of the processing (possible states: working, failed, aborted and success). Must be one of: true, false.

  • profiles optional. Must be a String. Use this param to set additional configuration for fine tuning and extra options. Explore PDF.co knowledgebase for profile examples.

  • Method: POST
  • URL: /v1/pdf/edit/replace-text

Query parameters

No query parameters accepted.

Body payload

{
  "url": "https://bytescout-com.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-to-text/sample.pdf",
  "searchString": "Your Company Name",
  "replaceString": "XYZ LLC",
  "caseSensitive": true,
  "replacementLimit": 1,
  "pages": "",
  "password":"",
  "name": "finalFile",
  "async": false
}

Example responses

/pdf/edit/replace-text
{
    "url": "https://pdf-temp-files.s3.amazonaws.com/1a0e9a51e2d04fe4bcce0a6a31c365a8/finalFile.pdf",
    "pageCount": 4,
    "error": false,
    "status": 200,
    "name": "finalFile",
    "remainingCredits": 98310
}

Code Snippet

CURL
curl --location --request POST 'https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/edit/replace-text' \
--header 'x-api-key: ' \
--data-raw '{
  "url": "https://bytescout-com.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/demo-files/cloud-api/pdf-to-text/sample.pdf",
  "searchString": "Your Company Name",
  "replaceString": "XYZ LLC",
  "caseSensitive": true,
  "replacementLimit": 1,
  "pages": "",
  "password":"",
  "name": "finalFile",
  "async": false
}'

Samples