## Table of Contents

- [pdf](#pdf)
  - [CLI Microlink API example](#cli-microlink-api-example)
  - [cURL Microlink API example](#curl-microlink-api-example)
  - [JavaScript Microlink API example](#javascript-microlink-api-example)
  - [Python Microlink API example](#python-microlink-api-example)
  - [Ruby Microlink API example](#ruby-microlink-api-example)
  - [PHP Microlink API example](#php-microlink-api-example)
  - [Golang Microlink API example](#golang-microlink-api-example)
  - [CLI Microlink API example](#cli-microlink-api-example-1)
  - [cURL Microlink API example](#curl-microlink-api-example-1)
  - [JavaScript Microlink API example](#javascript-microlink-api-example-1)
  - [Python Microlink API example](#python-microlink-api-example-1)
  - [Ruby Microlink API example](#ruby-microlink-api-example-1)
  - [PHP Microlink API example](#php-microlink-api-example-1)
  - [Golang Microlink API example](#golang-microlink-api-example-1)

---

[](https://microlink.io/docs/api/getting-started/overview)

[API](https://microlink.io/docs/api/getting-started/overview)

[](https://microlink.io/docs/guides)

GUIDES

[](https://microlink.io/docs/mql/getting-started/overview)

MQL

[](https://microlink.io/docs/sdk/getting-started/overview)

SDK

[](https://microlink.io/docs/cards/getting-started/overview)

CARDS

## pdf

Type:

\<boolean\> \| \<object\>

\
Default: false

It generates a PDF over the target [url](https://microlink.io/docs/api/parameters/url).

The following examples show how to use the Microlink API with CLI, cURL, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP & Golang, targeting 'https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications' URL with 'pdf' API parameter:

### CLI Microlink API example

``` bash
microlink https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications&pdf
```

### cURL Microlink API example

``` bash
curl -G "https://api.microlink.io" \
  -d "url=https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications" \
  -d "pdf=true"
```

### JavaScript Microlink API example

``` javascript
import mql from '@microlink/mql'

const { data } = await mql('https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications', {
  pdf: true
})
```

### Python Microlink API example

``` python
import requests

url = "https://api.microlink.io/"

querystring = {
    "url": "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications",
    "pdf": "true"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=querystring)

print(response.json())
```

### Ruby Microlink API example

``` ruby
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

base_url = "https://api.microlink.io/"

params = {
  url: "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications",
  pdf: "true"
}

uri = URI(base_url)
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form(params)

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
response = http.request(request)

puts response.body
```

### PHP Microlink API example

``` php
<?php

$baseUrl = "https://api.microlink.io/";

$params = [
    "url" => "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications",
    "pdf" => "true"
];

$query = http_build_query($params);
$url = $baseUrl . '?' . $query;

$curl = curl_init();

curl_setopt_array($curl, [
    CURLOPT_URL => $url,
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
    CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
    CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
    CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
    CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET"
]);

$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);

curl_close($curl);

if ($err) {
    echo "cURL Error #: " . $err;
} else {
    echo $response;
}
```

### Golang Microlink API example

``` bash
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
    "net/url"
    "io"
)

func main() {
    baseURL := "https://api.microlink.io"

    u, err := url.Parse(baseURL)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    q := u.Query()
    q.Set("url", "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications")
    q.Set("pdf", "true")
    u.RawQuery = q.Encode()

    req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", u.String(), nil)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }

    client := &http.Client{}
    resp, err := client.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }

    fmt.Println(string(body))
}
```

``` javascript
import mql from '@microlink/mql'

const { data } = await mql('https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications', {

  pdf: true

})
```

When it's enabled, a new `pdf` data field will be part of the response payload.

``` json
{

  "data": {

    "title": "7 Principles of Rich Web Applications",

    "description": "November 4, 2014",

    "lang": "en",

    "author": null,

    "publisher": "rauchg.com",

    "image": null,

    "url": "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications",

    "date": "2019-11-27T18:34:47.000Z",

    "logo": {

      "url": "https://logo.clearbit.com/rauchg.com",

      "type": "png",

      "size": 17675,

      "height": 128,

      "width": 128,

      "size_pretty": "17.7 kB"

    },

    "pdf": {

      "size_pretty": "1.36 MB",

      "size": 1357350,

      "type": "pdf",

      "url": "https://microlink.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/vIQctxsDTujq0b_f8AnldH7YMYs_"

    }

  },

  "status": "success"

}
```

In MQL and SDKs, use `pdf: true` for the default behavior or pass an object when you need PDF-specific options:

``` js
{

  pdf: {

    format: 'A4',

    margin: '1cm',

    scale: 0.8

  }

}
```

In raw query strings, the same options are expressed with dot notation such as `pdf.format=A4`.

You can configure different specific options, such as [scale](https://microlink.io/docs/api/parameters/pdf/scale) or [margin](https://microlink.io/docs/api/parameters/pdf/margin):

The following examples show how to use the Microlink API with CLI, cURL, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP & Golang, targeting 'https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications' URL with 'pdf' API parameter:

### CLI Microlink API example

``` bash
microlink https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications&pdf.scale=1&pdf.margin=0.4cm
```

### cURL Microlink API example

``` bash
curl -G "https://api.microlink.io" \
  -d "url=https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications" \
  -d "pdf.scale=1" \
  -d "pdf.margin=0.4cm"
```

### JavaScript Microlink API example

``` javascript
import mql from '@microlink/mql'

const { data } = await mql('https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications', {
  pdf: {
    scale: 1,
    margin: "0.4cm"
  }
})
```

### Python Microlink API example

``` python
import requests

url = "https://api.microlink.io/"

querystring = {
    "url": "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications",
    "pdf.scale": "1",
    "pdf.margin": "0.4cm"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=querystring)

print(response.json())
```

### Ruby Microlink API example

``` ruby
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

base_url = "https://api.microlink.io/"

params = {
  url: "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications",
  pdf.scale: "1",
  pdf.margin: "0.4cm"
}

uri = URI(base_url)
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form(params)

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
response = http.request(request)

puts response.body
```

### PHP Microlink API example

``` php
<?php

$baseUrl = "https://api.microlink.io/";

$params = [
    "url" => "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications",
    "pdf.scale" => "1",
    "pdf.margin" => "0.4cm"
];

$query = http_build_query($params);
$url = $baseUrl . '?' . $query;

$curl = curl_init();

curl_setopt_array($curl, [
    CURLOPT_URL => $url,
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
    CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
    CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
    CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
    CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET"
]);

$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);

curl_close($curl);

if ($err) {
    echo "cURL Error #: " . $err;
} else {
    echo $response;
}
```

### Golang Microlink API example

``` bash
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
    "net/url"
    "io"
)

func main() {
    baseURL := "https://api.microlink.io"

    u, err := url.Parse(baseURL)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    q := u.Query()
    q.Set("url", "https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications")
    q.Set("pdf.scale", "1")
    q.Set("pdf.margin", "0.4cm")
    u.RawQuery = q.Encode()

    req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", u.String(), nil)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }

    client := &http.Client{}
    resp, err := client.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }

    fmt.Println(string(body))
}
```

``` javascript
import mql from '@microlink/mql'

const { data } = await mql('https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications', {

  pdf: {

    scale: 1,

    margin: "0.4cm"

  }

})
```

The `data.pdf.url` field is a CDN-hosted PDF URL you can reuse directly. If you want the API URL itself to return the PDF file, combine PDF generation with [embed](https://microlink.io/docs/api/parameters/embed) and return `pdf.url` as the response body.

``` html
<a

  href="https://api.microlink.io/?url=https://rauchg.com/2014/7-principles-of-rich-web-applications&pdf&embed=pdf.url&scale=1&margin=0.4cm"

  download="How-to-download-file.pdf"

>

  <button>Download File</button>

</a>
```

When you generate a PDF, the default [mediaType](https://microlink.io/docs/api/parameters/mediaType) is `'print'`.