# Apdf

> Apdf (apdf.io) is the PDF engagement layer for apps and agents: generate PDFs through one REST API, share them as per-recipient tracking links in a hosted viewer, and stream every reader interaction back into your own stack as typed events — delivered via API, webhooks, and MCP.

Apdf is also a free PDF API: every PDF operation listed under "PDF API operations" runs on the free plan — 1,000 PDF operations a month, no credit card. [Sign up](https://apdf.io/register) with an email address to get an API key.

Key facts:

- Documents are shared through tokenized per-recipient links; every event arrives already attributed to a recipient (name + email) — no reader logins required, links are revocable at any time.
- Reader activity is streamed as typed JSON events across document, page, content, annotation, and form event families.
- Automations turn reader signals into actions: when/filter/then rules that POST to any webhook endpoint (Slack, CRMs, internal services).
- MCP-native: one OAuth 2.0 MCP endpoint exposes the full read and write toolset to AI assistants and autonomous agents.
- A complete PDF processing engine is included: create, merge, split, compress, OCR, watermark, secure, extract, read and fill forms, and more — as REST endpoints and MCP tools.
- EU-hosted and GDPR-native; customer data is never used as AI training data; full data export, no vendor lock-in.
- Pricing is usage-based (tracked documents + monthly PDF operations), never per seat. The free plan includes 1,000 PDF operations a month and 3 tracked documents, without a credit card; a 14-day Pro trial needs no credit card either.

## Product

- [How it works](https://apdf.io/how-it-works): The five steps from a generated or uploaded PDF to per-recipient links, live reader signals and the next action — each step one REST endpoint or MCP tool.
- [PDF Viewer](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-viewer): Hosted, browser-based viewer with custom branding; every open, read, click, and highlight streams back as events.
- [PDF Tracking Links](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-tracking-links): Tokenized link per recipient — mint, track, revoke; recipient identity embedded in every payload.
- [PDF Analytics](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-analytics): Real-time engagement analytics — per-page dwell time, completion, return visits, drop-off, custom funnels.
- [PDF Annotations](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-annotations): Reader markup captured as structured, attributed data with comments.
- [PDF Forms](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-forms): PDF form fields made fillable in the viewer; submissions return typed field data tied to the recipient.
- [PDF Automations](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-automations): When/filter/then rules with queued execution and a full audit log per firing.
- [PDF API](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-api): All PDF operations as REST endpoints and MCP tools behind one API key.
- [PDF MCP Server](https://apdf.io/product/pdf-mcp-server): One OAuth-signed MCP endpoint for chat-style querying and autonomous agents.

## PDF API operations

Every operation is one REST call (also an MCP tool, a Zapier action and an n8n operation), available on the free plan.

- [Generate](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-create-api): HTML → PDF — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/file/create`
- [Office to PDF](https://apdf.io/features/office-to-pdf-api): Word, Excel, PowerPoint — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/file/convert`
- [Merge](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-merge-api): Many into one — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/file/merge`
- [Split](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-split-api): One into many — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/file/split`
- [Compress](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-compress-api): Shrink the file — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/file/compress`
- [To image](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-convert-to-image-api): Pages → PNG / JPG — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/file/to-image`
- [Extract pages](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-extract-pages-api): Pull a range — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/page/extract`
- [Delete pages](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-delete-pages-api): Drop unwanted pages — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/page/delete`
- [Rotate](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-rotate-pages-api): Turn pages — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/page/rotate`
- [Watermark](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-overlay-pages-api): Stamp on top of pages — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/page/overlay`
- [Letterhead](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-underlay-pages-api): Place behind pages — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/page/underlay`
- [Extract text](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-extract-content-api): Page by page — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/content/read`
- [Search text](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-search-api): Find words and their pages — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/content/search`
- [Read form](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-form-fields-api): Fields, values, labels — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/form/read`
- [Fill form](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-form-filling-api): Text, checkboxes, choices — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/form/fill`
- [Visualize form](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-form-visualization-api): Numbered fields for agents — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/form/visualize`
- [OCR](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-ocr-convert-api): Scans → searchable — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/ocr/convert`
- [OCR search](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-ocr-search-api): Search inside scans — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/ocr/search`
- [OCR text](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-ocr-extract-content-api): Read text from scans — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/ocr/read`
- [Add password](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-password-security-api): Encrypt with a password — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/security/add`
- [Remove password](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-password-security-api): Unlock protected PDFs — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/security/remove`
- [Metadata](https://apdf.io/features/pdf-read-fileinfo-api): Title, pages, page size — `POST https://apdf.io/api/pdf/metadata/read`

## Use cases

- [Sales proposals](https://apdf.io/use-cases/sales-proposals): Per-buyer proposal links — see who opened it, which pages held them and when they came back, with alerts on return visits.
- [Client reviews](https://apdf.io/use-cases/client-reviews): Reviewers highlight and comment on one shared copy; every note comes back with its page and author.
- [Forms & intake](https://apdf.io/use-cases/forms-and-intake): Existing fillable PDFs completed online on any device; each submission arrives as one structured record tied to the person.
- [Documents at scale](https://apdf.io/use-cases/documents-at-scale): Generate personalised PDFs from your product via API, deliver each as its own link and read engagement back.

## API and MCP

- [API documentation](https://apdf.io/docs): Full reference for the Document Engagement API (documents, recipient links, analytics, collaboration, automations) and the PDF Operations API, with copy-paste code samples — also available as markdown at https://apdf.io/docs.md.
- API base URL: https://apdf.io/api (Bearer token authentication, JSON)
- MCP endpoint: https://apdf.io/mcp/main (OAuth 2.0)
- [Agents](https://apdf.io/agents): How AI agents connect to Apdf over MCP and act on reader signals.
- [Zapier integration](https://apdf.io/zapier): The official Apdf app for Zapier — reader events as instant triggers, plus documents, tracking links and PDF operations as actions.
- [n8n integration](https://apdf.io/n8n): The verified Apdf community node for n8n — an Apdf Trigger for reader events, and an Apdf node for documents, tracking links, analytics, automations and every PDF operation, usable as an AI Agent tool.

## Compare

- [DocSend alternative](https://apdf.io/docsend-alternative)
- [PandaDoc alternative](https://apdf.io/pandadoc-alternative)
- [GetAccept alternative](https://apdf.io/getaccept-alternative)
- [Proposify alternative](https://apdf.io/proposify-alternative)
- [Papermark alternative](https://apdf.io/papermark-alternative)

## Optional

- [Pricing](https://apdf.io/pricing): Plans, quotas, and the free tier — also available as markdown at https://apdf.io/pricing.md.
- [Tutorials](https://apdf.io/tutorials): Step-by-step guides for PDF tracking, engagement workflows, and PDF processing.
- [Support](https://apdf.io/support)
- [Sign up](https://apdf.io/register)