Quickstart for Adobe PDF Services API (Node.js)

To get started using Adobe PDF Services API, let's walk through a simple scenario - taking an input PDF document and exporting it to Microsoft Word. In this guide, we will walk you through the complete process for creating a program that will accomplish this task.

Prerequisites

To complete this guide, you will need:

• Node.js - Node.js version 18.0 or higher is required.
• An Adobe ID. If you do not have one, the credential setup will walk you through creating one.
• A way to edit code. No specific editor is required for this guide.

Step One: Getting credentials

1) To begin, open your browser to https://acrobatservices.adobe.com/dc-integration-creation-app-cdn/main.html?api=pdf-services-api. If you are not already logged in to Adobe.com, you will need to sign in or create a new user. Using a personal email account is recommend and not a federated ID.

2) After registering or logging in, you will then be asked to name your new credentials. Use the name, "New Project".

3) Change the "Choose language" setting to "Node.js".

4) Also note the checkbox by, "Create personalized code sample." This will include a large set of samples along with your credentials. These can be helpful for learning more later.

5) Click the checkbox saying you agree to the developer terms and then click "Create credentials."

6) After your credentials are created, they are automatically downloaded:

Step Two: Setting up the project

1) In your Downloads folder, find the ZIP file with your credentials: PDFServicesSDK-Node.jsSamples.zip. If you unzip that archive, you will find a folder of samples and the pdfservices-api-credentials.json file.

2) Take the pdfservices-api-credentials.json and place it in a new directory. Remember that these credential files are important and should be stored safely.

3) At the command line, change to the directory you created, and initialize a new Node.js project with npm init -y

4) Install the Adobe PDF Services Node.js SDK by typing npm install --save @adobe/pdfservices-node-sdk at the command line.

5) Install a package to help us work with ZIP files. Type npm install --save adm-zip.

At this point, we've installed the Node.js SDK for Adobe PDF Services API as a dependency for our project and have copied over our credentials files.

Our application will take a PDF, Bodea Brochure.pdf (downloadable from here) and convert it to a Microsoft Word document, Bodea Brochure.docx.

6) In your editor, open the directory where you previously copied the credentials. Create a new file, export.js.

Now you're ready to begin coding.

Step Three: Creating the application

1) We'll begin by including our required dependencies:

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const {
  ServicePrincipalCredentials,
  PDFServices,
  MimeType,
  ExportPDFParams,
  ExportPDFTargetFormat,
  ExportPDFJob,
  ExportPDFResult
} = require("@adobe/pdfservices-node-sdk");
const fs = require("fs");
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const {
  ServicePrincipalCredentials,
  PDFServices,
  MimeType,
  ExportPDFParams,
  ExportPDFTargetFormat,
  ExportPDFJob,
  ExportPDFResult
} = require("@adobe/pdfservices-node-sdk");
const fs = require("fs");

2) Set the environment variables PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_ID and PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_SECRET by running the following commands and replacing placeholders YOUR CLIENT ID and YOUR CLIENT SECRET with the credentials present in pdfservices-api-credentials.json file:

• Windows:

  • set PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_ID=<YOUR CLIENT ID>
  • set PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_SECRET=<YOUR CLIENT SECRET>

• MacOS/Linux:

  • export PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_ID=<YOUR CLIENT ID>
  • export PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_SECRET=<YOUR CLIENT SECRET>

3) Next, we can create our credentials and use them:

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// Initial setup, create credentials instance
const credentials = new ServicePrincipalCredentials({
  clientId: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_ID,
  clientSecret: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_SECRET
});

// Creates a PDF Services instance
const pdfServices = new PDFServices({credentials});
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// Initial setup, create credentials instance
const credentials = new ServicePrincipalCredentials({
  clientId: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_ID,
  clientSecret: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_SECRET
});

// Creates a PDF Services instance
const pdfServices = new PDFServices({credentials});

4) Now, let's upload the asset:

Copy
const inputAsset = await pdfServices.upload({
  readStream,
  mimeType: MimeType.PDF
});
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const inputAsset = await pdfServices.upload({
  readStream,
  mimeType: MimeType.PDF
});

5) Now, let's create the parameters and the job:

Copy
// Create parameters for the job
const params = new ExportPDFParams({
  targetFormat: ExportPDFTargetFormat.DOCX
});

// Creates a new job instance
const job = new ExportPDFJob({inputAsset, params});
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// Create parameters for the job
const params = new ExportPDFParams({
  targetFormat: ExportPDFTargetFormat.DOCX
});

// Creates a new job instance
const job = new ExportPDFJob({inputAsset, params});

This set of code defines what we're doing (an Export operation), and sets parameter for the Export PDF job. In this example, the only parameter is the export format ,ie, DOCX.

6) The next code block submits the job and gets the job result:

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// Submit the job and get the job result
const pollingURL = await pdfServices.submit({job});
const pdfServicesResponse = await pdfServices.getJobResult({
  pollingURL,
  resultType: ExportPDFResult
});

// Get content from the resulting asset(s)
const resultAsset = pdfServicesResponse.result.asset;
const streamAsset = await pdfServices.getContent({asset: resultAsset});
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// Submit the job and get the job result
const pollingURL = await pdfServices.submit({job});
const pdfServicesResponse = await pdfServices.getJobResult({
  pollingURL,
  resultType: ExportPDFResult
});

// Get content from the resulting asset(s)
const resultAsset = pdfServicesResponse.result.asset;
const streamAsset = await pdfServices.getContent({asset: resultAsset});

7) The next code block saves the result at the specified location:

Copy
// Creates an output stream and copy stream asset's content to it
const outputStream = fs.createWriteStream("./Bodea Brochure.docx");
streamAsset.readStream.pipe(outputStream);
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// Creates an output stream and copy stream asset's content to it
const outputStream = fs.createWriteStream("./Bodea Brochure.docx");
streamAsset.readStream.pipe(outputStream);

This code runs the Export process and then stores the result Word document to the file system.

Here's the complete application (export.js):

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const {
  ServicePrincipalCredentials,
  PDFServices,
  MimeType,
  ExportPDFParams,
  ExportPDFTargetFormat,
  ExportPDFJob,
  ExportPDFResult
} = require("@adobe/pdfservices-node-sdk");
const fs = require("fs");

(async () => {
  let readStream;
  try {
    // Initial setup, create credentials instance
    const credentials = new ServicePrincipalCredentials({
      clientId: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_ID,
      clientSecret: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_SECRET
    });

    // Creates a PDF Services instance
    const pdfServices = new PDFServices({credentials});

    // Creates an asset(s) from source file(s) and upload
    readStream = fs.createReadStream("./Bodea Brochure.pdf");
    const inputAsset = await pdfServices.upload({
      readStream,
      mimeType: MimeType.PDF
    });

    // Create parameters for the job
    const params = new ExportPDFParams({
      targetFormat: ExportPDFTargetFormat.DOCX
    });

    // Creates a new job instance
    const job = new ExportPDFJob({inputAsset, params});

    // Submit the job and get the job result
    const pollingURL = await pdfServices.submit({job});
    const pdfServicesResponse = await pdfServices.getJobResult({
      pollingURL,
      resultType: ExportPDFResult
    });

    // Get content from the resulting asset(s)
    const resultAsset = pdfServicesResponse.result.asset;
    const streamAsset = await pdfServices.getContent({asset: resultAsset});

    // Creates an output stream and copy stream asset's content to it
    const outputFilePath = "./Bodea Brochure.docx";
    console.log(`Saving asset at ${outputFilePath}`);
    const outputStream = fs.createWriteStream(outputFilePath);
    streamAsset.readStream.pipe(outputStream);
  } catch (err) {
    console.log("Exception encountered while executing operation", err);
  } finally {
    readStream?.destroy();
  }
})();
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const {
  ServicePrincipalCredentials,
  PDFServices,
  MimeType,
  ExportPDFParams,
  ExportPDFTargetFormat,
  ExportPDFJob,
  ExportPDFResult
} = require("@adobe/pdfservices-node-sdk");
const fs = require("fs");

(async () => {
  let readStream;
  try {
    // Initial setup, create credentials instance
    const credentials = new ServicePrincipalCredentials({
      clientId: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_ID,
      clientSecret: process.env.PDF_SERVICES_CLIENT_SECRET
    });

    // Creates a PDF Services instance
    const pdfServices = new PDFServices({credentials});

    // Creates an asset(s) from source file(s) and upload
    readStream = fs.createReadStream("./Bodea Brochure.pdf");
    const inputAsset = await pdfServices.upload({
      readStream,
      mimeType: MimeType.PDF
    });

    // Create parameters for the job
    const params = new ExportPDFParams({
      targetFormat: ExportPDFTargetFormat.DOCX
    });

    // Creates a new job instance
    const job = new ExportPDFJob({inputAsset, params});

    // Submit the job and get the job result
    const pollingURL = await pdfServices.submit({job});
    const pdfServicesResponse = await pdfServices.getJobResult({
      pollingURL,
      resultType: ExportPDFResult
    });

    // Get content from the resulting asset(s)
    const resultAsset = pdfServicesResponse.result.asset;
    const streamAsset = await pdfServices.getContent({asset: resultAsset});

    // Creates an output stream and copy stream asset's content to it
    const outputFilePath = "./Bodea Brochure.docx";
    console.log(`Saving asset at ${outputFilePath}`);
    const outputStream = fs.createWriteStream(outputFilePath);
    streamAsset.readStream.pipe(outputStream);
  } catch (err) {
    console.log("Exception encountered while executing operation", err);
  } finally {
    readStream?.destroy();
  }
})();

Next Steps

Now that you've successfully performed your first operation, review the documentation for many other examples and reach out on our forums with any questions. Also remember the samples you downloaded while creating your credentials also have many demos.

Last updated 4/9/2024

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