How to Convert PDF to JSON from a File in Python using the PDF.co Web API

Python Code

In our Python main function we will request to merge two files.

• The main function is the primary function of any program from where the execution begins. We call the mergeFiles() function within the main function to merge the two PDF files.
• Note: A Python programmer could pass the files as the parameters to this function and use them inside it or declare them globally.

Below is the sample code to merge two PDF files using PDF.co API:
Obtain your api_key by logging into PDF.co and replace the asterisks ***** with your key.

    # importing module
    import requests
    import time

    # API endpoint to merge pdfs
    url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/merge"

    # defining parameter
    api_key ="************************************"

    # files to be merged
    file1 = "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DvAV1iRpVVc1TxsQ2BcX_NJnapEaU41w/view?usp=sharing"
    file2 = "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sPFzo2EZjt190cpirdsstJ60fq3nbhel/view?usp=sharing"

    # combining file URLs, separated by comma
    files = file1 + ',' + file2

    # function to merge to pdf files
    def merge_files():

      tries = 3
      # try at least three time if the request gets failed
      while (tries >= 0):

        # post request to the API endpoint to merge to pdf files
        response = requests.post(url,
        headers={
        "x-api-key": api_key
        },
        data={
        "url": files
        }
        )

        # checking if the request is successful or not
        if response.status_code == 200:
          print(response)
          print(response.json())
          return
        else:
          tries = tries -1

        # sleep for some time
        time.sleep(0.5)
        print("request failed, trying again")

        print("request failed, returning")

    # file's main function
    def main():
      merge_files()

    main()

JSON Output

On a successful response (200) JSON will be output, for example:

  {
    'url': 'https://pdf-temp-files.s3.amazonaws.com/43a10d61095b47698fcb03102b0e6995/view.pdf',
    'pageCount': 2,
    'error': False,
    'status': 200,
    'name': 'view.pdf',
    'remainingCredits': 250,
    'credits': 4
  }

The JSON object in the above output contains the URL to the merged file, the page count in the output file, the error report of the merging process, merge status, and the merged file name. Moreover, it contains the API’s remaining credits and the used credits to inform the user of their remaining credits.

The url value from the JSON can be used to access the resulting PDF, for example:

Python Code

Below is the sample code to convert the PDF file into JSON using PDF.co API
Obtain your api_key by logging into PDF.co and replace the asterisks ***** with your key.

  # importing modules
  import requests
  import time

  # API endpoint to merge pdfs
  url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/merge"

  # API endpoint to convert pdf to json
  url_json = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/convert/to/json2"

  # defining parameter
  api_key = "****************************************"

  # files to be merged
  file1 = "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DvAV1iRpVVc1TxsQ2BcX_NJnapEaU41w/view?usp=sharing"
  file2 = "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sPFzo2EZjt190cpirdsstJ60fq3nbhel/view?usp=sharing"

  # combining file urls, separated by comma
  files = file1 + ',' + file2

  def pdf_to_json(file_url):
    tries = 3

    # try atleast three time if the reqeust gets failed
    while (tries >= 0):

      # post request to the API endpoint to merge to pdf files
      response = requests.post(url_json,
      headers={
      "x-api-key": api_key
      },
      data={
      "url": file_url
      }
      )

      # checking if the request is successful or not
      if response.status_code == 200:
        print(response)
        response_json = response.json()
        print(response_json)
        return
      else:
        tries = tries -1

      # sleep for some time
      time.sleep(0.5)
      print("request failed, trying again")
      print("request failed, returning")

  # function to merge to pdf files
  def merge_files_output_JSON():
    tries =3

    # try at least three times if the request gets failed
    while (tries >= 0):

      # post request to the API endpoint to merge to pdf files
      response = requests.post(url,
      headers={
      "x-api-key": api_key
      },
      data={
      "url": files
      }
      )

      # checking if the request is successful or not
      if response.status_code == 200:
        print(response)
        response_json = response.json()
        print(response_json)
        file_url = response_json['url']
        print(file_url)
        pdf_to_json(file_url)
        return
      else:
        tries = tries -1

      # sleep for some time
      time.sleep(0.5)
      print("request failed, trying again")
      print("request failed, returning")

  # file's main function
  def main():
  merge_files_output_JSON()
  main()

JSON Output

On a successful response (200) a JSON output representing your merged PDF will be available, for example:

  {
    'url': 'https://pdf-temp-files.s3.amazonaws.com/40ba2d7c5083470b8d6dee86170c2e3b/view.json',
    'pageCount': 2,
    'error': False,
    'status': 200,
    'name':
    'view.json',
    'remainingCredits': 194,
    'credits': 56
  }

The above output is the response’s status code, and the JSON object below it is the JSON response of the API. The JSON object contains the URL to the JSON output, the page count in the output file, the error report of the merging process, merge status, and the merged file name. Moreover, the merging endpoint contains the API’s remaining credits and the used credits to inform the user of his credits.

The url value from the JSON can be used to access the resulting PDF, for example: