Developer API
Convert PDFs
from your code.
The droptomd API lets you convert PDF files to Markdown programmatically — same engine as the web app, accessible over HTTPS.
Get an API key
Keys are issued manually. Send us your use case and we'll get you set up.
Endpoint
POST
https://droptomd.com/api/v1/convert
Headers
| Header | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
X-API-Key |
Yes | Your API key |
Content-Type |
Auto | multipart/form-data (set automatically by most HTTP clients) |
Request body
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
file |
File | Yes | PDF file to convert. Maximum size: 20 MB. |
Response
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
markdown |
string | Converted Markdown text |
filename |
string | Original filename |
page_count |
integer | Number of pages in the PDF |
elapsed |
float | Server-side conversion time in seconds |
Examples
curl -X POST https://droptomd.com/api/v1/convert \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-F "file=@document.pdf"import requests
with open("document.pdf", "rb") as f:
response = requests.post(
"https://droptomd.com/api/v1/convert",
headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
files={"file": ("document.pdf", f, "application/pdf")},
)
data = response.json()
print(data["markdown"])
print(f"{data['page_count']} pages in {data['elapsed']}s")const form = new FormData();
form.append("file", fileInput.files[0]);
const response = await fetch("https://droptomd.com/api/v1/convert", {
method: "POST",
headers: { "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
body: form,
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.markdown);Error codes
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 400 | File is not a PDF |
| 401 | Missing X-API-Key header |
| 403 | Invalid API key |
| 413 | File exceeds 20 MB limit |
| 500 | Conversion failed (corrupted or unsupported PDF) |
Error responses include a detail field: {"detail": "..."}
Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Max file size | 20 MB per request |
| Supported formats | PDF only (digital text; scanned PDFs not supported) |
| Rate limit | None currently — fair use expected |