Best Practices for PDF Generation at Scale

Generating PDFs at scale requires careful planning and optimization. This guide covers best practices to ensure your PDF generation is fast, reliable, and cost-effective.

1. Optimize Your HTML

Before sending HTML to the API, optimize it:

• Minify CSS and JavaScript: Reduce file sizes
• Optimize Images: Compress images before including them
• Use Efficient Selectors: Avoid complex CSS selectors
• Limit External Resources: Reduce dependencies on external stylesheets

2. Implement Caching

If you're generating the same PDF multiple times, cache the result:

const cache = new Map();
async function generatePDF(html, options) {
  const cacheKey = JSON.stringify({ html, options });
  
  if (cache.has(cacheKey)) {
    return cache.get(cacheKey);
  }
  
  const pdf = await convertToPDF(html, options);
  cache.set(cacheKey, pdf);
  return pdf;
}

3. Handle Errors Gracefully

Always implement proper error handling:

try {
  const pdf = await convertToPDF(html, options);
  return pdf;
} catch (error) {
  if (error.status === 429) {
    // Rate limit exceeded - implement retry logic
    await waitAndRetry();
  } else if (error.status === 401) {
    // Invalid API key
    throw new Error('Authentication failed');
  } else {
    // Log and handle other errors
    console.error('PDF generation failed:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

4. Use Async Processing

For large batches, process conversions asynchronously:

async function generateMultiplePDFs(htmlArray) {
  const promises = htmlArray.map(html => 
    convertToPDF(html).catch(err => {
      console.error('Failed to generate PDF:', err);
      return null;
    })
  );
  
  return Promise.all(promises);
}

5. Monitor Performance

Track conversion times and success rates:

• Log conversion duration
• Monitor error rates
• Track API usage
• Set up alerts for failures

6. Optimize for Your Use Case

Different use cases require different approaches:

• Real-time: Use direct API calls with minimal options
• Batch Processing: Queue jobs and process in background
• Scheduled Reports: Generate during off-peak hours
• User-Triggered: Show loading states and progress

7. Cost Optimization

• Use the free tier for development
• Choose the right plan for your volume
• Monitor usage to avoid overages
• Cache frequently generated PDFs

8. Security Considerations

• Never expose API keys in client-side code
• Validate HTML input to prevent XSS
• Sanitize user-generated content
• Use HTTPS for all API calls

Conclusion

Following these best practices will help you build a robust PDF generation system that scales with your needs. For more tips, check out our documentation and FAQ.