Developer API - Autype

The Autype Developer API lets you generate PDFs, DOCX, and ODT documents at scale. Perfect for automating document workflows, batch processing, and integrating document generation into your applications.

Base URL

https://api.autype.com/api/v1/dev

Key capabilities

Persistent Documents

Create and manage documents that are saved in your Autype workspace — visible in the app and editable by your team.

Document Rendering

Render persistent documents or ad-hoc JSON/Markdown to PDF, DOCX, or ODT.

Bulk Rendering

Create up to 100 documents at once from a template with different variable sets.

Template Variables

Use {{ variables }} or ${variables} for dynamic content substitution.

Reusable Styles

Browse immutable built-in styles or manage organization-owned presets, then reference either from JSON or Markdown renders via stylePresetId.

Template Catalogs

Keep productive workspace templates separate from the browse-only built-in catalog and fetch Extended Markdown only for the selected template.

Reusable Blocks

Manage versioned organization content and insert it as a linked reference or editable snapshot.

Records

Save customer or case values against document versions and retain their export history.

Interactive Forms

Author styled form fields that become AcroForm widgets in PDF exports.

PDF Tools

Merge, split, rotate, watermark, and extract metadata from PDFs.

DOCX Roundtrip

Import editable Word documents as validated Autype JSON, modify them, and render them back to DOCX.

Persistent vs. temporary resources

The API works with two types of resources. Understanding the difference is important:

Persistent resources (visible in the Autype app)

Resource	Endpoints	Description
Projects	`POST /projects`, `GET /projects`	Workspaces that organize documents. Created via the API as PUBLIC projects.
Documents	`POST /documents/markdown`, `GET /documents/{id}/markdown`, `PATCH /documents/{id}/markdown`, `POST /documents`, `GET /documents`, `GET /documents/{id}`	Documents stored in your workspace. Markdown endpoints are recommended for AI/API authoring; JSON endpoints remain available for advanced clients.
Style presets	`GET /styles`, `GET /styles/{id}`, `POST /styles`, `PATCH /styles/{id}`	Immutable built-in system styles and editable organization styles. Filter by `source=workspace`, `source=system`, or `source=all`; both can be reused through `stylePresetId`.
Template catalogs	`GET /templates`, `GET /templates/{id}/markdown`	Productive organization templates use `scope=workspace`; browse-only built-in quick starts use `scope=catalog`.
Reusable blocks	`GET /reusable-blocks`, `POST /reusable-blocks`, `PATCH /reusable-blocks/{id}`, `POST /reusable-blocks/{id}/versions/{version}/restore`	Versioned Extended Markdown with immutable changelogs and auditable restore shared across organization documents.
Records	`GET /documents/{id}/records`, `POST /documents/{id}/records`, `POST /records/{id}/render`	Version-aware variable datasets and their render history.
Document images	Auto-converted on document creation	Permanent images attached to a document (referenced as `/image/{assetId}` in document JSON). See Images in documents.

Temporary resources (API-only, not visible in the app)

Resource	Endpoints	Lifetime	Description
Temporary images	`POST /images/upload`, `GET /images`, `DELETE /images/{id}`	24 hours	Short-lived images for use in temporary renders. Referenced as `/temp-image/{id}` in document JSON. Not visible in the Autype app.
Render jobs	`POST /render`, `POST /render/markdown`, `POST /render/images`, `POST /render/markdown/images`, `GET /render/{id}`	Transient	Ad-hoc PDF/DOCX/ODT or PNG/JPEG page renders from inline JSON or Markdown. The input document is not saved. Not visible in the Autype app.
Bulk render jobs	`POST /bulk-render`, `GET /bulk-render/{id}`	Transient	Bulk render outputs. Not visible in the Autype app.
Tool files	`POST /tools/files/upload`, `GET /tools/files`, `DELETE /tools/files/{id}`	60 minutes	Temporary files for PDF tools (merge, split, etc.). Not visible in the Autype app.
DOCX imports	`POST /import/docx`, `POST /import/docx/file`	Request / 24-hour images	Convert Word to validated editable Autype JSON; embedded images use protected temporary references.
Tool jobs	`POST /tools/pdf/*`, `GET /tools/jobs/{id}`	Transient	PDF processing jobs (merge, split, rotate, watermark, metadata). Not visible in the Autype app.

Use POST /render/document/ to render a persistent document. This uses the document’s saved content and its permanent images — no temporary image uploads needed.

Recommended AI/API workflow

For AI agents and API automation, prefer Extended Markdown plus reusable styles when possible:

List styles with GET /styles?source=workspace, source=system, or source=all, then fetch the selected definition with GET /styles/{id}.
Create an organization style only when the built-in catalog does not fit.
For saved workspace documents, use POST /documents/markdown.
For ad-hoc output that should not be saved, use POST /render/markdown.
Pass the selected workspace UUID or immutable system:<id> as stylePresetId.
Add inline defaults only for request-specific overrides.

To inspect layout with a vision-capable client, use POST /render/markdown/images. One selected page is returned directly as PNG or JPEG; multiple pages are returned as a ZIP archive. Markdown document requests keep content readable while still accepting structured metadata:

{
  "projectId": "project-id",
  "title": "Quarterly Report",
  "content": "# Report\n\nHello {{companyName}}.",
  "document": { "type": "pdf", "size": "A4" },
  "stylePresetId": "style-id",
  "variables": { "companyName": "Acme GmbH" }
}

You can read the saved document back with GET /documents/{id}/markdown and update it with PATCH /documents/{id}/markdown. The full document JSON remains supported for advanced clients, editors, and integrations that need complete structural control. stylePresetId is additive: existing inline defaults still work, and inline values override the referenced style preset. Built-in system:<id> styles are immutable but can be used directly in render requests; organization style UUIDs remain editable. Template scopes are intentionally separate. Use scope=workspace for organization-owned templates that can drive production document generation. Use scope=catalog to browse built-in quick starts, then create a workspace copy before treating one as an organization template. Fetch the Extended Markdown only after selecting a template through GET /templates/{id}/markdown.

Temporary render shortcut

For temporary render jobs:

Send the document content as Extended Markdown to POST /render/markdown.
Pass the selected style as stylePresetId.
Add inline defaults only for request-specific overrides.

Images in documents

How you handle images depends on whether you’re working with persistent or temporary resources:

Persistent documents with images

When creating a persistent document via POST /documents, you can embed images using the following workflow:

Upload images via POST /images/upload — you receive /temp-image/{id} reference paths.
Create the document via POST /documents with the /temp-image/{id} paths in your document JSON.
Automatic conversion — the API detects all /temp-image/{id} references in the document content, copies them to permanent storage, and replaces the paths with /image/{assetId}. The resulting document contains only permanent image references.

The conversion happens transparently. The temporary images remain available for their 24-hour lifetime, but the document itself now references permanent copies that will not expire.

Temporary renders with images

For ad-hoc renders (POST /render, POST /render/markdown), use POST /images/upload to upload temporary images and reference them as /temp-image/{id} in your document JSON. These images are valid for 24 hours and are resolved at render time.

External URLs

You can also use full https:// URLs for images in any context — both persistent documents and temporary renders. External URLs are fetched at render time.

Credit costs

Operations consume credits from your organization’s balance. Credits are only charged on successful completion.

Operation	Credit Cost
Temporary Image Upload	Free
Single Render	1 credit
Bulk Render	1 credit per item
Tool File Upload	Free
Tool PDF Action	1 credit

Quick example

Render a persistent document:

curl -X POST "https://api.autype.com/api/v1/dev/render/document/YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID" \
  -H "X-API-Key: ak_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "variables": { "clientName": "Acme Inc" }
  }'

Or render from inline JSON (temporary, not saved):

curl -X POST "https://api.autype.com/api/v1/dev/render" \
  -H "X-API-Key: ak_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "config": {
      "document": { "type": "pdf", "size": "A4" },
      "variables": { "name": "World" },
      "sections": [{
        "id": "main",
        "type": "flow",
        "content": [
          { "type": "h1", "text": "Hello, {{name}}!" }
        ]
      }]
    }
  }'

Next steps

Authentication

Learn how to authenticate your API requests.

Rate Limits

Understand usage limits and quotas.

OpenAPI Specification

Download the full OpenAPI 3.0 spec as JSON — for code generation, Postman import, or AI context.

​Base URL

​Key capabilities

Persistent Documents

Document Rendering

Bulk Rendering

Template Variables

Reusable Styles

Template Catalogs

Reusable Blocks

Records

Interactive Forms

PDF Tools

DOCX Roundtrip

​Persistent vs. temporary resources

​Persistent resources (visible in the Autype app)

​Temporary resources (API-only, not visible in the app)

​Recommended AI/API workflow

​Temporary render shortcut

​Images in documents

​Persistent documents with images

​Temporary renders with images

​External URLs

​Credit costs

​Quick example

​Next steps

Authentication

Rate Limits

OpenAPI Specification

Base URL

Key capabilities

Persistent vs. temporary resources

Persistent resources (visible in the Autype app)

Temporary resources (API-only, not visible in the app)

Recommended AI/API workflow

Temporary render shortcut

Images in documents

Persistent documents with images

Temporary renders with images

External URLs

Credit costs

Quick example

Next steps