Document Conversion Library for PHP

File conversion example using PHP

Converting documents using our PHP SDK has never been simpler. By reducing complex tasks to just a few lines of code, our library saves valuable time and effort, ensuring secure, reliable, and efficient document processing within your PHP environment. From straightforward conversions to advanced document manipulations, the ConvertAPI PHP library streamlines the entire process for maximum efficiency. To get started, install the ConvertAPI PHP package using Composer:

composer require convertapi/convertapi-php

Or install it manually using ConvertApi autoloader (curl and json extensions are required):

require_once('/path/to/convertapi-php/lib/ConvertApi/autoload.php');

PDF to JPG conversion example

With the ConvertAPI PHP Client, you can configure and perform document conversions with just a few lines of code. Fine-tune your PDF-to-JPG transformation by adjusting properties such as page ranges, cropping parameters, image resolution, width, quality, and color space settings.

Under the hood, the library manages all the complexity, freeing you to integrate powerful, customizable document conversions directly into your PHP application’s workflow. Here’s an example of converting a PDF into a series of JPG images with detailed parameters:

Convert File Stream

This example demonstrates how to execute a document conversion directly within memory using streams. This bypasses the need to write input or output files to disk.

Key Features:

• Reads the source file into a stream.
• Performs the conversion entirely in memory.
• Writes the converted file to another stream.

Use case is efficient for applications that handle files dynamically without intermediate storage.

# set your api token
ConvertApi::setApiCredentials(getenv('CONVERT_API_TOKEN'));

# Example of converting content stream to PDF
# https://www.convertapi.com/txt-to-pdf

$dir = sys_get_temp_dir();
$content = 'Test file body';

$stream = fopen('php://memory', 'rwb');
fwrite($stream, $content);
rewind($stream);

$upload = new \ConvertApi\FileUpload($stream, 'test.txt');

$result = ConvertApi::convert('pdf', ['File' => $upload]);
$savedFiles = $result->saveFiles($dir);

echo "The PDF saved to:\n";
print_r($savedFiles);

Convert URL to PDF

The following example illustrates how to convert a web page to a PDF by providing its URL. This is beneficial for archiving web content or generating PDF versions of web pages.

Key Features:

• Inputs the web page URL.
• Converts the web page content into a PDF document.
• Writes the converted PDF file to disk.

# set your api token
ConvertApi::setApiCredentials(getenv('API_TOKEN'));

# Example of converting Web Page URL to PDF file
# https://www.convertapi.com/web-to-pdf

$fromFormat = 'web';
$conversionTimeout = 180;
$dir = sys_get_temp_dir();

$result = ConvertApi::convert(
    'pdf',
    [
        'Url' => 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_conversion',
        'FileName' => 'web-example'
    ],
    $fromFormat,
    $conversionTimeout
);

$savedFiles = $result->saveFiles($dir);

echo "The web page PDF saved to\n";

print_r($savedFiles);

Conversion workflows

In this example we will demonstrate a a chained conversion process, where a file is passed through multiple format transformations in sequence.

Key Features:

• Performs a series of conversions (e.g., PDF → JPG → compressed ZIP).
• Utilizes intermediate results between steps.
• Returns the final output after all actions.

Useful for building automated workflows that require more than one conversion operation.

# set your api token
ConvertApi::setApiCredentials(getenv('API_TOKEN'));

# Short example of conversions chaining, the PDF pages extracted and saved as separated JPGs and then ZIP'ed
# https://www.convertapi.com/doc/chaining

$dir = sys_get_temp_dir();

echo "Converting PDF to JPG and compressing result files with ZIP\n";

$jpgResult = ConvertApi::convert('jpg', ['File' => 'files/test.pdf']);

$cost = $jpgResult->getConversionCost();
$count = count($jpgResult->getFiles());

echo "Conversions done. Cost: {$cost}. Total files created: {$count}\n";

$zipResult = ConvertApi::convert('zip', ['Files' => $jpgResult->getFiles()], 'any');

$cost = $zipResult->getConversionCost();
$count = count($zipResult->getFiles());

echo "Conversions done. Cost: {$cost}. Total files created: {$count}\n";

$savedFiles = $zipResult->saveFiles($dir);

echo "File saved to\n";

print_r($savedFiles);

Retrieve user information

The following example demonstrates how to retrieve user account information, such as usage limits, current balance, and activity statistics.

# set your api token
ConvertApi::setApiCredentials(getenv('API_TOKEN'));

# Retrieve user information
# https://www.convertapi.com/doc/user

$info = ConvertApi::getUser();

print_r($info);

Error handling

The following example demonstrates how to handle common errors and exceptions that may arise during file conversions.

# set your api token
ConvertApi::setApiCredentials(getenv('API_TOKEN'));

try {
    $result = ConvertApi::convert('svg', ['File' => 'files/test.docx']);
} catch (\ConvertApi\Error\Api $error) {
    echo "Got API error code: " . $error->getCode() . "\n";
    echo $error->getMessage();
}

With our PHP SDK, you’ll have access to over 300+ converters and document management features - all available through one unified platform.

You can pass the documents by specifying URLs, reading file streams, or simply referencing local file paths, ensuring that file handling integrates smoothly into your existing setup. To boost productivity even further, consider leveraging conversion workflows to handle multiple tasks efficiently.

For detailed examples and advanced usage tips, be sure to check out our GitHub repository.