Generate from Template

Generate a PDF by combining a stored template with a data object. All $data references and source bindings in the template are resolved with the provided data before the PDF is rendered.

POST /documents/generate-from-template

Endpoint

POST /api/v1/tenants/{tenantId}/documents/generate-from-template

Headers

Header	Value	Required
Authorization	Bearer YOUR_API_KEY	Yes
Content-Type	application/json	Yes

Path parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
tenantId	string	Your tenant identifier

Request body

Field	Type	Required	Description
templateId	string (GUID)	Yes	ID of the stored template
data	object	Yes	Data object with values to inject into the template

{
  "templateId": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
  "data": {
    "client": {
      "companyName": "Meridian Logistics",
      "contactName": "Sarah Mitchell",
      "address": "12 Harbor Road",
      "city": "Austin, TX"
    },
    "document": {
      "title": "Professional Services Invoice",
      "date": "March 30, 2026"
    },
    "lineItems": [
      { "service": "Platform setup", "hours": "80", "rate": "$150", "total": "$12,000" },
      { "service": "API integration", "hours": "40", "rate": "$175", "total": "$7,000" }
    ],
    "invoice": {
      "grandTotal": "$19,000"
    },
    "paymentTerms": [
      "Wire transfer to ShipForge Ltd account",
      "Net 30 days from invoice date"
    ]
  }
}

Response

Success (200 OK)

Returns the generated document metadata with a download URL.

{
  "fileName": "doc-20260330-153045-xyz789.pdf",
  "documentId": "d4e5f6a7-b8c9-0123-4567-89abcdef0123",
  "status": "Completed",
  "fileSizeBytes": 31744,
  "contentType": "application/pdf",
  "downloadUrl": "https://api.docpayload.com/v1/tenants/{tenantId}/assets/docs/doc-20260330-153045-xyz789.pdf"
}

Error (404 Not Found)

Returned when the template ID does not exist or does not belong to your tenant.

{
  "message": "Template 'a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890' not found."
}

Error (400 Bad Request)

Returned when the template does not contain a valid document definition.

{
  "message": "The template does not contain a valid document definition."
}

Example

curl -X POST https://api.docpayload.com/v1/tenants/{tenantId}/documents/generate-from-template \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dp_live_abc123def456" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
    "data": {
      "client": {
        "companyName": "Meridian Logistics"
      },
      "document": {
        "title": "Delivery Receipt"
      }
    }
  }'

Data resolution

When this endpoint is called, the following resolution steps occur:

1. The template is retrieved from the database by templateId.
2. The template's content (a JSON string) is parsed into a document definition.
3. All $data.path.to.value scalar references in paragraph text are replaced with values from the data object.
4. All $data references in form field default values (textfield, checkbox, textarea) are resolved.
5. All source bindings on tables and lists are resolved:
   • Table source arrays are mapped to rows using map.
   • List source arrays are converted to list items.
6. The resolved document definition is rendered to PDF.

What is resolved

Feature	Example	Description
Scalar text	$data.client.name	Replaced with the value at the given path
Nested paths	$data.client.address.city	Dot-separated traversal of nested objects
Inside formatting	[b]$data.total[/b]	Ref resolved, then formatting applied
Form defaults	'$data.applicant.email'	Pre-fills editable form fields
Table rows	"source": "$data.items"	Array items become table rows
List items	"source": "$data.notes"	Array items become list items
Unresolved refs	$data.missing.key	Preserved as literal text

Downloading the PDF

Use the downloadUrl from the response to fetch the generated PDF binary:

curl -X GET "https://api.docpayload.com/v1/tenants/{tenantId}/assets/docs/doc-20260330-153045-xyz789.pdf" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dp_live_abc123def456" \
  -o invoice.pdf