PDF-API.io

@pdf-api list all my PDF templates and show me which ones were created in the last 30 days

Found 12 templates in your PDF-API.io account. Recent templates (last 30 days): 'Invoice-2024-Q1' (created Jan 15), 'Contract-Standard' (created Jan 22), 'Receipt-Template-v2' (created Feb 3). Older templates include 'Proposal-Default', 'NDA-Basic', 'Timesheet-Weekly', and 6 others. Each template includes its ID, creation date, and last-modified timestamp for reference.

This example shows the MCP's core read capability — retrieving your template library. Requires a valid API key with read permissions. The MCP returns metadata only; it won't show template content or generate PDFs without additional tools. Useful for auditing what templates exist before building generation workflows.

@pdf-api check if I have a template named 'Monthly-Report' and tell me when it was last updated

Yes, 'Monthly-Report' exists in your account (template ID: tpl_8x9k2m). Last modified on January 28, 2024. This template was created on December 10, 2023. No other templates match that exact name. If you need to generate a PDF from this template, you'll need to provide data variables separately.

Demonstrates filtering within the template list to locate a specific asset. The MCP can confirm existence and surface metadata, but can't preview layout or field mappings. If your account has many templates, this query helps avoid manual searching through the PDF-API.io dashboard.

@pdf-api show me all templates I have, then recommend which one would work best for creating customer invoices

Retrieved 12 templates. Based on naming conventions, 'Invoice-2024-Q1' and 'Invoice-Standard-v3' appear invoice-related. 'Invoice-2024-Q1' was updated more recently (Jan 15 vs. Nov 2023), suggesting it may reflect current branding or tax rules. However, I can only see template names and dates — not field structures. Review both in your PDF-API.io dashboard to confirm which matches your invoice data schema before generating documents.

This synthesis example pairs the MCP's data with AI reasoning to guide template selection. The AI can infer purpose from naming but can't inspect template internals. Useful for onboarding teammates who don't know which template to use, though final verification requires dashboard access or test generation.

When PDF-API.io fits high-volume contract workflows

A 6-person sales team closing 40+ deals a month needs consistent contract PDFs without manual formatting. PDF-API.io works here if you already maintain templates in their platform—the single List Templates tool lets Switchy pull the right template ID, then your team can trigger generation through their API in the same conversation where you're discussing deal terms. The auth is straightforward API key setup. This breaks down if your contracts need dynamic clause logic or version control beyond what their template system supports. If you're generating fewer than 10 PDFs a week, the setup overhead probably isn't worth it. Best fit: repeatable documents at scale where the template library is your single source of truth.

PDF-API.io for templatized welcome docs

A 3-person customer success team onboards 15 new accounts monthly, each needing a branded welcome packet with account details, setup guides, and terms. PDF-API.io handles this if your packets follow a fixed structure—list your templates in Switchy, pick the onboarding set, and generate personalized PDFs as you're prepping the kickoff call. The limitation: you're locked into their template editor for any layout changes, and the single-tool MCP means you're mostly using this for template discovery, not end-to-end document assembly. If your packets vary significantly by customer tier or industry, you'll hit the template rigidity wall fast. Works when onboarding is predictable and volume justifies maintaining a template library.

When this MCP is too narrow for reporting workflows

A 4-person marketing agency sends 20 client reports monthly, each pulling performance data from Google Analytics, social platforms, and ad spend. PDF-API.io's single List Templates tool doesn't help here—you need data ingestion, chart rendering, and conditional sections, none of which this MCP exposes. The vendor likely has API endpoints for generation and data merge, but this integration only surfaces template listing, making it a poor fit for dynamic reporting. You'd spend more time working around the MCP's limits than you'd save. Skip this unless your reports are static templates with manual data entry, in which case you're better off with a native PDF export from your BI tool anyway.