Headless Document API
#The **Feature-Complete** Headless Document Editor
Generate production-ready PDF, DOCX, and ODT documents via REST API. Powered by Markdown and JSON — the formats LLMs understand best.
{
"document": { "type": "pdf", "size": "A4" },
"variables": { "company": "Acme Inc" },
"sections": [{
"type": "flow",
"content": [
{ "type": "h1", "text": "Hello {{company}}!" },
{ "type": "chart", "config": { "type": "bar", ... } },
{ "type": "code", "language": "mermaid", "code": "..." }
]
}]
}#What other document APIs ~~can't do~~
Most so-called document APIs are just template engines — fill in a few placeholders and export a PDF. That's not document generation. Professional documents require structure, styling, and content types that templating can never deliver.
Templating, not generation
Other tools fill placeholders in pre-built templates. They can't create documents from scratch — no headings, no sections, no structure. Enough for a letter, not for a report.
Primitive content support
Text and tables is all you get. Diagrams, math formulas, charts, code blocks, QR codes? Build and render them yourself, then stitch them in manually.
No real styling control
You get a fixed template. Want to change heading fonts globally or adjust spacing? Re-create the entire template from scratch. No design system, no inheritance.
Locked into one format
Most tools output PDF only. Need DOCX for your client, ODT for compliance, or both from the same source? Start over with a second tool.
#Built on **industry standards**, not proprietary formats
Autype uses Markdown and JSON to define documents. Both are open standards, understood by every programming language, and natively generated by LLMs. No proprietary DSL. No vendor lock-in.
Extended Markdown
Write documents in Markdown with extended directives for charts, diagrams, math, and layout. The syntax every developer already knows.
JSON Document Schema
Full programmatic control via a validated JSON schema. Define every element, style, and layout property with complete type safety.
LLM-Optimized
Markdown and JSON are the formats LLMs generate most reliably. One canonical way to express each element — no ambiguity, no broken output.
#Every document element you'll ever need
18 element types, 17 diagram languages, 8 chart types. From headings to QR codes, from Mermaid flowcharts to LaTeX formulas — all rendered natively.
Content Elements
- Headings (h1–h6)
- Paragraphs & secondary text
- Ordered & unordered lists with nesting
- Tables with styling, images in cells, data binding
- Images with captions & figure numbering
- Code blocks with syntax highlighting
- LaTeX math formulas (block & inline)
- QR codes (URL, WiFi, vCard)
17 Diagram Languages
- Mermaid — flowcharts, sequence, class, Gantt
- PlantUML — UML diagrams
- GraphViz — graph visualizations
- Structurizr — C4 architecture
- TikZ — LaTeX technical drawings
- Vega — data visualizations
- Plus BlockDiag, SeqDiag, ActDiag, NwDiag, PacketDiag, C4 PlantUML, DBML, Ditaa, ERD, UMlet, WireViz
8 Chart Types
- Bar charts
- Line charts
- Pie charts
- Doughnut charts
- Radar charts
- Polar area charts
- Scatter plots
- Bubble charts
#Automatic indices, references, and citations
Features you'd expect from academic publishing software — built into every API call. No manual effort, always accurate.
Table of Contents
Automatically generated from document headings. Configurable depth (h1–h6), clickable hyperlinks in PDF.
List of Figures
Auto-numbered captions for images, diagrams, and charts. Cross-reference any figure with always-correct numbering.
List of Tables
Automatic table numbering and caption management with cross-references.
List of Code Listings
Numbered code blocks with captions, referenced from anywhere in the document.
List of Abbreviations
Define abbreviations once, Autype expands and lists them automatically.
Bibliography
CSL-JSON citations with 6 built-in styles: APA7, Harvard, IEEE, Chicago, MLA, Vancouver. Auto-formatted reference list.
Cross-References
Reference any heading, figure, table, or code listing by anchor. Numbers update automatically when content changes.
Template Variables
Text, image, list, and table variables with {{varName}} syntax. Built-in page numbers and dates.
#Global styling and layout control
Define your document theme once. Every heading, paragraph, table, and element follows your design system. Change one value — the entire document updates.
Global Defaults
Font family, font size, text color, line height — set once for the entire document. Every element inherits unless overridden.
Element-Level Styles
Override styles per heading level (h1–h6), secondary text, tables, code blocks, math, and bibliography entries.
Headers & Footers
Three-column layout (left / center / right) with text spans, images, and page numbers. Exclude first page option.
Spacing System
Fine-grained before/after spacing for every element type. Control whitespace with precision, not guesswork.
#Advanced layout capabilities
Page sizes, margins, multi-column layouts, orientation changes, and auto-positioning. Full control over how content flows across pages.
Page Sizes & Margins
A3, A4, A5, Letter, Legal, Tabloid. Custom margins in centimeters per side for every section independently.
Portrait Orientation
Standard vertical page layout for text-heavy documents, reports, and letters.
Landscape Orientation
Horizontal layout ideal for wide tables, charts, Gantt diagrams, and data-heavy sections.
Mid-Document Orientation Switching
Switch between portrait and landscape freely within the same document. Use landscape for a chart section, then return to portrait — per section, not per document.
Multi-Column Layout
2–4 column layouts per section with configurable spacing and separator lines. Perfect for academic papers and publications.
Flow & Page Sections
Flow sections for continuous content across pages. Page sections for fixed-position elements like cover pages and overlays.
Page Breaks
Force page breaks anywhere in the document. Control exactly where new pages begin for precise layout control.
Auto Flow
The rendering engine determines optimal positions for elements automatically. Content flows naturally without manual positioning.
#40+ API operations for PDF, DOCX, and ODT
Beyond document generation, Autype offers a complete document processing toolkit via REST API. Every operation is async with webhook support.
Document Rendering
- Render from JSON schema
- Render from Extended Markdown
- Render persistent documents by ID
- Validate JSON without rendering
- Validate Markdown without rendering
- Bulk render with variable sets (JSON, CSV, Excel)
PDF Operations
- Merge multiple PDFs
- Split PDF by page ranges
- Rotate pages (90°, 180°, 270°)
- Keep or remove specific pages
- Add text watermarks
- Extract metadata
- Password protect & encrypt
- Unlock password-protected PDFs
- Compress PDFs (3 levels)
- Convert PDF to images
- Extract form fields
- Fill form fields
Conversion & Placeholders
- Convert DOCX to PDF
- Convert ODT to PDF
- Replace placeholders in DOCX/ODT (text, images, lists, tables)
Document Management
- Create and manage projects
- Create documents with initial content
- List and retrieve documents
- Get document variables
- Upload and manage temporary images
- API key info and credit balance
#Integrations for every workflow
Connect Autype to your existing automation stack. Native integrations for the most popular platforms, plus a universal MCP server for AI agents.
Make (Integromat)
Native Make.com modules for document rendering, bulk generation, PDF tools, and file management. Trigger document creation from any workflow.
n8n
Community node with full API coverage. 40+ operations across 8 resources. AI agent compatible with usableAsTool support.
MCP Server
Model Context Protocol server for AI agents. Let Claude, GPT, or any MCP-compatible agent generate and manage documents programmatically.
REST API
Standard REST API with OpenAPI spec. Integrate with Zapier, Pipedream, custom backends, or any HTTP-capable tool.
#Start generating documents **programmatically**
Free API access included on all paid plans. Full documentation, OpenAPI spec, and SDKs available.