Skip to main content

Quick Start Guide

This guide will walk you through creating your first document with Json2doc. In just a few minutes, you'll create a professional PDF or Word document using either template mode or document mode.

Prerequisites​

  • A Json2doc account with an API key (sign up here)
  • Basic knowledge of HTTP requests
  • A command line tool like cURL (or use our examples in other languages)

Option 1: Template Mode (Simplest)​

If you have a Word document template with placeholders like {{companyName}}, this is the fastest way to get started.

Step 1: Upload Your Template​

First, upload a Word document template:

curl -X POST 'https://api.json2doc.com/v1/templates/upload' \
-H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
-H 'Accept: application/json' \
-H 'x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY' \
-F 'file=@"/path/to/your/template.docx"' \
-F 'name="Business Report Template"'

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "template_abc123",
    "name": "Business Report Template",
    "filename": "template.docx",
    "storagePath": "/templates/template_abc123.docx",
    "createdAt": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

Step 2: Generate Document from Template​

Create a document using your template with variable replacement:

curl -X POST \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "template_abc123",
    "variables": {
      "companyName": "Acme Corporation",
      "year": "2024",
      "revenue": "$1,250,000",
      "profit": "$185,000"
    },
    "output": {
      "filename": "acme-report-2024",
      "type": "pdf"
    }
  }' \
  https://api.json2doc.com/v1/templates/generate

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "jobId": "job_def456",
    "status": "PENDING",
    "type": "TEMPLATE",
    "estimatedTokens": 5,
    "createdAt": "2025-01-15T10:32:00Z"
  }
}

Step 3: Download Your Document​

curl -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
     -o acme-report-2024.pdf \
     https://api.json2doc.com/v1/jobs/job_def456/download

🎉 Congratulations! You've created your first document using template mode!

Option 2: Document Mode (Full Control)​

For complete control over document structure and styling, use document mode.

Step 1: Create a Simple Document Job​

Create a document from scratch with full styling control:

curl -X POST \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "document": {
      "type": "pdf",
      "filename": "business-report",
      "title": "Business Report 2024",
      "author": "Json2doc API",
      "size": "A4"
    },
    "defaults": {
      "fontFamily": "Arial",
      "fontSize": 11,
      "styles": {
        "h1": {
          "fontSize": 24,
          "fontWeight": "bold",
          "color": "#0066cc",
          "align": "center"
        },
        "h2": {
          "fontSize": 18,
          "fontWeight": "bold",
          "color": "#333333"
        }
      }
    },
    "sections": [
      {
        "type": "flow",
        "content": [
          {
            "type": "h1",
            "text": "Business Report 2024"
          },
          {
            "type": "h2",
            "text": "Executive Summary"
          },
          {
            "type": "text",
            "text": "This comprehensive report covers our business performance for 2024. We achieved significant growth with **25% revenue increase** and expanded our market presence."
          },
          {
            "type": "text",
            "text": "Key highlights include:",
            "spacing": {
              "after": 10
            }
          },
          {
            "type": "list",
            "ordered": false,
            "items": [
              "Revenue growth of **25%** year-over-year",
              "Expansion into **3 new markets**",
              "Customer satisfaction score of **4.8/5**",
              "Team growth to **150 employees**"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }' \
  https://api.json2doc.com/v1/jobs

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "jobId": "job_ghi789",
    "status": "PENDING",
    "type": "DOCUMENT",
    "estimatedTokens": 8,
    "createdAt": "2025-01-15T10:32:00Z"
  }
}

Step 2: Check Job Status​

curl -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
     https://api.json2doc.com/v1/jobs/job_ghi789

Response when complete:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "job_ghi789",
    "type": "DOCUMENT",
    "status": "COMPLETED",
    "outputFileId": "file_jkl012",
    "tokensUsed": 8,
    "completedAt": "2025-01-15T10:32:02Z",
    "createdAt": "2025-01-15T10:32:00Z"
  }
}

Step 3: Download Your Document​

curl -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
     -o business-report.pdf \
     https://api.json2doc.com/v1/files/file_jkl012/download

🎉 Congratulations! You've created your first document using document mode!

What Just Happened?​

Template Mode​

  1. Template Upload: You uploaded a Word document template
  2. Variable Replacement: Json2doc replaced {{variables}} with your data
  3. Generation: Created a new document in your chosen format
  4. Download: Retrieved the final document

Document Mode​

  1. JSON Configuration: You defined the complete document structure in JSON
  2. Style Definition: Set up fonts, colors, and spacing using defaults
  3. Content Creation: Added headings, text, and lists with formatting
  4. Generation: Json2doc rendered everything into a professional PDF

Error Handling​

If something goes wrong, the API returns clear error messages:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "validation_error",
  "message": "Template variable 'companyName' is not defined"
}

Common issues:

  • Missing API key: Include the x-api-key header in all requests
  • Invalid JSON: Ensure your JSON configuration is valid
  • Undefined variables: Template mode requires all {{variables}} to be provided
  • Invalid paths: File paths in document mode must start with /

Ready for More?​

Now that you've created your first document, explore:

Questions? We're here to help at support@json2doc.com!