Convert Markdown to PDF in Go

What you need

• An API key. Create one in the app under API keys and export it as FORMFEED_API_KEY. A test key (ff_test_…) is right for trying things out. See the quick start.
• Go. You need Go 1.21 or newer; the program uses the standard library only.
• A Markdown file. report.md next to the program, up to 1 MB. A sample is further down.

The program

The program reads report.md, posts it as markdown with bookmarks from its headings, waits for the result when the API answers 202, stops with the API’s message when something is wrong, and saves the PDF.

package main

import (
	"bytes"
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
	"os"
	"time"
)

const endpoint = "https://api-eu.formfeed.dev/v1/renders"

// a render or a problem document: both are JSON objects, so one struct decodes either
type render struct {
	ID          string  `json:"id"`
	Status      string  `json:"status"`
	DownloadURL string  `json:"download_url"`
	PageCount   int     `json:"page_count"`
	Units       float64 `json:"units"`
	Title       string  `json:"title"`
	Detail      string  `json:"detail"`
}

// send makes one call with the key and decodes the answer
func send(method, url string, body []byte) (int, render) {
	request, _ := http.NewRequest(method, url, bytes.NewReader(body))
	request.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+os.Getenv("FORMFEED_API_KEY"))
	request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
	response, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(request)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer response.Body.Close()
	var answer render
	json.NewDecoder(response.Body).Decode(&answer)
	return response.StatusCode, answer
}

func main() {
	markdown, err := os.ReadFile("report.md")
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	body, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{
		"markdown": string(markdown),
		"settings": map[string]any{
			"pdf": map[string]any{"outline": true},
		},
	})

	status, result := send("POST", endpoint, body)
	// not done within 60 seconds: the answer is 202 and the render goes on in the background;
	// its result answers the same way until the render has finished
	for status == http.StatusAccepted {
		time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
		status, result = send("GET", endpoint+"/"+result.ID+"/result", nil)
	}
	// every error is a problem document (RFC 9457) with a title and a detail
	if status >= 400 {
		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s: %s\n", result.Title, result.Detail)
		os.Exit(1)
	}

	file, err := http.Get(result.DownloadURL)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer file.Body.Close()
	out, _ := os.Create("report.pdf")
	defer out.Close()
	io.Copy(out, file.Body)
	fmt.Printf("%s %d page(s), %v unit(s)\n", result.ID, result.PageCount, result.Units)
}

Run it

It prints the render’s id, the page count and the units it cost, and report.pdf lies next to the program.

export FORMFEED_API_KEY=ff_test_...
go run main.go

What is particular about Go

• json.RawMessage. The sample data goes into the body as it is on disk, without being decoded into Go types first, so the program works for any template.
• One struct for both answers. A render and a problem document are both JSON objects, so a single struct with title and detail beside the render fields decodes either.
• Timeouts. http.DefaultClient has none. In a service, give the client a Timeout a little above 60 seconds: a synchronous render answers when the file is done, or after 60 seconds with 202 while it goes on in the background.

A Markdown file with a title

The front matter gives the PDF its title and author; without one the first heading is the title. A line \newpage starts a new page, and a link to a heading works inside the PDF:

---
title: Release notes 2.4
author: Fennlor Studio GmbH
---

# Release notes 2.4

## What is new

- Faster previews, see [the numbers](#numbers)
- Footnotes in the export[^1]
- [x] Tested on every plan

## Numbers

| Step    | Before | After  |
| :------ | -----: | -----: |
| Preview | 840 ms | 310 ms |
| Export  | 2.1 s  | 1.4 s  |

\newpage

## Thanks

To everyone who reported a problem.

[^1]: From version 2.4 on.

What the settings control

• Look. settings.markdown.theme is document, which styles the text, in the brand kit’s fonts and colour where the workspace has one, or none; settings.markdown.css comes after it.
• Raw HTML. Shown as text by default. settings.markdown.html: "allow" writes it as it stands, for Markdown you wrote yourself, never for text from your users or a model.
• Line breaks. settings.markdown.breaks: true makes a single line break a line break, for text from a chat.
• Paper, header and footer. paper, margin, header.html and footer.html work as for HTML; elements with the classes pageNumber and totalPages show the page numbers.

Placeholders in the Markdown

Add "engine": "jinja2" (or liquid, handlebars) and a data object, and {{ … }} in the text is filled before it is read as Markdown, with all helpers. The Markdown guide has the rest.

When the API says no

• One shape for every error. Errors are problem documents (RFC 9457) with type, title, status, detail, a stable code and the request_id to quote to support; the type URL leads to a page about that error. The list is in the error reference.
• The usual ones. 401 unauthorized for a missing or revoked key, 404 template_not_found for a wrong template name, 422 template_runtime_error when the template fails on the data, 429 rate_limited above the plan’s requests per second, 402 quota_exceeded when the Free plan’s units are used up (a paid plan bills extra units up to its hard cap).
• Retry safely. Send an Idempotency-Key header with the POST, and repeat the request with the same key when you do not know whether the first attempt arrived: for 24 hours the key returns the first answer instead of rendering and billing again. The answer is stored once the first attempt has been answered, so do not retry while it may still run; and problems below 500 are stored too, so a corrected request needs a new key.

The job around this program

This guide is one program. What the job needs around it, from the template to the limits and the price, is on the page Markdown to PDF API.

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