Modern applications built with Next.js often need to generate PDFs from dynamic, server-rendered pages—whether for invoices, reports, user dashboards, or compliance documents. Manually handling PDF generation inside a Next.js app can quickly become complex and resource-heavy.
This is where a Web-to-PDF API becomes the most reliable and scalable solution.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to convert Next.js pages into high-quality PDFs using an external API, without slowing down your app or maintaining complex rendering logic.
Why PDF Generation Is Challenging in Next.js
Next.js applications combine server-side rendering (SSR), static generation (SSG), and client-side rendering (CSR). This flexibility makes PDF generation tricky because:
- Headless browsers are heavy to run in serverless environments
- Rendering authenticated or dynamic pages requires extra setup
- Scaling PDF generation can increase infrastructure costs
- Maintaining layout consistency across browsers is difficult
Using a dedicated web to PDF API avoids these issues entirely.
How a Web-to-PDF API Works with Next.js
A Web-to-PDF API renders your live Next.js page exactly as a browser would and converts it into a downloadable PDF.
Typical workflow:
- Your Next.js app generates a public or authenticated URL
- The URL is sent to the Web-to-PDF API
- The API renders the page and returns a PDF
- The PDF is stored or delivered to the user
APITier’s Web Conversion API handles JavaScript execution, CSS rendering, fonts, and page breaks automatically.
👉 Learn more about the API here:
Web-to-PDF API: https://www.apitier.com/api-catalogue/web-to-pdf-api
Example: Converting a Next.js Page to PDF
A common use case is generating PDFs from dynamic routes like:
/invoice/[id] /reports/[userId] /orders/[orderId]
Instead of building PDF logic into your app, you simply pass the rendered URL to APITier’s API.
Full implementation details are available in the documentation:
📘 Web-to-PDF API Docs: https://docs.apitier.com/docs/web-conversion-api/web-to-pdf-api
Benefits of Using APITier for Next.js PDF Conversion
Using APITier’s web to PDF API provides several advantages:
- No headless browser setup
- Works with SSR, SSG, and authenticated pages
- Accurate rendering of CSS and JavaScript
- Scales independently of your Next.js app
- Ideal for invoices, reports, and compliance PDFs
This approach keeps your Next.js app fast while offloading heavy rendering tasks.
Common Use Cases
Teams commonly use Web-to-PDF with Next.js for:
- Invoice and receipt generation
- User activity reports
- Compliance and audit documents
- Client-ready exports
- Admin dashboards and summaries
If your app already has a web page, you can turn it into a PDF instantly.
Get Started with Web-to-PDF for Next.js
If you’re building with Next.js and need reliable PDF generation, APITier makes it simple.
👉 Try the Web-to-PDF API today:
https://www.apitier.com/signup
You’ll get instant access to the API, documentation, and sample requests to start generating PDFs in minutes.
