Terms of service

Last updated: March 18, 2026

1. Acceptance of terms

By creating an account, accessing the dashboard, using the API, or using any free tool on PDF4.dev, you agree to be bound by these terms. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, you must stop using the service immediately.

These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you (“User”, “you”) and benoitded, based in France (“we”, “us”, “PDF4.dev”), the operator of this service.

2. Service description

PDF4.dev provides the following:

• REST API: a programmatic interface for generating PDF documents from HTML templates with Handlebars variables.
• Web dashboard: a browser-based interface for creating, editing, and managing templates, components, API keys, and generation logs.
• Free PDF tools: browser-based utilities for common PDF operations (merge, split, compress, convert, and others), most of which run entirely client-side.
• MCP server: a Model Context Protocol endpoint that allows AI agents (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and others) to interact with your templates and generate PDFs programmatically.

3. Account registration and security

To use the API and dashboard, you must create an account with a valid email address and a password. You are responsible for:

• Providing accurate and up-to-date registration information.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of your password and account credentials.
• All activity that occurs under your account, whether authorized by you or not.

You must notify us immediately at [email protected] if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

4. API keys and authentication

API keys authenticate requests to the PDF4.dev REST API. When you create an API key, the full token is shown once and cannot be retrieved afterward. You are solely responsible for:

• Storing API keys securely in server-side environments (environment variables, secret managers, or similar).
• Never exposing API keys in client-side code, public repositories, browser JavaScript, or mobile apps.
• Revoking and replacing any key you believe has been compromised.

We are not liable for unauthorized use of your API keys resulting from your failure to keep them secure.

5. Subscriptions and billing

Some features of PDF4.dev require a paid subscription. By subscribing, you agree to the following:

• Subscriptions are billed in advance on a monthly or annual cycle, depending on the plan you select.
• Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing cycle unless cancelled before the renewal date.
• You may cancel your subscription at any time from the dashboard. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period, and you retain access until then.
• We may change pricing with at least 30 days' notice. Price changes apply at the start of the next billing cycle after the notice period.

6. Free tier

Free PDF tools on PDF4.dev are available to all visitors, subject to a limit of 3 operations per week for unauthenticated users. Creating an account removes this limit.

Most free tools process files entirely in your browser. Files processed client-side never leave your device and are not uploaded to our servers. The HTML to PDF tool is an exception: it sends HTML to our server for rendering.

7. Refund policy

All payments are non-refundable, except where required by applicable law (including EU consumer protection regulations). If you believe you are entitled to a refund under applicable law, contact us at [email protected] with your account details and the reason for your request.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to use PDF4.dev for any unlawful or prohibited purpose. Specifically, you may not:

• Generate documents containing illegal content under French law or the laws of your jurisdiction.
• Create forged, counterfeit, or fraudulent documents, including fake identity documents, certificates, diplomas, financial instruments, or government-issued papers.
• Use the service to facilitate fraud, phishing, impersonation, or any form of deception.
• Generate content that infringes on the intellectual property rights of third parties.
• Send automated requests designed to disrupt, overload, or interfere with the operation of the service.
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to extract the source code of the service.
• Resell, sublicense, or redistribute access to the API without prior written authorization from us.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account immediately if we determine, at our sole discretion, that you have violated this section.

9. API fair usage

API usage is subject to fair use limits. We reserve the right to throttle, rate-limit, or temporarily suspend API access for accounts that generate excessive load or exhibit usage patterns that degrade the service for other users.

When rate limits are active, they are communicated via standard HTTP response headers (X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-RateLimit-Reset). Exceeding these limits may result in 429 Too Many Requests responses.

10. Content ownership

You retain full ownership of all content you create using PDF4.dev, including HTML templates, sample data, and generated PDF documents. We do not claim any intellectual property rights over your content.

By using the service, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to process your content solely for the purpose of providing the service (rendering PDFs, storing templates, and similar operations). This license terminates when you delete your content or your account.

11. Document processing

When you generate a PDF, your HTML template is rendered in an isolated browser context (headless Chromium) on our servers. The resulting PDF is returned directly in the API response and is not stored on our servers.

We do not retain copies of generated PDFs. Your templates and sample data are stored in your account for your convenience and are deleted when you delete them or your account.

12. Intellectual property

The PDF4.dev platform, including its source code, design, brand, logo, documentation, blog content, and marketing materials, is owned by us and protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

Nothing in these terms grants you any right to use the PDF4.dev name, logo, or branding without our prior written consent.

13. Third-party services

PDF4.dev relies on third-party open-source software to deliver parts of the service. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Playwright (headless Chromium) for server-side PDF rendering.
• Handlebars for template variable interpolation.
• pdf-lib for client-side PDF manipulation in free tools.

We are not responsible for issues arising from bugs, limitations, or changes in third-party software. These components are governed by their own open-source licenses.

14. Service availability

We make reasonable efforts to keep PDF4.dev available, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. The service may be temporarily unavailable due to:

• Scheduled maintenance and updates.
• Infrastructure or hosting provider outages.
• Factors beyond our control, such as network failures, DNS issues, or distributed denial-of-service attacks.

We will make reasonable efforts to notify users in advance of planned maintenance that may cause downtime.

15. Disclaimer of warranties

PDF4.dev is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory. We disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to:

• Implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
• Warranties that the service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.
• Warranties regarding the accuracy or reliability of any output generated by the service.

You use the service at your own risk. You are solely responsible for verifying the correctness of any document generated through PDF4.dev before distributing or relying on it.

16. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to your use of the service, including but not limited to:

• Loss of revenue, profits, or business opportunities.
• Loss or corruption of data.
• Business interruption.
• Cost of procuring substitute goods or services.

In all cases, our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the service is limited to the amounts you have paid to us in the 12 months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim. If you have not made any payments, our liability is limited to zero euros.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless PDF4.dev and its operator from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the service.
• Your violation of these terms.
• Your violation of any rights of a third party, including intellectual property rights.
• Content you create, upload, or generate using the service.

18. Termination

By you: you may delete your account at any time from the dashboard settings page. Deletion is immediate and permanent.

By us: we may suspend or terminate your account at any time if we reasonably believe you have violated these terms, engaged in abusive behavior, or if required by law. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you before or at the time of suspension, except where doing so would be impractical or legally prohibited.

19. Data upon termination

When your account is deleted (whether by you or by us), all associated data is permanently removed from our systems. This includes your templates, components, sample data, API keys, generation logs, and account information.

We do not retain backups of deleted user data. This deletion is irreversible. You are responsible for exporting any data you wish to keep before deleting your account.

20. Governing law

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of France, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute arising from or relating to these terms or your use of PDF4.dev will be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Paris, France.

21. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, unenforceable, or illegal by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving its original intent.

22. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time to reflect changes in the service, legal requirements, or business practices. When we make changes:

• The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will be revised.
• For material changes, we will notify registered users by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect.
• Continued use of the service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

23. Contact

For questions, concerns, or requests related to these terms, contact us at [email protected].