--- title: "Use the PDFBetter API and create an API key" description: "Create a scoped API key on Business, call the REST API at api.pdfbetter.com to fill, export and send PDFs for signature, and revoke keys you no longer use." url: https://help.pdfbetter.com/automation/rest-api-keys/ collection: "Workflows & integrations" section: "API & agents" updated: 2026-10-18 publisher: "PDFBetter (AI Generated Inc.)" --- # Use the PDFBetter API and create an API key > On Business, open **Settings** → **API keys**, name the key, tick its **Permissions** and click **Create key**. Copy it right away; send it as `Authorization: Bearer pb_live_…` to `https://api.pdfbetter.com/v1/`. - Available on: Business Do it in PDFBetter: https://pdfbetter.com/app/settings/api-keys/ The API lets your own code do what you'd do in the app: create documents, fill fields, export PDFs, send signature requests, read form responses and bulk-fill from spreadsheets. It's part of the [Business plan](https://help.pdfbetter.com/account-billing/compare-plans/). Full reference: [developer docs](https://pdfbetter.com/developers/). ## Create a key 1. **Open API keys**: Click **Settings** at the bottom of the sidebar, then **API keys**. If your plan doesn't include the API, you'll see **Start Business** instead. 2. **Name the key**: Enter a **Key name** that tells you where it's used, such as "CRM integration". Only you see it. 3. **Choose permissions**: Under **Permissions**, tick only what this integration needs, such as **Read documents** or **Send signature requests**. Give each integration its own key. 4. **Create and copy it**: Click **Create key**, then **Copy**. The key is shown once; we store only a hash. Click **I've saved it** when done. ## Call the API - Base URL: `https://api.pdfbetter.com/v1/`. Paths end with a slash. - Send the key as `Authorization: Bearer pb_live_…` from your server. The API is server-to-server only and refuses browser requests. - Requests and responses are JSON, except file uploads. - The OpenAPI description is at `https://api.pdfbetter.com/v1/openapi.json` for Postman, Insomnia or SDK generators. - Each key has a per-minute request limit. Every response carries `RateLimit-*` headers, and you get 429 when you go over. The API isn't a way around plan limits: exports, signature requests and bulk-fill rows count exactly as they do in the app. | Per month | No account | Free | Pro | Business | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Edited-document downloads | — | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Signature requests | — | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Spreadsheet fill rows | — | 25 | 500 | 5,000 | "Unlimited" is subject to fair use; "—" means not included. ## Revoke a key In **API keys**, click the trash icon next to the key, then **Revoke key**. Anything using it stops working immediately, and this can't be undone. A lost key can't be recovered: revoke it and create another. The **Last used** column helps you spot keys nobody uses. ## Current limitations - There's no sandbox. Keys act on live data, and signature requests email real recipients. - Keys act as the account that created them. Each team member needs their own key. - Editing page content (text, images, redaction) is only available in the editor. - Signature and button fields in a PDF can't be filled through the API. ### What happens to my keys if I leave Business? They stop working: requests fail with 402 `plan_required` until the account is back on Business. The keys aren't deleted. ### Can I use Zapier or Make instead of coding? Yes, and they work on every plan with an account. See [Connect PDFBetter to Zapier](https://help.pdfbetter.com/automation/connect-zapier/). ## Related articles - [Get webhooks when documents are signed or forms submitted](https://help.pdfbetter.com/automation/webhook-endpoints.md): In Settings → API keys → Webhooks, enter an https Endpoint URL, pick Events and click Add endpoint. Copy the signing secret (shown once) and use it to verify the PDFBetter-Signature header. - [Connect Claude, Cursor and other AI agents (MCP)](https://help.pdfbetter.com/automation/connect-ai-agents-mcp.md): Open Settings → Agents (MCP), name a key, choose its permissions and click Create agent key. Copy the ready-made setup for your client. Each tool call counts as one agent & automation run. - [Connect PDFBetter to Zapier](https://help.pdfbetter.com/automation/connect-zapier.md): Start from Settings → Integrations → Set up in Zapier, add a PDFBetter step in a Zap and sign in, then click Allow and connect. Each action a Zap runs counts as one agent & automation run on your plan. - [Compare the Free, Pro and Business plans](https://help.pdfbetter.com/account-billing/compare-plans.md): Free costs nothing and has no end date. Pro is $15 a month for one person, with unlimited downloads and signature requests. Business is $24 per seat a month and adds teams, branding, bulk send, the API and the largest spreadsheet-fill allowance. - [Bulk send: one document to a whole list, each person signs their own copy](https://help.pdfbetter.com/signing/send-same-document-to-many-signers.md): Prepare the document for one signer, choose Bulk send when you send, then upload a CSV or Excel list (or paste rows) with a name and email per person. Everyone gets their own copy and signing link; you track them all in Sent. Up to 500 recipients per bulk send, on Business. --- Source: https://help.pdfbetter.com/automation/rest-api-keys/ · PDFBetter Help Center · Last checked against the product 2026-10-18. Questions: support@pdfbetter.com