convertapi

What it is and what it does

ConvertAPI is a thin Python wrapper around the ConvertAPI online file conversion service. It handles authentication, request formatting, and result retrieval for converting documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), images, and web content to PDF or image formats, as well as PDF operations like merging, encryption, splitting, and repair. The package depends only on requests and communicates entirely with a remote API—no local conversion engines are involved.

You configure it with an API token, then call convert() with a target format and input file (local path or URL), receiving a result object that lets you save files, retrieve conversion costs, or access raw response data. The service handles format detection automatically or accepts explicit source format specification, and supports format-specific parameters like page ranges and resolution.

Use it for:

• Batch convert Word documents to PDF in a server application without installing LibreOffice or other converters
• Generate PDF reports from HTML templates or web pages programmatically
• Merge multiple PDF files or encrypt PDFs with password protection in an automated workflow
• Convert images between formats (e.g., PNG to JPEG) as part of a media processing pipeline
• Split large PDF files into ranges or repair corrupted PDFs via API calls in a document management system

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

A Python client for the ConvertAPI online file conversion service, enabling programmatic conversion between file formats (PDF, images, documents) and PDF manipulation (merge, encrypt, split, repair, decrypt).

Yes, if you need file format conversion and are willing to use a remote API service with associated costs. The package is straightforward to integrate and has no complex local dependencies. However, the aging maintenance status (last release 699 days ago) and reliance on an external paid service mean you should verify current ConvertAPI pricing and service terms before committing to production use.

Install

convertapi on PyPI

pip install convertapi

uv add convertapi

poetry add convertapi

Installing convertapi

Before you install

Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (requests). Maintenance status is aging—last release was 699 days ago (2024-09-14), though the repository remains active with a recent commit (2025-06-03) and no archived status.

License in practice

MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.

Quickstart

pip install convertapi

import convertapi
convertapi.api_credentials = 'your-api-token'
result = convertapi.convert('pdf', {'File': '/path/to/file.docx'})
result.file.save('/path/to/output.pdf')

Requires a ConvertAPI account and API token (obtainable at https://www.convertapi.com/a); all conversions are performed by the remote service, not locally.

Verify before relying

• Current status of ConvertAPI service availability and pricing tier for free vs. paid conversions
• Whether Python 3.3+ requirement (from description) is still accurate for version 2.0.0
• Performance characteristics and rate limits for batch or high-volume conversions

Package facts

Evidence: convertapi-2.0.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: convert, api, client, conversion

Tags

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