---
title: "Generate a purchase order PDF"
method: POST
path: "/public/v1/purchases/{id}/pdf"
tags: ["Purchase"]
---

# Generate a purchase order PDF

`POST /public/v1/purchases/{id}/pdf`

Generate the PDF for a single purchase order and download it directly, get a signed link to it,
or email it (see `format`).

The same permissions that govern downloading this PDF in the Distru web app apply to this endpoint.

`format` selects how the generated PDF is delivered and has three modes: `binary` returns the raw PDF bytes as the response body (`Content-Type: application/pdf`); `url` returns a JSON envelope `{"data": {"url": ..., "expires_datetime": ...}}` with a temporary signed download URL; `email` sends the PDF to the addresses in `email_addresses` and returns a JSON envelope `{"data": {"emailed_to": [...]}}`. `format` is required, but for backward compatibility omitting it defaults to `binary`.

All PDF download endpoints share a single, combined rate limit for your account: 20 requests per minute and 1000 per day in total across every PDF endpoint (not per endpoint). Requests over the limit return 429 with a Retry-After header, and only successful downloads count toward it.

## Path parameters

- `id` string, required

## Request body

- object
  - `format` 'binary' | 'url' | 'email', required — How the generated PDF is delivered. One of `binary` — the raw PDF bytes as the response body (`Content-Type: application/pdf`); `url` — a JSON body with a short-lived signed download URL (see the [PdfResponse](#model-pdfresponse) response); or `email` — emails the PDF to the addresses in `email_addresses` and returns a JSON body listing who it was emailed to. Required, but omitting it defaults to `binary` for backward compatibility.
  - `email_addresses` string[] — Recipient email addresses, used only when `format` is `email` (required in that case, ignored otherwise). At least one address is required and every address must be valid, otherwise the request is rejected with a 400. At most 200 addresses may be given.

## Response `200`

When `format` is `binary` (or omitted), the raw PDF file (`Content-Type: application/pdf`). When `format` is `url`, a JSON body with a temporary signed download URL; when `format` is `email`, a JSON body listing the addresses the PDF was emailed to (see the PdfResponse schema).

## Other responses

- `400` — Invalid parameters
- `401` — Missing or invalid API token
- `403` — The API token lacks the required permission
- `404` — Not Found
- `429` — Too Many Requests — the account's shared PDF download rate limit (20/minute, 1000/day across all PDF endpoints) was exceeded. Retry after the period in the Retry-After header.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/distru/apis/distru-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/distru/apis/distru-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/distru/distru-api/revisions/f8930b2c2924/schema)