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This tool requires a publicly accessible PDF URL. If your file is stored locally or in memory, you can upload it to our temporary bucket first using the Get Signed Upload URL endpoint.
POST https://api.pdfnoodle.com/v1/tools/update-pdf-metadata

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Request

curl --location 'https://api.pdfnoodle.com/v1/tools/update-pdf-metadata' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer pdfnoodle_api_123456789' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
    "url": "https://example.com/document.pdf",
    "metadata": {
        "title": "Annual Report 2025",
        "author": "Acme Corp",
        "subject": "Financial Summary",
        "keywords": ["finance", "annual", "report"],
        "creator": "Acme Document System"
    },
    "finalFilename": "annual-report-2025.pdf",
    "expiration": 3600
}'

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Response

{
  "status": "SUCCESS",
  "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/...",
  "fileName": "annual-report-2025.pdf",
  "urlValidUntil": "2025-01-01T02:00:00.000Z"
}
The response contains a url pointing to the updated PDF file. While the URL in the response expires after the time specified in expiration (default: 1 hour), the file itself is stored persistently and can be downloaded at any time from the dashboard logs. The original PDF content is unchanged - only the metadata fields you specified are updated.
On macOS, you can verify the updated metadata by right-clicking the downloaded PDF and selecting Get Info in Finder. On Windows, right-click the file and select Properties > Details.

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Operation Tracking

Each metadata update creates a record in your dashboard logs, allowing you to:
  • View all past metadata operations with their status and metadata
  • Re-download updated files at any time via the logs table
  • Track usage across your team
Business and Scale plans: Metadata update operations are unlimited and do not count toward your PDF generation quota.Starter plans: Metadata update operations count toward your total volume quota.

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Async Mode

By default, the request waits for the metadata update to complete before returning a response. If you set async: true, the endpoint returns immediately with a requestId and statusUrl that you can use to poll for the result.
Async Response (200 OK)
{
  "requestId": "pdfnoodle_request_123456789",
  "statusUrl": "https://api.pdfnoodle.com/v1/tools/status/pdfnoodle_request_123456789",
  "message": "The tool is being executed asynchronously. Check the status using the status URL."
}
Use the Get Tool Status endpoint to check the result.

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Request Timeout (>30 seconds)

Even without async: true, if the operation takes more than 30 seconds it will automatically be processed in the background.
If the operation takes longer than 30 seconds, you’ll receive a 202 Accepted response with a requestId and statusUrl to poll for the result:
Timeout (202 Accepted)
{
  "requestId": "pdfnoodle_request_123456789",
  "statusUrl": "https://api.pdfnoodle.com/v1/tools/status/pdfnoodle_request_123456789",
  "message": "Couldn't complete the operation within 30 seconds, it is being processed asynchronously. Check the status using the status URL."
}

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Parameters

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url
string
required
A valid, publicly accessible URL pointing to the PDF file whose metadata you want to update.
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metadata
object
required
An object containing the metadata fields to update. At least one field should be provided. See available fields below.
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metadata.title
string
A human-readable title for the document.
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metadata.author
string
The individual or organization that created the document.
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metadata.subject
string
A brief description of the document’s topic.
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metadata.keywords
string[]
A list of keywords describing the content.
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metadata.creator
string
The original software or system that created the content.
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metadata.copyright
string
Copyright information for the document.
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metadata.createDate
string
The creation date of the document (ISO date string).
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metadata.modDate
string
The last modification date of the document (ISO date string).
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metadata.pdfVersion
number
The PDF specification version (e.g., 1.7).
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metadata.producer
string
The software that produced the PDF.
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metadata.marked
boolean
Whether the PDF is marked (tagged) for accessibility.
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metadata.trapped
string
Trapping status. Common values: "Unknown", "True", "False".
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finalFilename
string
The desired filename for the updated PDF. Must end with .pdf. If not provided, the original filename from the URL will be used, or a random name will be generated.
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expiration
number
default:"3600"
Number of seconds that the generated signed URL will take to expire. Must be between 60 (1 minute) and 604800 (7 days). Default: 3600 (1 hour).
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async
boolean
default:"false"
If true, the request returns immediately with a requestId and statusUrl instead of waiting for the operation to complete. You can then poll the Get Tool Status endpoint to check when the result is ready.