Tools Reference

pdf noodle MCP provides 7 tools organized into two categories: PDF Generation and Template Management. This reference documents each tool’s parameters, behavior, and usage examples.

You don’t need to memorize tool names or parameters. Simply describe what you want in natural language, and the AI will select the appropriate tool automatically.

Tool Summary

Tool	Purpose	Key Parameters
`generate_pdf`	Create PDF from template	templateId, data
`html_to_pdf`	Convert HTML to PDF	html, pdfParams
`check_pdf_status`	Check async PDF status	requestId
`list_templates`	List all templates	—
`get_template`	Get template details	templateId
`get_template_schema`	Get template variables	templateId
`create_template_with_ai`	Create template with AI	displayName, prompt

PDF Generation Tools

These tools create PDF documents from templates or raw HTML.

generate_pdf

Generate a PDF document using a saved template and dynamic data.

string

required

The unique identifier of the template to use. Get this from list_templates or the pdf noodle dashboard.

object

required

Object containing the template variables. Must match the schema returned by get_template_schema. Example: {"customerName": "John Doe", "invoiceNumber": "INV-001", "items": [...]}

boolean

default:"false"

Return a PNG image instead of PDF. Useful for previews or social media.

object

PDF metadata object. Example: {"title": "Invoice", "author": "Company Name", "subject": "Invoice #123", "keywords": "invoice, billing"}

boolean

default:"false"

Hide header and footer on the first page. Useful for title pages.

number

default:"3600"

URL expiration time in seconds. Default is 1 hour (3600 seconds).

string

S3 bucket ID for storing the output file. Requires S3 integration. If provided, s3_key must also be specified.

string

S3 path/key for the output file (e.g., “invoices/2024/inv-001”). Only used when s3_bucket is provided.

Example Prompts:

Generate an invoice using template inv-2024 with:
- Customer: John Smith
- Items: Consulting ($500), Development ($1200)
- Invoice number: INV-001

Create a PDF certificate from my certificate template for
"Maria Garcia" who completed "Advanced Python Course" on January 15, 2025

html_to_pdf

Convert HTML content directly to a PDF document. This tool provides full control over the document structure and styling.

For best results with html_to_pdf, follow the PDF Best Practices guidelines. Poorly structured HTML can result in broken layouts and awkward page breaks.

string

required

Complete HTML content to render as PDF. Should include DOCTYPE, html, head, and body tags with proper CSS for print.

object

PDF formatting options object. Properties:

format (string): Paper size - “A4”, “Letter”, “Legal”, etc.
margin (object): Page margins with top, right, bottom, left (e.g., {"top": "40px", "right": "40px", "bottom": "40px", "left": "40px"})
printBackground (boolean): Include CSS backgrounds and colors
landscape (boolean): Landscape orientation
displayHeaderFooter (boolean): Show header/footer
headerTemplate (string): HTML template for page headers
footerTemplate (string): HTML template for page footers

Example: {"format": "A4", "margin": {"top": "40px", "right": "40px", "bottom": "40px", "left": "40px"}, "printBackground": true}

boolean

default:"false"

Return a PNG image instead of PDF.

object

PDF metadata object. Example: {"title": "Report", "author": "Author Name", "subject": "Subject", "keywords": "keyword1, keyword2"}

boolean

default:"false"

Hide header/footer on the first page.

number

default:"3600"

URL expiration time in seconds. Default is 1 hour (3600 seconds).

string

S3 bucket ID for storage. Requires S3 integration. If provided, s3_key must also be specified.

string

S3 path/key for the output file (e.g., “reports/2024/report.pdf”). Only used when s3_bucket is provided.

Recommended PDF Parameters:

{
  "format": "A4",
  "margin": {
    "top": "40px",
    "right": "40px",
    "bottom": "40px",
    "left": "40px"
  },
  "printBackground": true
}

Example Prompts:

Convert this markdown report to a PDF with proper formatting,
A4 size, and page numbers in the footer

Create a PDF from HTML with a table of our Q4 sales data.
Include a header with our logo and footer with page numbers.

Using the PDF Best Practices Skill: For complex documents, instruct the AI to use the pdf-best-practices skill first:

Using /pdf-best-practices, generate a professional invoice PDF with:
- Company: TechCorp Inc.
- Client: Jane Smith
- Items: Consulting ($2,000), Development ($5,000)
- Include proper page breaks, table formatting, and print-optimized CSS

Following the pdf-best-practices guidelines, create a multi-page report PDF
from this data. Make sure tables don't break across pages and headings
stay with their content.

When you reference /pdf-best-practices or ask the AI to follow the pdf-best-practices skill, the AI will automatically apply proper CSS rules for page breaks, margins, table formatting, and print-optimized styling.

check_pdf_status

Check the status of an asynchronous PDF generation request.

string

required

The request ID returned from a queued PDF generation.

Response States:

Status	Meaning
`SUCCESS`	PDF is ready, download URL provided
`ONGOING`	Still processing, check again shortly
`FAILED`	Generation failed, try again

Example Prompt:

Check the status of PDF request abc123

Most PDF generations complete synchronously. This tool is only needed for large or complex documents that are queued for background processing.

Template Management Tools

These tools help you work with reusable PDF templates.

list_templates

Retrieve all PDF templates in your account. This tool has no parameters. Returns: A list of templates with their display names and IDs. Example Prompts:

Show me all my PDF templates

What templates do I have available?

get_template

Fetch details of a specific template including its status.

string

required

The unique ID of the template to retrieve.

Returns: Template name, ID, and status (COMPLETED, ONGOING, or FAILED). Status Values:

Status	Meaning
`COMPLETED`	Template is ready to use
`ONGOING`	Template is still being created
`FAILED`	Template creation failed

The status field is only relevant when you’ve created a template using create_template_with_ai via MCP or the API. Template creation typically takes 1-2 minutes. Use this tool to check if your new template is ready.

Example Prompts:

Get details for template tmp_abc123

Check if my new invoice template is ready yet

get_template_schema

Retrieve the variables and schema required by a template.

string

required

The ID of the template to get the schema for.

Returns: Object describing all template variables and their structure. The schema shows the exact data structure needed for the data parameter in generate_pdf. Example Prompts:

What variables does my invoice template need?

Show me the schema for template tmp_invoice_v2

Use this tool before generate_pdf to understand exactly what data a template expects. The AI will format your data correctly based on the schema.

create_template_with_ai

Create a new reusable PDF template using AI from a natural language description.

string

required

Human-readable name for the template (e.g., “Invoice Template”, “Meeting Notes”).

string

required

Detailed description of the template design, layout, and fields. Be specific about:

Document type and purpose
Sections and their content
Data fields that should be variable
Styling preferences (colors, fonts)
Any images or logos to include

string

Optional URL to a reference PDF or image for design inspiration. The AI will use this as a reference when creating the template.

Example Prompts:

Create a professional invoice template with:
- Company logo placeholder at the top
- Invoice number, date, and due date fields
- Bill-to section with customer details
- Line items table with description, quantity, unit price, total
- Subtotal, tax, and grand total section
- Payment terms at the bottom
- Modern design with blue accent colors

Create a certificate template based on this example: https://example.com/cert.pdf
It should have fields for recipient name, course title, completion date, and instructor signature

Template creation typically takes 1-2 minutes. Use get_template with the returned ID to check when it’s ready.

Best Practices

Use Natural Language

Describe what you want instead of specifying exact parameters. The AI handles the technical details.

Check Schemas First

Use get_template_schema before generating PDFs to ensure you provide all required data.

Follow PDF Guidelines

For html_to_pdf, review the Best Practices to avoid formatting issues.

Be Specific

More detail in your prompts leads to better results, especially for template creation.

MCP Integration

Other Integrations

Tool Summary

PDF Generation Tools

generate_pdf

html_to_pdf

check_pdf_status

Template Management Tools

list_templates

get_template

get_template_schema

create_template_with_ai

Best Practices

Use Natural Language

Check Schemas First

Follow PDF Guidelines

Be Specific

Next Steps

Examples

Best Practices

​Tool Summary

​PDF Generation Tools

​generate_pdf

​html_to_pdf

​check_pdf_status

​Template Management Tools

​list_templates

​get_template

​get_template_schema

​create_template_with_ai

​Best Practices

Use Natural Language

Check Schemas First

Follow PDF Guidelines

Be Specific

​Next Steps

Examples

Best Practices

Tool Summary

PDF Generation Tools

generate_pdf

html_to_pdf

check_pdf_status

Template Management Tools

list_templates

get_template

get_template_schema

create_template_with_ai

Best Practices

Next Steps