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Put the reader's name on every page of the PDF.

PDF Shield stamps each copy of a document with who it was issued to and when. Design the watermark once, then apply it with one API call whenever someone downloads the file.

The template says Licensed to {{name}} · {{date}}. Your text replaces {{name}} on the page.

Create a free accountRead the API docs

One request per copy

Send the template, the PDF and the values for this reader. You get back a link to the stamped file. Same request again with a cacheKey? It comes from cache and costs nothing.

Request
curl -X POST https://api.pdfshield.app/v1/watermarks \
  -H "X-API-Key: $PDFSHIELD_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "tpl_01JA2Y8Q3V8K2M7N5P4R6S9T0W",
    "source": { "url": "https://example.com/handbook.pdf" },
    "variables": { "name": "Ada Lovelace", "date": "2026-10-03" }
  }'
Response, 200 OK
{
  "id": "wmk_01JA2YF0K4M6N8P0Q2R4S6T8V0",
  "url": "https://…/wmk_01JA2YF0K4M6N8P0Q2R4S6T8V0.pdf?…",
  "downloadUrl": "https://…/wmk_01JA2YF0K4M6N8P0Q2R4S6T8V0.pdf?…",
  "expiresAt": "2026-10-03T10:30:00Z",
  "cached": false,
  "pageCount": 42,
  "templateId": "tpl_01JA2Y8Q3V8K2M7N5P4R6S9T0W"
}

How it works

  1. Step 1: Design a template

    Place text and images on the page in the editor. Use {{name}}, {{email}} or any variable you like.

  2. Step 2: Create an API key

    Keys are shown once, when you create them. Keep them on your server and send them in the X-API-Key header.

  3. Step 3: Call the API

    POST /v1/watermarks with a public PDF URL or an upload. See the API guide for code in curl, Node and Python.

Pricing

You pay for watermarked PDFs, counted per month. Requests served from cache don't count. Change or cancel your plan at any time.

  • Free

    For trying it out and low-volume documents.

    Free

    • 10 watermarked PDFs a month
    • Repeat requests with the same cache key are free
    • Template editor, API keys and usage history

  • Personal

    For a single product or a small catalogue.

    $20a month

    • 1,000 watermarked PDFs a month
    • Repeat requests with the same cache key are free
    • Template editor, API keys and usage history

  • Enterprise

    For high-volume distribution.

    $40a month

    • 5,000 watermarked PDFs a month
    • Repeat requests with the same cache key are free
    • Template editor, API keys and usage history