Convert any URL to a PDF document via a pay-per-call x402 endpoint for $0.02 USDC on Base.
What it does
The Visual API PDF endpoint at visual.hugen.tokyo/visual/pdf renders any web page as an A4 PDF document using server-side browser infrastructure. It is an x402-enabled endpoint: callers pay $0.02 USDC per request on the Base network, with no subscription or API key required (though API-key and MCP gateway alternatives are also offered).
The endpoint accepts a GET request with a required `url` query parameter (the page to convert, up to 4096 characters) and an optional `block_ads` boolean (defaults to true) that strips ads and cookie banners before rendering. The response includes the PDF as a base64-encoded document along with metadata such as file size, page title, render time, and capture timestamp. The OpenAPI spec confirms the service runs a live headless browser with concurrency semaphore slots and an internal cache.
This endpoint is part of a broader Visual API that also offers screenshot capture at /visual/screenshot with additional options like viewport dimensions, device presets, dark mode, CSS selector targeting, and full-page scroll capture. The PDF endpoint is simpler, focused purely on clean document-quality output from any URL.
Capabilities
Use cases
- —Archiving web pages as PDF documents for compliance or record-keeping
- —Generating PDF reports from dashboards or data pages programmatically
- —Converting articles or documentation pages to offline-readable PDFs
- —AI agents that need to capture and store web content as structured documents
- —Automated invoice or receipt capture from web portals
Fit
Best for
- —Developers needing on-demand PDF generation without running browser infrastructure
- —AI agents that need pay-per-use web-to-PDF conversion with no subscription
- —Workflows requiring clean PDFs with ads and cookie banners automatically removed
Not for
- —High-volume batch PDF generation where per-call pricing becomes expensive
- —Rendering pages that require authentication or login sessions
- —Offline or local HTML-to-PDF conversion without network access
Quick start
curl -X GET "https://visual.hugen.tokyo/visual/pdf?url=https://example.com&block_ads=true"Example
Response
{
"format": "pdf",
"page_title": "Example Domain",
"pdf_base64": "JVBERi0xLjQg...(base64-encoded PDF)...",
"captured_at": "2026-03-05T12:34:56Z",
"render_time_ms": 2340,
"file_size_bytes": 92160
}Endpoint
Quality
The endpoint is live (402 challenge captured), has a full OpenAPI schema with parameter definitions, and pricing is clear ($0.02 USDC on Base). However, dedicated documentation pages return 404, there are no usage examples beyond the challenge sample, and the exact response schema for the PDF endpoint is not formally defined in the OpenAPI spec (empty schema object).
Warnings
- —Response schema for /visual/pdf is not formally defined in the OpenAPI spec — the example response structure is inferred from the x402 challenge sample payload.
- —No dedicated documentation, pricing, or README pages are available (all return 404).
- —Root URL returns 404; only /docs (Swagger UI) and the API endpoints themselves are accessible.
Citations
- —The endpoint charges $0.02 USDC on Base per callhttps://visual.hugen.tokyo/visual/pdf
- —The API is described as 'Screenshot and PDF capture of any URL — no browser infrastructure needed, no server costs. Pay per capture.'https://visual.hugen.tokyo/docs
- —The /visual/pdf endpoint accepts url (required, max 4096 chars) and block_ads (optional, default true) query parametershttps://visual.hugen.tokyo/openapi.json
- —Alternative access methods include MCP gateway, API key with $0.05 free credit, and Python SDKhttps://visual.hugen.tokyo/visual/pdf
- —Sample response includes pdf_base64, file_size_bytes (92160), page_title, captured_at, and render_time_ms (2340)https://visual.hugen.tokyo/visual/pdf