PDF4me API Errors & Troubleshooting
When something goes wrong with PDF4me—whether you're using the API directly, Power Automate, Zapier, Make, or n8n—the error message you see often points to a few common causes. Match your error or HTTP code below and follow the linked guide.
Quick Access by Error Type
401
Not Authorized
Invalid or missing API key
402
No Credit / Daily Limit
API credits exhausted or daily limit reached
400
File is Empty / Could not open
Corrupt file, wrong format, or encoding issue
Platform Tips (Power Automate, Zapier)
If you're using Power Automate or Zapier, file errors often come from how files are passed between steps. See Zapier and Power Automate Tips for Base64 handling, "File: (Exists but not shown)", and file format guidance.
Full Reference Table
| HTTP Code | Error Message | What It Usually Means | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401 | Not Authorized | Invalid or missing API key | Fix 401 |
| 402 | No Credit Available | API credits exhausted | Fix 402 |
| 402 | Daily Call Limit Over | Daily usage limit reached | Fix 402 |
| 400 | File is Empty | File not properly sent or encoded | Fix File Errors |
| 400 | File could not be opened | Corrupt file, wrong format, encoding | Fix File Errors |
| 400 | Invalid File | Wrong type (e.g. JPG vs PDF) or corrupt | Fix File Errors |
| 400 | File is password protected | PDF is locked; password required | Fix File Errors |
| 400 | Request / Action / Settings is Empty | Missing required fields | API Documentation |
| 400 | TemplateId or Template Name is empty | Parse Document needs a template | Prepare Parse Info |
| 500 | (varies) | Server-side issue | Contact Support |