Templates

Built-in Templates

Templates can be used in two modes:

• Data mode — pass template + data. The template supplies the document structure; your data fills the variables. No markdown needed.
• Styling mode — pass template + markdown. Your markdown content is rendered into the template's styled layout.

Data mode is recommended when you want consistent, predictable output. Required fields are validated server-side — missing any returns a missing_fields error listing exactly which fields are absent.

Template	Description
invoice	Professional invoice with line items, totals, sender/recipient blocks, and logo
receipt	Payment receipt with merchant, items, totals, and payment method
resume	Clean typographic layout for CVs and resumes
ai-summary	Dark report header, executive summary callout, key findings, and sections
report	Business report with executive summary and structured sections
letter	Formal business letter with sender, recipient, subject, and signature
proposal	Project or sales proposal with structured sections and logo
post	WordPress-style blog post with title, author, date, featured image, and Markdown body
woo-invoice	WooCommerce order invoice with shop details, billing address, line items, and payment info

Image fields (logo) accept either a public URL or a raw base64-encoded PNG/JPEG string. Base64 values are automatically prefixed with the appropriate data URI.

invoice

Professional invoice with a dark header bar, two-column sender/recipient block, styled line-item table, right-aligned totals, and an optional footer note.

Field		Type	Description
name	required	string	Client or recipient name
date	required	string	Invoice date
total	required	number	Total amount due
items	required	array	Line items: description, qty, unit_price, amount
from	optional	string	Sender company name
from_street	optional	string	Sender street address
from_city	optional	string	Sender city, state, and zip
from_email	optional	string	Sender email address
due_date	optional	string	Payment due date
invoice_number	optional	string	Invoice reference number
title	optional	string	Document title (default: Invoice)
subtotal	optional	number	Subtotal before tax
tax	optional	number	Tax amount
notes	optional	string	Footer note or payment instructions
logo	optional	image	Sender logo — URL or base64 PNG/JPEG

curl -X POST https://www.docrenders.com/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dcr_live_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template": "invoice",
    "data": {
      "from": "Acme Studio",
      "from_street": "123 Main St",
      "from_city": "San Francisco, CA 94105",
      "from_email": "billing@acme.com",
      "name": "TechCorp Inc.",
      "date": "2026-06-03",
      "due_date": "2026-06-17",
      "invoice_number": "INV-0089",
      "items": [
        { "description": "Design", "qty": 1, "unit_price": 4000, "amount": 4000 },
        { "description": "Development", "qty": 20, "unit_price": 150, "amount": 3000 }
      ],
      "subtotal": 7000,
      "tax": 577.50,
      "total": 7577.50,
      "notes": "Payment due within 14 days. Reference INV-0089 on transfer."
    }
  }' --output invoice.pdf

receipt

Clean payment receipt with merchant name, transaction metadata, line items, totals, and optional payment method.

Field		Type	Description
merchant	required	string	Merchant or business name
date	required	string	Transaction date
total	required	number	Total charged
items	required	array	Line items: description, amount
transaction_id	optional	string	Transaction or order ID
subtotal	optional	number	Subtotal before tax
tax	optional	number	Tax amount
payment_method	optional	string	e.g. Cash or VISA XXXXXX4242
notes	optional	string	Footer note or return policy
logo	optional	image	Merchant logo — URL or base64 PNG/JPEG

resume

Clean typographic CV layout with sections for experience, education, and skills.

Field		Type	Description
name	required	string	Full name
email	required	string	Email address
phone	optional	string	Phone number
location	optional	string	City, State or remote
linkedin	optional	string	LinkedIn URL or handle
github	optional	string	GitHub URL or handle
summary	optional	string	Professional summary paragraph
experience	optional	array	Work history: company, role, dates, bullets (array of strings)
education	optional	array	Education: school, degree, year
skills	optional	string	Skills summary — free text or comma-separated

ai-summary

Dark header report layout with an executive summary callout block, key findings list, and freeform sections. Designed for AI-generated analysis outputs.

Field		Type	Description
title	required	string	Report title
date	required	string	Report date
summary	required	string	Executive summary text
model	optional	string	AI model name shown in header metadata
author	optional	string	Author or team name
key_points	optional	array	Key findings — array of strings
sections	optional	array	Additional sections: heading, content

report

General business report with optional logo, executive summary, and structured sections.

Field		Type	Description
title	required	string	Report title
author	required	string	Author name or team
date	required	string	Report date
sections	required	array	Report sections: heading, content
executive_summary	optional	string	Executive summary paragraph shown before sections
logo	optional	image	Organization logo — URL or base64 PNG/JPEG

letter

Formal business letter with sender address, recipient, subject line, body, and closing signature.

Field		Type	Description
sender_name	required	string	Sender full name
recipient_name	required	string	Recipient full name or organization
date	required	string	Letter date
body	required	string	Letter body — Markdown supported
signature_name	required	string	Signature name
sender_address	optional	string	Sender address block
recipient_address	optional	string	Recipient address block
subject	optional	string	Re: subject line
salutation	optional	string	Opening salutation word (default: Dear)
closing	optional	string	Closing phrase (default: Sincerely)

proposal

Project or sales proposal with client and preparer details, structured sections, and optional logo.

Field		Type	Description
title	required	string	Proposal title
client	required	string	Client name or organization
date	required	string	Proposal date
prepared_by	required	string	Your name or company
sections	required	array	Proposal sections: heading, content
logo	optional	image	Your logo — URL or base64 PNG/JPEG

post

WordPress-style blog post layout with a featured image, byline, category and tag metadata, and a full Markdown body. Used by the DocRenders WordPress plugin to render posts and pages as PDFs.

Field		Type	Description
title	required	string	Post title
author	required	string	Author display name
date	required	string	Publication date
content	required	string	Post body — Markdown (GFM) supported
category	optional	string	Primary category label shown in the header
tags	optional	array	Tag strings displayed below the byline
featured_image	optional	image	Featured image — public URL or base64 PNG/JPEG

curl -X POST https://www.docrenders.com/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dcr_live_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template": "post",
    "data": {
      "title": "Getting Started with Headless WordPress",
      "author": "Jordan Whistler",
      "date": "June 6, 2026",
      "category": "Development",
      "tags": ["WordPress", "Headless", "API"],
      "content": "## Introduction\n\nHeadless WordPress separates the CMS from the frontend..."
    }
  }' --output post.pdf

woo-invoice

WooCommerce order invoice with shop branding, billing address, a line-item table, tax and totals, and payment details. Used by the DocRenders WordPress plugin to generate downloadable invoices for WooCommerce orders.

Note: Both order_number and invoice_number are required — WooCommerce order IDs and invoice reference numbers are treated as distinct fields.

Field		Type	Description
order_number	required	string	WooCommerce order number (e.g. 10482)
invoice_number	required	string	Invoice reference (e.g. WC-10482)
invoice_date	required	string	Invoice date
shop_name	required	string	WooCommerce store name
billing_name	required	string	Customer billing name
due_date	optional	string	Payment due date
shop_email	optional	string	Store contact email
shop_address	optional	string	Store address
billing_email	optional	string	Customer email
billing_address	optional	string	Customer billing address
items	required	array	Line items: name, qty, unit_price, total
subtotal	optional	number	Subtotal before tax
tax_lines	optional	array	Tax breakdown rows: { "label": "GST 9%", "amount": 13.32 }
total	required	number	Order grand total
payment_method	optional	string	Payment method label (e.g. Credit Card (Visa ending 4242))
notes	optional	string	Footer note or customer message

curl -X POST https://www.docrenders.com/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dcr_live_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template": "woo-invoice",
    "data": {
      "order_number": "10482",
      "invoice_number": "WC-10482",
      "invoice_date": "June 6, 2026",
      "shop_name": "Whistler Digital Goods",
      "shop_email": "hello@whistlerdigital.com",
      "billing_name": "Alex Rivera",
      "billing_email": "alex.rivera@example.com",
      "items": [
        { "name": "DocRenders Pro Plugin — Annual License", "qty": 1, "unit_price": 99, "total": 99 },
        { "name": "Priority Support Add-on", "qty": 1, "unit_price": 49, "total": 49 }
      ],
      "subtotal": 148,
      "tax_lines": [{ "label": "GST 9%", "amount": 13.32 }],
      "total": 161.32,
      "payment_method": "Credit Card (Visa ending 4242)"
    }
  }' --output woo-invoice.pdf

Custom Templates

In addition to the built-in templates, you can create your own templates and use them in API calls. Custom templates let you define a reusable Markdown layout with named fields, optional CSS, and a field schema that validates inputs — exactly like built-in templates, but fully under your control.

The fastest way to get started is to fork a built-in or community template from the Template Catalog. Forking copies the template's Markdown, CSS, and field definitions into your account so you can edit them independently.

1. Open the Template Catalog and click any template card.
2. In the preview modal, click Fork. The template is copied to your account and you are taken to the template editor.
3. Edit the template to suit your needs, then click Save.
4. Use the template's ID in your API or MCP calls. The ID is shown in the Templates table in your Dashboard — see Using in API & MCP.

You can also create a blank template from the Dashboard by clicking New Template.

Template Editor

The template editor has the following fields:

Field	Required	Description
Name	Yes	A short display name for your template. Used as the template's slug-style identifier in API calls if you publish it.
Category	No	Groups the template in the catalog (e.g. business, legal, hr).
Description	No	Shown in the catalog and in MCP tool hints. Describe what the template produces so AI agents can select it automatically.
Tags	No	Comma-separated keywords for catalog search (e.g. invoice, billing, stripe).
Template Markdown	Yes	The Markdown (or HTML) source for the document. Use {{ variable }} syntax to insert field values. When a caller passes data in an API request, these placeholders are replaced before rendering.
Style CSS	No	Custom CSS injected into the page before rendering. Overrides the default DocRenders stylesheet for this template.
Field Schema	No	A JSON object that declares the fields your template accepts when used in data mode. See Field Schema below.
Preview Fields	No	A JSON object of sample field values used when generating the template preview image in the catalog. Should contain realistic data that makes the preview look complete.

Field Schema

Field Schema is a JSON object where each key is a field name and the value is a definition object. When present, the API validates data payloads against this schema before rendering and returns a missing_fields error if required fields are absent.

Example:

{
  "recipient_name": {
    "type": "string",
    "required": true,
    "desc": "Full name of the recipient",
    "example": "Jane Smith"
  },
  "invoice_total": {
    "type": "string",
    "required": true,
    "desc": "Total amount due (e.g. $1,200.00)",
    "example": "$1,200.00"
  },
  "notes": {
    "type": "string",
    "required": false,
    "desc": "Optional payment notes",
    "example": "Net 30"
  }
}

Supported field definition properties:

Property	Type	Description
type	string	Data type: string, number, boolean, or array.
required	boolean	If true, the field must be present in the data payload or the request is rejected.
desc	string	Human-readable description shown in the catalog and used as MCP tool parameter documentation.
example	string	Example value shown in documentation and used as a hint for AI agents.
ai_hint	string	Optional additional guidance for AI agents on how to fill this field.
item_schema	object	For array type fields: a nested Field Schema object describing each array element's fields.

Preview Fields

Preview Fields is a JSON object with the same shape as a data payload. It is used to render the catalog thumbnail image. Fill it with realistic values so the preview looks like a real document:

{
  "recipient_name": "Jane Smith",
  "invoice_total": "$1,200.00",
  "notes": "Net 30"
}

After saving, click Preview to check how the template renders with your preview data before publishing.

Using Custom Templates in API & MCP

Once saved, a custom template can be used in API calls the same way as a built-in template — just use the template's ID as the template field instead of a built-in name.

Your template ID has the format tpl_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and is shown in the ID column of the Templates table in your Dashboard.

REST API

curl https://www.docrenders.com/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template": "tpl_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "data": {
      "recipient_name": "Jane Smith",
      "invoice_total": "$1,200.00",
      "notes": "Net 30"
    },
    "output": "url"
  }'

MCP Server

Custom templates are automatically discovered by the MCP server. When the MCP server starts, it fetches your account's templates and exposes them as callable tools alongside the built-in ones. Pass the template ID as template_id in the render_template call:

{
  "tool": "render_template",
  "template_id": "tpl_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "data": {
    "recipient_name": "Jane Smith",
    "invoice_total": "$1,200.00"
  }
}

The MCP server uses the Field Schema to generate parameter documentation, so AI agents can understand which fields are required and what each one means without any extra prompting.

Styling mode

Custom templates also support styling mode: pass markdown instead of data and the template provides the CSS while your content provides the Markdown body:

curl https://www.docrenders.com/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template": "tpl_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "markdown": "# My Report\n\nContent here...",
    "output": "url"
  }'

Publishing a Custom Template

Publishing shares your template in the public Template Catalog so other users can discover and fork it. Publishing is optional — unpublished templates are private to your account and still fully usable in API and MCP calls.

To publish:

1. Open the template in the editor and make sure Name, Description, and Preview Fields are filled in.
2. Click Preview and verify the rendered output looks correct with your preview data.
3. Click Publish. The template status changes to published and a catalog thumbnail is generated automatically.

After publishing, your template appears in the catalog under the category you specified. Other users can fork it into their own accounts, but they cannot edit your original.

You can unpublish a template at any time from the editor — this removes it from the catalog but does not affect existing forks.

Diagrams

DocRenders automatically converts fenced code blocks with a recognized diagram language into inline SVG images in your PDF. No extra API parameters or preprocessing required — just write the diagram source in your Markdown.

```mermaid
graph TD
  A[Start] --> B{Decision}
  B -->|Yes| C[Do the thing]
  B -->|No| D[Skip it]
```

Diagram blocks are processed before Chromium renders the page, so the resulting PDF contains vector SVG graphics — not rasterized screenshots.

Supported Diagram Formats

Use the format name as the fenced code block language identifier. For example: ```mermaid, ```graphviz, ```d2.

Language	Format	Notes
mermaid	Mermaid	Flowcharts, sequence, Gantt, ER, and more
graphviz	Graphviz / DOT	Directed and undirected graphs
d2	D2	Declarative diagramming language
svgbob	Svgbob	ASCII art converted to SVG
ditaa	Ditaa	ASCII diagrams → polished graphics
erd	ERD	Entity-relationship diagrams
nomnoml	Nomnoml	UML-like class and sequence diagrams
pikchr	Pikchr	Lightweight diagram markup (SQLite project)
bytefield	Bytefield	Byte-level protocol and data structure diagrams
umlet	UMLet	UML diagrams via UMLet XML syntax
wireviz	WireViz	Cable and wiring harness documentation
dbml	DBML	Database markup language (schema diagrams)
blockdiag	BlockDiag	Block, sequence, activity, and network diagrams
vega	Vega	Declarative statistical visualizations
vegalite	Vega-Lite	Concise Vega grammar for common chart types
wavedrom	WaveDrom	Digital timing diagrams
bpmn	BPMN	Business process model and notation