---
title: PDF Decrypt API Reference
version: 1.0.0
description: Remove all encryption from a PDF file, including open passwords and permission restrictions. Accepts a file upload or an existing file ID with the file password. Returns a task ID for tracking the decryption progress.
openapi: 3.1.1
servers:
  - https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0
paths: 1
operations: 1
schemas: 3
---

## Table of Contents

- [PDF Decrypt API Reference v1.0.0](#pdf-decrypt-api-reference-v100)
  - [Authentication](#authentication)
  - [PDF Security APIs](#pdf-security-apis)
    - [decryptPdf](#decryptpdf)
      - [Parameters](#parameters)
      - [Responses](#responses)
  - [Schemas](#schemas)
    - [PDFResponse](#pdfresponse)
    - [PdfFileUploadRequest](#pdffileuploadrequest)
    - [ErrorResponse](#errorresponse)



# PDF Decrypt API Reference v1.0.0

Remove all encryption from a PDF file, including open passwords and permission restrictions. Accepts a file upload or an existing file ID with the file password. Returns a task ID for tracking the decryption progress.

Base URLs:

* [https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0](https://api.apifreaks.com/v1.0)

## Authentication

* API Key (ApiKeyAuthHeader)
    - Parameter Name: **X-apiKey**, in: header. Pass your API key via the X-apiKey request header.

* API Key (ApiKeyAuthQuery)
    - Parameter Name: **apiKey**, in: query. Pass your API key via the apiKey query parameter.

## PDF Security APIs

### decryptPdf

`POST /pdf/decrypt`

*Remove all encryption from a PDF*

This API decrypts PDF files, removing all encryption, including open passwords and permission restrictions.

> Body parameter

```yaml
file: string

```

#### Parameters

|Name|In|Type|Required|Description|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|format|query|string|false|Specifies the desired format for the API response. Choose 'json' for a JSON object or 'xml' for an XML structure.|
|file_id|query|string|false|The unique ID of a PDF file already uploaded to the API Freaks server. Use this as an alternative to uploading a new file directly.|
|destroy|query|boolean|false|If set to `true`, the input file(s) will be permanently deleted from the server immediately after the output PDF is generated.|
|output|query|string|false|The desired name for the output decrypted PDF file. If not provided, a default name will be assigned.|
|file_password|query|string|true|The password to unlock the input file if it is protected. Either the owner password or user password can be provided. The owner password takes precedence. Password Length should be between 6 and 128 characters.|
|webhook_url|query|string|false|The URL to which the webhook notification will be sent after the task is completed.|
|webhook_failure_notification|query|boolean|false|If true, a notification will also be sent by email in case the webhook request fails all the retries.  The email notification will be sent to the requesting user or their organization’s admin if part of one.|
|X-Webhook-Authorization|header|string|false|Optional custom header for webhook requests. Format: `Key:Value` (e.g., `Authorization:Bearer token123`). This will be sent as an HTTP header in the webhook call.|
|body|body|[PdfFileUploadRequest](#pdffileuploadrequest)|false|Multipart form-data body carrying the PDF file to decrypt. Alternatively, reference an already-uploaded file via the file_id query parameter instead of uploading here.|

##### Enumerated Values

|Parameter|Value|
|---|---|
|format|json|
|format|xml|

> Example responses

> Decrypt task created successfully. An incorrect file_password is not rejected synchronously — the task is created, then fails asynchronously; poll the task status endpoint and check for status "failed" with error "Invalid PDF Password".

```json
{
  "taskId": "f91ec747-1dc6-4be5-be4b-4d6ff66ed386",
  "inputIds": [
    "a5f8aca9-d19a-4ee0-90e3-d15f62df1e06"
  ]
}
```

> Bad Request — Missing/invalid parameters or file ID

```json
{
  "error": "Invalid Param Exception",
  "message": "please pass correct parameters",
  "path": "/v1.0/pdf/decrypt",
  "status": 400,
  "timestamp": "2026-07-27T10:56:16.863Z"
}
```

```json
{
  "timestamp": "2026-07-27T10:56:17.498Z",
  "path": "/v1.0/pdf/decrypt-pdf",
  "status": 400,
  "error": "Missing File or ID",
  "message": "Please provide either a file or a file ID."
}
```

```json
{
  "timestamp": "2026-07-27T10:56:18.138Z",
  "path": "/v1.0/pdf/decrypt",
  "status": 400,
  "error": "Invalid File ID Provided",
  "message": "Please provide a valid file ID"
}
```

> Unsupported Media Type — File type not supported

```json
{
  "timestamp": "2026-07-27T10:56:50.780Z",
  "path": "/v1.0/pdf/decrypt-pdf",
  "status": 415,
  "error": "Unsupported File Type",
  "message": "The provided file type is not supported. Refer to the documentation for valid file types."
}
```

#### Responses

|Status|Meaning|Description|Schema|
|---|---|---|---|
|200|[OK](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7231#section-6.3.1)|Decrypt task created successfully. An incorrect file_password is not rejected synchronously — the task is created, then fails asynchronously; poll the task status endpoint and check for status "failed" with error "Invalid PDF Password".|[PDFResponse](#pdfresponse)|
|400|[Bad Request](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7231#section-6.5.1)|Bad Request — Missing/invalid parameters or file ID|[ErrorResponse](#errorresponse)|
|415|[Unsupported Media Type](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7231#section-6.5.13)|Unsupported Media Type — File type not supported|[ErrorResponse](#errorresponse)|

#### Response Headers

|Status|Header|Type|Format|Description|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|200|X-AF-Credits-Cost|integer||Specifies the number of credits consumed by the current request.|
|400|X-AF-Credits-Cost|integer||Specifies the number of credits consumed by the current request.|
|415|X-AF-Credits-Cost|integer||Specifies the number of credits consumed by the current request.|

To perform this operation, you must be authenticated by means of one of the following methods:
ApiKeyAuthHeader, ApiKeyAuthQuery

## Schemas

### PDFResponse

Response containing the task ID and input file IDs for a PDF processing task.

#### Properties

|Name|Type|Required|Restrictions|Description|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|taskId|string|true|none|Task ID of the requested task, used to check the task status.|
|inputIds|[string]|true|none|File IDs for the input files provided for the task. Not returned when destroy parameter is true.|

### PdfFileUploadRequest

Multipart form-data request body containing the PDF file to process.

#### Properties

|Name|Type|Required|Restrictions|Description|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|file|string(binary)|false|none|Raw PDF file bytes sent as a multipart/form-data field named 'file'. Omit this field entirely and pass file_id in the query string instead to use an already-uploaded file.|

### ErrorResponse

Standard error envelope returned by the API on failed requests.

#### Properties

|Name|Type|Required|Restrictions|Description|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|error|string|false|none|Short error category or exception type.|
|message|string|true|none|Human-readable error message describing the failure.|
|path|string|false|none|API endpoint path that produced the error.|
|status|integer|false|none|HTTP status code returned with the error.|
|timestamp|string(date-time)|false|none|Timestamp when the error occurred (ISO 8601).|