CII Rendering API Reference
Upload a UN/CEFACT Cross Industry Invoice (CII) XML file and receive a clean, professionally formatted PDF preview. The API parses the deeply nested CII structure, maps every EN 16931 Business Term to a readable layout, and returns a downloadable PDF. Supports all CII profiles from MINIMUM through EXTENDED.
https://api.invoicexml.com/v1/render/cii/to/pdf
POST /v1/render/xml/to/pdf,
which accepts any supported invoice XML and detects the syntax itself. Both routes behave identically, so keep this one if the explicit format documents intent, or switch to the generic one to drop the format check from your code.
Code Example
curl -X POST https://api.invoicexml.com/v1/render/cii/to/pdf \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ -F "[email protected]" \ -F "language=en"
Try it out online, no coding required
Upload an XML file and get a readable PDF preview instantly, right in your browser.
Request
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| file * | binary | The XML invoice file to render as PDF. |
| language | string | Language for PDF labels and date formatting. Values: en, de, fr. Defaults to en. |
Content-Type: multipart/form-data
Headers
| Header | Value |
|---|---|
| Authorization * | Bearer YOUR_API_KEY |
| Content-Type | multipart/form-data |
Response
200 Rendered PDF
Returns the rendered PDF as a binary file.
Useful resources
Companion material for integrating against the API.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which CII profiles are supported?
All EN 16931 CII profiles: MINIMUM, BASIC WL, BASIC, EN 16931, and EXTENDED. The profile is auto-detected from the GuidelineSpecifiedDocumentContextParameter.
Can I render CII XML extracted from a ZUGFeRD or Factur-X PDF?
Yes. The embedded CII XML from a ZUGFeRD or Factur-X file uses the same schema. Extract it first with /v1/extract/xml, then pass it to this endpoint, or upload the standalone CII XML directly.
Is the rendered PDF the same as the visual layer of a ZUGFeRD PDF?
No. The rendered PDF is generated fresh from the structured CII data, not extracted from any existing PDF layer. This lets you verify the XML content independently.
Is there one endpoint that takes any invoice XML?
Yes, POST /v1/render/xml/to/pdf. It accepts CII, UBL Invoice, and UBL CreditNote documents and detects the syntax from the root namespace. This CII path is a permanent alias of it, so both routes behave identically and neither is going away. Use the generic one when the incoming format varies, this one when the explicit route documents intent.
Is the invoice data stored?
No. Files are processed entirely in memory and deleted immediately after the PDF is returned. No invoice data is written to disk or retained.
What is the maximum file size?
20 MB. CII XML files are typically a few kilobytes, so this limit is rarely a constraint.