# How to Test PDF Files

Test PDF files in Endtest Web Tests. Extract text, validate metadata, run invoice-data extraction, and convert PDFs to HTML via the Utilities API.

Part of the Endtest documentation (Web Tests). Canonical URL: https://endtest.io/docs/web-tests/how-to-test-pdf-files

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## Introduction

Endtest provides several ways to work with PDF files during your automated tests, from extracting metadata, to analyzing content using AI, to converting PDFs into HTML for direct interaction.

## Testing PDF metadata

After your test downloads a PDF file, you can extract metadata using the `Set Variable` action with these methods:

- `Extract Name of Most Recent Downloaded File`
- `Extract Size of Most Recent Downloaded File`
- `Extract MIME Type of Most Recent Downloaded File`
- `Link to Most Recent Downloaded File`

You can then use the resulting variables in later steps, such as `Add Assertion → Variable Assertion`.

## Opening the PDF in the browser

If your test downloads a PDF file, you can open it in the browser by inserting the variable from `Set Variable → Link to Most Recent Downloaded File` into a `Go to URL` step.

To open the PDF in a separate browser tab, use:

- `Miscellaneous → Open new tab`

Place this step **before** the `Go to URL` step so the PDF opens in the newly created tab.

After opening it in a new tab, you can navigate between tabs using:

- `Miscellaneous → Switch to next tab`
- `Miscellaneous → Switch to previous tab`

Because a PDF is not composed of HTML elements, its internal content cannot be clicked or located directly. To interact with individual elements, convert the PDF into HTML (see below).

## Testing PDF content

There are multiple approaches to validate PDF content, depending on your needs.

### 1. Extract Invoice Data from PDF using AI

You can extract structured invoice information using the [`extractInvoiceDataFromPDF`](https://endtest.io/docs/advanced/utilities-api#28-extract-invoice-data-from-pdf) action from the [Endtest Utilities API](https://endtest.io/docs/advanced/utilities-api).

This action uses AI with **Deep Learning OCR** and **Document Understanding Models** to detect fields such as:

- invoice number
- invoice date
- vendor name
- subtotal, tax, total
- line items

Endtest converts the output into a simple, predictable JSON format.

You can extract values from this JSON using:

`Miscellaneous → Utilities → Extract Value from JSON`

`extractInvoiceDataFromPDF` does *not* require opening the PDF in a browser.

`extractInvoiceDataFromPDF` processes only the first page of a PDF. If your invoice spans multiple pages and you need to extract data from each of them, first split the PDF using the `extractPageFromPDF` action, then run `extractInvoiceDataFromPDF` on each extracted page separately.

### 2. Convert the PDF into an HTML file

You can convert any PDF into an HTML file using the [`convertPDFtoHTML`](https://endtest.io/docs/advanced/utilities-api#29-convert-pdf-to-html) action from the [Endtest Utilities API](https://endtest.io/docs/advanced/utilities-api).

This makes the PDF content interactive, allowing you to use standard Endtest actions such as:

- `Scroll`
- `Click`
- `Snipping Tool`
- `Miscellaneous → Generate Full Page Screenshot`
- and others

If the PDF contains links or buttons, you can click them using a `Text Inside` or `Link Text` locator (since the HTML elements might not have attributes).

`convertPDFtoHTML` does *not* require opening the PDF in a browser.

### 3. Computer Vision

You can validate the visual appearance of a PDF (or its HTML version) using:

`Add Assertion → Page Matches Screenshot`

This compares the rendered content with a baseline screenshot from a previous test execution.

> **Note:** Using Computer Vision requires opening the PDF (or the generated HTML) in the browser so Endtest can capture and compare its visual output.