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Getting Started

Welcome to RenderDoc! This guide will help you get up and running in just a few minutes.

What You'll Learn​

  • How to create an account and set up your team
  • How to generate your first API key
  • How to generate your first PDF document
  • Next steps after getting started

Step 1: Create an Account​

  1. Visit https://app.renderdoc.dev/signup
  2. Enter your email address and create a strong password
  3. Click Create Account
  4. Check your email for the verification link
  5. Click the verification link to activate your account
info

Password Requirements: Your password must be at least 8 characters long and include uppercase, lowercase, number, and special character.

Step 2: Complete Your Profile​

After creating your account, you'll be guided through a quick onboarding:

  1. Company Information: Enter your company name and role
  2. Team Size: Select your team size
  3. Use Case: Tell us how you plan to use RenderDoc

This helps us customize your experience!

Step 3: Create Your First API Key​

API keys are required to generate documents programmatically.

Via Dashboard:​

  1. Navigate to Settings → API Keys
  2. Click Create New API Key
  3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Production Key")
  4. Select the permissions you need:
    • ✅ Generate Documents
    • ✅ Manage Templates
    • ✅ View Analytics
  5. Click Create Key
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Important: Copy your API key immediately! You won't be able to see it again for security reasons.

Example API Key:​

rd_sk_abc123xyz456...

Store this securely in your environment variables:

# .env
RENDERDOC_API_KEY=rd_sk_abc123xyz456...

Step 4: Generate Your First Document​

Now let's generate your first PDF using the API!

Quick Test with API Playground​

Use our API Playground for the easiest way to test:

  1. Go to API → Playground
  2. Select the Generate Document endpoint
  3. Choose a template from the dropdown
  4. Fill in the variables
  5. Click Send Request

Your document will be generated and you'll receive a download URL!

Using cURL​

curl -X POST https://api.renderdoc.dev/api/v1/documents/generate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rd_sk_abc123xyz456..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "your-template-id",
    "format": "pdf",
    "variables": {
      "customerName": "John Doe",
      "invoiceNumber": "INV-001",
      "amount": 150.00
    }
  }'

Using JavaScript/TypeScript​

async function generateDocument() {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.renderdoc.dev/api/v1/documents/generate', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer rd_sk_abc123xyz456...',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      templateId: 'your-template-id',
      format: 'pdf',
      variables: {
        customerName: 'John Doe',
        invoiceNumber: 'INV-001',
        amount: 150.00,
      },
    }),
  })

  const data = await response.json()
  console.log('Document job queued:', data.jobId)
  console.log('Download URL:', data.downloadUrl)
}

generateDocument()
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Success! Once the job completes, you'll receive a signed URL to download your generated document!

Step 5: Create Your First Template​

Templates allow you to create reusable document designs:

  1. Navigate to Templates → Create New Template
  2. Choose PDF Template or Excel Template
  3. Use the drag-and-drop designer to create your layout
  4. Add variables like {{customerName}} and {{invoiceNumber}}
  5. Click Save and Publish

Now you can use this template when generating documents!

Next Steps​

Now that you've generated your first document, here's what to explore next:

🎨 Design Templates​

Learn how to create beautiful document templates with our visual designer.

👉 Template Designer Guide

📊 Track Generation​

Monitor document generation jobs and view analytics.

👉 Analytics Guide

🔌 API Integration​

Integrate RenderDoc into your application.

👉 API Reference

📄 Excel Generation​

Generate Excel spreadsheets from templates.

👉 Excel Generation Guide

Common Questions​

How many documents can I generate?​

You get 20 free documents per month on the Free plan (no credit card required). Upgrade to Starter ($19/mo) for 100 documents, Growth ($49/mo) for 1,000 documents, or Scale ($149/mo) for 5,000 documents. Check our Pricing Page for details.

What formats are supported?​

RenderDoc supports PDF and Excel (XLSX) document generation from templates.

Where can I view generated documents?​

All generated documents are visible in Document Logs with status, download links, and timing information.

How long are documents stored?​

Generated documents are available for download for 1-3 days depending on your plan. You can configure retention in your settings.

Need Help?​

Ready to dive deeper? → User Guide