PDF Creator

The PDF Creator block uses an AI document agent to write, render, and visually review a PDF. You give it messages, a model, and optional style guidance. It saves the finished PDF to your workspace Docs and returns the file.

The PDF Creator is not an Agent block with a PDF tool. The document agent composes print-ready HTML, previews the rendered PDF, and submits the final document. It can load Skills but does not run Agent tools.

Configuration Options

Messages

The conversation the document agent receives. It is an ordered list of messages, each with a role (system, user, or assistant) and content. Use a system message for the document's purpose and rules, and a user message for the request and source content. At least one message is required.

Reference upstream data inside any message with the <blockName.output> syntax, for example <agent.content> or <api.data>.

Style Guide

Optional brand, typography, color, and spacing guidance. The agent follows it when it lays out the document.

Model

Type or select a model. Pick a vision-capable model when Visual Review is on, because the agent reviews a screenshot of the rendered PDF. The list is the same as the Agent block. The same API Key and Provider Credentials fields appear for the provider you choose.

Skills

Attach Agent Skills from your workspace. The agent receives the list of attached skills and loads the full instructions of a skill when it decides the skill is relevant.

File Name

The name of the PDF in your workspace Docs. The default is generated-document.pdf. If you omit .pdf, SteelEngine adds it. The name may not contain slashes and is limited to 255 characters.

Images

Workspace images to embed in the PDF. Select up to 10 PNG, JPEG, or WebP files from your workspace Docs. The agent may see a bounded preview of each image and places them in the document. Images from other sources are not fetched.

Advanced

Reasoning Effort, Verbosity, Thinking Level, and Temperature: The same model controls as the Agent block. Each appears only for models that support it.
Max Output Tokens: Maximum tokens per model call. Default 16,384.
Page Format: A4 (default), Letter, or Legal.
Print Background: Whether CSS backgrounds are printed. Default on.
Max Pages: The most pages the document may have, from 1 to 20. Default 5.
Visual Review: Lets the agent preview the rendered PDF before it submits. Default on.

How It Works

The agent reads your messages, style guide, and images, and writes complete HTML for the document.
With Visual Review on, it can preview the rendered PDF up to two times. The first preview returns the page count and one screenshot of every page. The second returns the page count only.
The agent submits the final HTML. SteelEngine renders it and checks the page count.
SteelEngine saves the PDF to your workspace Docs and the block returns the file.

The document is rendered from HTML the agent writes. Scripts, iframes, forms, and external resources are rejected. Only the selected Images and inline data images can appear. If the rendered document has more pages than Max Pages, the block fails.

Generation runs as a durable job on the Temporal Worker. The block waits for the job and returns when the file is saved.

Outputs

<pdf.fileId>: The workspace file ID
<pdf.fileName>: The saved file name
<pdf.mimeType>: application/pdf
<pdf.file>: The workspace doc with id, name, size, folderId, and url
<pdf.model>, <pdf.tokens>, <pdf.cost>: The model used and its token and cost usage, as on the Agent block
<pdf.toolCalls>, <pdf.providerTiming>, <pdf.interactionId>: Preview and submit calls, timing, and the provider interaction ID

Pass <pdf.file> to a block that sends files, or reference <pdf.file.url> to link to the document.

Example Use Cases

Report From Data - Turn query results into a formatted report

Table (Query) → Agent (Summarize) → PDF Creator → Gmail (Send report)

Branded Proposal - Generate a proposal with the company logo

Start (Client brief) → PDF Creator (Images: logo) → Slack (Share file)

Invoice Batch - Create one PDF per record

API (Fetch orders) → Loop → PDF Creator → Table (Insert file URL)

Best Practices

Put the content in a user message: Give the agent the text, numbers, and structure you want. Keep the system message for tone and rules
Use the Style Guide for design: State fonts, colors, and spacing there instead of repeating them in every message
Set Max Pages to the real limit: The agent is told the limit and plans the layout around it
Keep Visual Review on for layout-heavy documents: Turn it off only for simple text where speed matters
Send the file downstream: Use <pdf.file> with an email or chat block, or store <pdf.file.url>

Common Questions

SteelEngine saves it to your workspace Docs under the File Name you set. The block returns the file's id, name, size, folder, and url in the file output, so downstream blocks can send or store it.

Any model from the Agent block list works for composing the document. When Visual Review is on, choose a vision-capable model, because the agent inspects a screenshot of the rendered pages. The same provider credential fields apply.

No. The document agent can load workspace Skills but does not run Agent tools. External images, scripts, iframes, and stylesheets are rejected. Embed images by selecting them under Images; only PNG, JPEG, and WebP files from your workspace Docs are accepted, up to 10.

The agent is told the Max Pages limit and plans around it. If the rendered PDF still has more pages than the limit, the block fails and the workflow stops at that block unless an error path handles it. Raise Max Pages (up to 20) or shorten the content.

Like an Agent block: the model's input and output tokens are billed at the provider's rates, plus the base execution charge. The tokens and cost outputs report the usage for the run.

No. Document generation is rejected inside a Parallel Window. Use a Loop or a Parallel block instead.

PDF Creator

Common Questions

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