How to Convert PDF to HTML in C# with IronPDF

What Does the Sample PDF Look Like?

How Do I Implement the Conversion Code?

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-html.cs

using IronPdf;
using System;

PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("sample.pdf");

// Convert PDF to HTML string
string html = pdf.ToHtmlString();
Console.WriteLine(html);

// Convert PDF to HTML file
pdf.SaveAsHtml("myHtml.html");

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The code demonstrates two primary methods for PDF to HTML conversion. The ToHtmlString method works when you need to process HTML content programmatically, while SaveAsHtml generates files directly. For multiple PDFs, process them in batch using similar techniques.

What Does the Output HTML Look Like?

The entire output HTML generated from the SaveAsHtml method has been input into the website below.

What Configuration Options Are Available?

:path=/static-assets/pdf/content-code-examples/how-to/pdf-to-html-advanced-settings.cs

using IronPdf;
using IronSoftware.Drawing;
using System;

PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("sample.pdf");

// PDF to HTML configuration options
HtmlFormatOptions htmlformat = new HtmlFormatOptions();
htmlformat.BackgroundColor = Color.White;
htmlformat.PdfPageMargin = 10;
htmlformat.H1Color = Color.Blue;
htmlformat.H1FontSize = 25;
htmlformat.H1TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Center;

// Convert PDF to HTML string
string html = pdf.ToHtmlString();
Console.WriteLine(html);

// Convert PDF to HTML file
pdf.SaveAsHtml("myHtmlConfigured.html", true, "Hello World", htmlFormatOptions: htmlformat);

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This example shows how to create polished HTML output with custom styling. The configuration options work with IronPDF's rendering engine to produce high-quality HTML that maintains visual fidelity.

How Does the Configured Output Differ?

The entire output HTML generated from the SaveAsHtml method has been input into the website below.

Why Does the HTML Output Use SVG Tags?

These methods produce HTML strings with inline CSS. The output HTML uses SVG tags instead of standard HTML tags. Despite this difference, it produces valid HTML that renders correctly in web browsers. The returned HTML string from this method may differ from the HTML input when using a PDF document rendered using the RenderHtmlAsPdf method.

The SVG-based approach ensures accurate representation of complex PDF layouts, including precise positioning, fonts, and graphics. This method works effectively for PDFs containing images, charts, or complex formatting difficult to replicate using standard HTML elements.

Additional Code Example: Batch PDF to HTML Conversion

For converting multiple PDFs to HTML, here's an example that processes an entire directory of PDF files:

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

public class BatchPdfToHtmlConverter
{
    public static void ConvertPdfDirectory(string inputDirectory, string outputDirectory)
    {
        // Ensure output directory exists
        Directory.CreateDirectory(outputDirectory);

        // Configure HTML output settings once for consistency
        HtmlFormatOptions formatOptions = new HtmlFormatOptions
        {
            BackgroundColor = Color.WhiteSmoke,
            PdfPageMargin = 15,
            H1FontSize = 28,
            H1TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left
        };

        // Process all PDF files in the directory
        string[] pdfFiles = Directory.GetFiles(inputDirectory, "*.pdf");

        foreach (string pdfPath in pdfFiles)
        {
            try
            {
                // Load PDF document
                PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(pdfPath);

                // Generate output filename
                string fileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(pdfPath);
                string htmlPath = Path.Combine(outputDirectory, $"{fileName}.html");

                // Convert and save as HTML with consistent formatting
                pdf.SaveAsHtml(htmlPath, true, fileName, htmlFormatOptions: formatOptions);

                Console.WriteLine($"Converted: {fileName}.pdf → {fileName}.html");
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Error converting {pdfPath}: {ex.Message}");
            }
        }
    }
}

using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

public class BatchPdfToHtmlConverter
{
    public static void ConvertPdfDirectory(string inputDirectory, string outputDirectory)
    {
        // Ensure output directory exists
        Directory.CreateDirectory(outputDirectory);

        // Configure HTML output settings once for consistency
        HtmlFormatOptions formatOptions = new HtmlFormatOptions
        {
            BackgroundColor = Color.WhiteSmoke,
            PdfPageMargin = 15,
            H1FontSize = 28,
            H1TextAlignment = TextAlignment.Left
        };

        // Process all PDF files in the directory
        string[] pdfFiles = Directory.GetFiles(inputDirectory, "*.pdf");

        foreach (string pdfPath in pdfFiles)
        {
            try
            {
                // Load PDF document
                PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile(pdfPath);

                // Generate output filename
                string fileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(pdfPath);
                string htmlPath = Path.Combine(outputDirectory, $"{fileName}.html");

                // Convert and save as HTML with consistent formatting
                pdf.SaveAsHtml(htmlPath, true, fileName, htmlFormatOptions: formatOptions);

                Console.WriteLine($"Converted: {fileName}.pdf → {fileName}.html");
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Error converting {pdfPath}: {ex.Message}");
            }
        }
    }
}

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This batch conversion example works for content management systems, digital archives, or applications that need to make large volumes of PDF content accessible on the web. For more information about working with PDFs programmatically, explore our tutorials section.