How to Run IronPDF for Java in AWS Lambda

Chaknith Bin

Updated:June 22, 2025

Important: Required Settings

Zip Deployment is not supported since IronPDF requires the execution of binaries at runtime.
You must set PackageType to Image because IronPDF for Java only supports Docker deployment.
You must use an AmazonLinux2 Docker image.
You must set the following IronPdfEngineWorkingDirectory:

import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.Settings;
import java.nio.file.Paths;

// Setting the working directory for IronPDF engine
Settings.setIronPdfEngineWorkingDirectory(Paths.get("/tmp/"));

import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.Settings;
import java.nio.file.Paths;

// Setting the working directory for IronPDF engine
Settings.setIronPdfEngineWorkingDirectory(Paths.get("/tmp/"));

JAVA

Note: This is required because it is the only path that AWS allows for the execution environment.

Increase the /tmp size. The default value is 512 MB. Please set it to at least 1024 MB.
Include the ironpdf-engine-linux-x64 dependency in your project:

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
    <artifactId>ironpdf-engine-linux-x64</artifactId>
    <version>2022.xx.x</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
    <artifactId>ironpdf-engine-linux-x64</artifactId>
    <version>2022.xx.x</version>
</dependency>

XML

Set Lambda timeout to 330 seconds due to a slow start.
Set Lambda memory size to at least 1024 MB.

Quick Start with AWS Toolkit for IntelliJ IDEA (AWS SAM)

Install Tools:
- IntelliJ IDEA - Download IntelliJ IDEA
- AWS Toolkit - Setup AWS Toolkit for JetBrains
- SAM CLI - Install the SAM CLI for Serverless Applications
- Docker - Install Docker Community Edition
Optional (for local testing):
- Java 8 - Download the Java SE Development Kit 8
- Maven - Guidelines to Install Maven
Create Project: (File -> New -> Project...)

AWS Lambda Project Creation

Configuration:
- Package Type: Image
- Runtime: java8 or java11
- SAM Template: Maven

AWS Lambda Configuration

Add the following dependencies to your pom.xml:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
    <artifactId>slf4j-simple</artifactId>
    <version>2.0.3</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
    <artifactId>ironpdf-engine-linux-x64</artifactId>
    <version>2022.11.1</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.perfmark</groupId>
    <artifactId>perfmark-api</artifactId>
    <version>0.26.0</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
    <artifactId>grpc-okhttp</artifactId>
    <version>1.50.2</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
    <artifactId>grpc-netty-shaded</artifactId>
    <version>1.50.2</version>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
    <artifactId>slf4j-simple</artifactId>
    <version>2.0.3</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
    <artifactId>ironpdf-engine-linux-x64</artifactId>
    <version>2022.11.1</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.perfmark</groupId>
    <artifactId>perfmark-api</artifactId>
    <version>0.26.0</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
    <artifactId>grpc-okhttp</artifactId>
    <version>1.50.2</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.grpc</groupId>
    <artifactId>grpc-netty-shaded</artifactId>
    <version>1.50.2</version>
</dependency>

XML

Change the handleRequest function code in App.java to:

import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.Context;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.events.APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.events.APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent;
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.PdfDocument;
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.Settings;

import java.nio.file.Paths;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

// AWS Lambda function to generate a PDF from a URL using IronPDF.
public class App {
    public APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent handleRequest(final APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent input, final Context context) {
        APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent response = new APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent();

        // Enable debugging for IronPDF (optional)
        Settings.setDebug(true);

        // Set the working directory for the IronPDF engine (required)
        Settings.setIronPdfEngineWorkingDirectory(Paths.get("/tmp/"));

        try {
            context.getLogger().log("RENDER PDF");

            // Render the PDF from a URL
            PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.renderUrlAsPdf("https://www.google.com");

            context.getLogger().log("RENDER PDF SUCCESS");

            // Save the generated PDF to a file
            pdf.saveAs("/tmp/my-first-pdf.pdf");

            // Set HTTP response headers
            Map<String, String> headers = new HashMap<>();
            headers.put("Content-Type", "application/json");
            headers.put("X-Custom-Header", "application/json");

            // Return the successful response
            return response
                    .withHeaders(headers)
                    .withStatusCode(200)
                    .withBody("ENJOY IRON-PDF!");

        } catch (Exception e) {
            // Return the error response
            return response
                    .withBody("{" + e.getMessage() + "}")
                    .withStatusCode(500);
        }
    }
}

import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.Context;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.events.APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.events.APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent;
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.PdfDocument;
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.Settings;

import java.nio.file.Paths;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

// AWS Lambda function to generate a PDF from a URL using IronPDF.
public class App {
    public APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent handleRequest(final APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent input, final Context context) {
        APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent response = new APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent();

        // Enable debugging for IronPDF (optional)
        Settings.setDebug(true);

        // Set the working directory for the IronPDF engine (required)
        Settings.setIronPdfEngineWorkingDirectory(Paths.get("/tmp/"));

        try {
            context.getLogger().log("RENDER PDF");

            // Render the PDF from a URL
            PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.renderUrlAsPdf("https://www.google.com");

            context.getLogger().log("RENDER PDF SUCCESS");

            // Save the generated PDF to a file
            pdf.saveAs("/tmp/my-first-pdf.pdf");

            // Set HTTP response headers
            Map<String, String> headers = new HashMap<>();
            headers.put("Content-Type", "application/json");
            headers.put("X-Custom-Header", "application/json");

            // Return the successful response
            return response
                    .withHeaders(headers)
                    .withStatusCode(200)
                    .withBody("ENJOY IRON-PDF!");

        } catch (Exception e) {
            // Return the error response
            return response
                    .withBody("{" + e.getMessage() + "}")
                    .withStatusCode(500);
        }
    }
}

JAVA

Set Lambda config in template.yaml:

Globals:
  Function:
    Timeout: 400
    MemorySize: 2048
    EphemeralStorage:
      Size: 1024
# Do not modify other configurations

Globals:
  Function:
    Timeout: 400
    MemorySize: 2048
    EphemeralStorage:
      Size: 1024
# Do not modify other configurations

YAML

Update Dockerfile:
- Note: For Java 8, use java8.al2 images because they use AmazonLinux2, while java8 uses the old AmazonLinux.

FROM public.ecr.aws/sam/build-java8.al2:latest as build-image
WORKDIR "/task"
COPY src/ src/
COPY pom.xml ./
RUN mvn -q clean install
RUN mvn dependency:copy-dependencies -DincludeScope=compile

FROM public.ecr.aws/lambda/java:8.al2
RUN yum update -y
RUN yum install -y pango.x86_64 libXcomposite.x86_64 libXcursor.x86_64 \
    libXdamage.x86_64 libXext.x86_64 libXi.x86_64 libXtst.x86_64 \
    cups-libs.x86_64 libXScrnSaver.x86_64 libXrandr.x86_64 GConf2.x86_64 \
    alsa-lib.x86_64 atk.x86_64 gtk3.x86_64 ipa-gothic-fonts \
    xorg-x11-fonts-100dpi xorg-x11-fonts-75dpi xorg-x11-utils \
    xorg-x11-fonts-cyrillic xorg-x11-fonts-Type1 xorg-x11-fonts-misc \
    glibc-devel.x86_64 at-spi2-atk.x86_64 mesa-libgbm.x86_64 libxkbcommon \
    amazon-linux-extras
RUN amazon-linux-extras install epel -y
RUN yum install -y libgdiplus
RUN chmod 777 /tmp/
COPY --from=build-image /task/target/classes /var/task/
COPY --from=build-image /task/target/dependency /var/task/lib

# Command can be overridden by providing a different command in the template directly.
CMD ["helloworld.App::handleRequest"]

Build the project:

sam build -u

sam build -u

SHELL

Deploy the project:

sam deploy --guided

sam deploy --guided

SHELL

Enjoy IronPDF in AWS Lambda! Now your function is live at: Access AWS Lambda Console

Frequently Asked Questions

What deployment type is required for running PDF processing in Java on AWS Lambda?

You must set 'PackageType' to 'Image' because IronPDF for Java only supports Docker deployment.

Which Docker image should be used for PDF processing on AWS Lambda?

You must use an 'AmazonLinux2' Docker image for deploying IronPDF on AWS Lambda.

What should be the size of the /tmp directory for PDF processing?

You should increase the /tmp size to at least 1024 MB, as the default value is 512 MB.

Which dependencies are necessary for PDF processing in a Maven project?

Include the 'ironpdf-engine-linux-x64' dependency in your project along with other necessary dependencies specified in the pom.xml.

What should be the Lambda timeout setting for PDF processing?

Set the Lambda timeout to 330 seconds to accommodate a slow start.

How do you generate a PDF from a URL using a library in AWS Lambda?

Use the 'PdfDocument.renderUrlAsPdf' method to render a PDF from a URL, and then save it using the 'pdf.saveAs' method.

How can you set up the working directory for PDF processing?

Set the working directory for the IronPDF engine using 'Settings.setIronPdfEngineWorkingDirectory(Paths.get("/tmp/"))'.

What runtime environments are supported for PDF processing in AWS Lambda?

The supported runtime environments for IronPDF in AWS Lambda are 'java8' or 'java11'.

What tools are required for quick starting with AWS Toolkit for IntelliJ IDEA?

You need IntelliJ IDEA, AWS Toolkit, SAM CLI, and Docker. For local testing, Java 8 and Maven are optional.

What is the command to deploy the PDF processing project in AWS Lambda?

After building the project with 'sam build -u', deploy it using 'sam deploy --guided'.

Chaknith Bin

Chat with engineering team now

Software Engineer

Chaknith works on IronXL and IronBarcode. He has deep expertise in C# and .NET, helping improve the software and support customers. His insights from user interactions contribute to better products, documentation, and overall experience.