---
name: "pdf123-crop"
description: "Set a crop box on every page. Text stays selectable; the file size does not shrink. Runs the PDF123 \"Crop PDF\" tool (pdf123.xyz) over its REST API with curl, no account needed. Use when the user wants this done to their file. Also known as: 裁剪 PDF, Recortar PDF, PDF काटें, قص PDF, Potong PDF, Recadrer le PDF, Обрезать PDF, PDFの切り抜き, PDF zuschneiden, PDF 자르기, Cắt PDF, PDF kırp, Ritaglia PDF, ตัดขอบ PDF, Przytnij PDF, Обрізати PDF, PDF bijsnijden, Pangkas PDF, Beskär PDF, Περικοπή PDF, Изрязване на PDF, Retalla PDF, Kata PDF."
compatibility: "Needs curl 7.76+ and outbound HTTPS to pdf123.xyz, or PDFX_API_BASE pointing at a self-hosted pdfx-server."
---

# Crop PDF (PDF123)

Set a crop box on every page. Text stays selectable; the file size does not shrink.

Web version: https://pdf123.xyz/crop · All tools: https://pdf123.xyz/skills/pdf123.md

## When to use

- Trim a consistent margin on a uniform report
- Hide headers visually when you accept that they remain in the file
- Match a portal that inspects CropBox

## Run it

Replace the sample file names and values with the user's, then run:

```bash
API="${PDFX_API_BASE:-https://pdf123.xyz}"
curl -sS --fail-with-body -X POST "$API/api/v1/general/crop" \
  -F "fileInput=@input.pdf" \
  -F "x=0" \
  -F "y=0" \
  -F "width=200" \
  -F "height=200" \
  --output-dir "pdf123-output/$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)" --create-dirs -OJ -w '%{filename_effective} %{content_type}\n'
```

## Inputs

Everything is `multipart/form-data`. The command above already sends each field with its default; keep them all and change only the values the user asked for, since some endpoints reject a missing optional field.

| Field | Type | Required | Default | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `fileInput` | file | yes | | .pdf (one file) |
| `x` | number | yes | `0` | X position |
| `y` | number | yes | `0` | Y position |
| `width` | number | yes | `200` | Width |
| `height` | number | yes | `200` | Height |

## Result

curl saves the result in a new `pdf123-output/<timestamp>/` directory under the server's file name and prints its path and content type. Several output files come back as one ZIP. Tell the user where the file is.

## Limits

- Not a content clip or redaction
- No per-page rectangles
- No millimetre UI
- Upload limit on this website: 500 MB per file, sent in chunks above about 95 MB. A single direct API request body is capped at 100 MB.

## Errors

- A non-zero curl exit means the request failed. The saved file then holds `application/problem+json`; read it and report its `detail` to the user instead of retrying blindly.
- `413`: the upload exceeds 100 MiB. `429`: wait for `Retry-After` seconds, then retry once.
- Send `X-API-KEY: $PDFX_API_KEY` only if the user has a PDF123 API key; anonymous calls work without it.

## Privacy

Files are uploaded to the API host, processed, and deleted once the response is sent. For confidential files, ask before uploading, or use a self-hosted server via `PDFX_API_BASE`.