Factur-X PDF/A-3 Attachment Extraction & Validation API
Extract the embedded UN/CEFACT CII XML from Factur-X and ZUGFeRD PDF/A-3 hybrid invoices and return the validated invoice model as JSON. This specification documents the exact field layout, checksum rules, and validation behavior so your integration matches Factur-X 1.0.x / ZUGFeRD 2.x (EN 16931) without reading the source standard.
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{
"status": "Click RUN VALIDATION to execute on the Cloudflare edge..."
}
Quick Summary: Extract the embedded UN/CEFACT CII XML from Factur-X and ZUGFeRD PDF/A-3 hybrid invoices and return the validated invoice model as JSON. Validates strictly against Factur-X 1.0.x / ZUGFeRD 2.x (EN 16931) with sub-5ms in-memory response times.
Specification & Structural Breakdown
Technical Summary: Validates strictly against Factur-X 1.0.x / ZUGFeRD 2.x (EN 16931). Payloads are parsed in memory and return clean, typed JSON in milliseconds with zero data logged.
Factur-X and ZUGFeRD invoices are PDF/A-3 files with an embedded UN/CEFACT CrossIndustryInvoice XML attachment named factur-x.xml or zugferd-invoice.xml.
Send the PDF as application/pdf or pdf_base64 and the engine extracts the attachment before validation; the response echoes the attachment name and MIME type.
If no recognized attachment exists the API returns HTTP 200 with valid:false and an exact FX-PDF-01, FX-PDF-02, or FX-PDF-03 diagnostic instead of a generic failure.
| Diagnostic | Condition | Response |
|---|---|---|
| factur-x.xml / zugferd-invoice.xml | Recognized CII attachment found | Validated against the detected Factur-X profile |
| FX-PDF-01 | No embedded file attachment was found in the PDF | HTTP 200, valid:false |
| FX-PDF-02 | Attachment is not a recognized Factur-X or ZUGFeRD XML file | HTTP 200, valid:false |
| FX-PDF-03 | PDF corrupt, encrypted, or over the processing budget | HTTP 200, valid:false |
Parsed JSON Response Model
The edge microservice transforms input payloads into strongly-typed hierarchical JSON envelopes with sub-5ms latency:
{
"valid": true,
"container": "PDF",
"attachment": {
"name": "factur-x.xml",
"mimeType": "text/xml"
},
"syntax": "CII",
"profile": "EN16931",
"summary": {
"status": "COMPLIANT",
"fatalCount": 0,
"warningCount": 0
}
}
Copy-Paste Integration Code (6 Languages)
Integrate Factur-X PDF/A-3 Attachment Extraction & Validation API directly into your production application with native, zero-dependency code snippets in cURL, Node.js, Python, Go, C#, and a ready-to-paste Claude prompt. Get a free API key → (no credit card required):
curl --request POST \
--url "https://api.stanzaapi.com/factur-x-validator/api/v1/validate" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--header "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
--data '{
"xml": "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice xmlns:rsm=\"urn:un:unece:uncefact:data:standard:CrossIndustryInvoice:100\">...</rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice>"
}'const response = await fetch("https://api.stanzaapi.com/factur-x-validator/api/v1/validate", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"x-api-key": process.env.API_KEY || "YOUR_API_KEY"
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"xml": "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice xmlns:rsm=\"urn:un:unece:uncefact:data:standard:CrossIndustryInvoice:100\">...</rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice>"
})
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);import requests
import json
url = "https://api.stanzaapi.com/factur-x-validator/api/v1/validate"
headers = {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
payload = {
"xml": "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice xmlns:rsm=\"urn:un:unece:uncefact:data:standard:CrossIndustryInvoice:100\">...</rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice>"
}
response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.json())package main
import (
"bytes"
"fmt"
"io"
"net/http"
"os"
)
func main() {
url := "https://api.stanzaapi.com/factur-x-validator/api/v1/validate"
payload := []byte(`{"xml":"<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice xmlns:rsm=\"urn:un:unece:uncefact:data:standard:CrossIndustryInvoice:100\">...</rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice>"}`)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, bytes.NewBuffer(payload))
req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
req.Header.Add("x-api-key", os.Getenv("API_KEY"))
res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
defer res.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))
}using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
class Program
{
static async Task Main()
{
using var client = new HttpClient();
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("x-api-key", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("API_KEY") ?? "YOUR_API_KEY");
var json = @"{""xml"":""<?xml version=\""1.0\"" encoding=\""UTF-8\""?><rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice xmlns:rsm=\""urn:un:unece:uncefact:data:standard:CrossIndustryInvoice:100\"">...</rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice>""}";
var payload = new StringContent(json, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");
var response = await client.PostAsync("https://api.stanzaapi.com/factur-x-validator/api/v1/validate", payload);
var content = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
Console.WriteLine(content);
}
}Integrate the Stanza factur-x-validator micro-API.
Endpoint: POST https://api.stanzaapi.com/factur-x-validator/api/v1/validate
Auth header: x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json
Request body:
{
"xml": "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice xmlns:rsm=\"urn:un:unece:uncefact:data:standard:CrossIndustryInvoice:100\">...</rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice>"
}
Rules:
- Send the request with a 2-second timeout.
- Parse the standard envelope { success, data, meta: { latency_ms, version } }.
- On failure, read { success: false, error, code } and branch on the code.
- Do not retry 4xx responses; surface the error code to the caller.
- Treat invalid-but-well-formed payloads as HTTP 200 with data.valid === false.Frequently Asked Questions & Technical Notes
Both work. Send the PDF/A-3 file (application/pdf or pdf_base64) and the API extracts the embedded XML, or send the CII XML directly as raw XML or a JSON xml field.
The API returns HTTP 200 with valid:false and the FX-PDF-01 diagnostic, so AP pipelines can route the document to manual review without treating a valid PDF as a server error.
Related Factur-X & ZUGFeRD 2.3 E-Invoice Validation Engine Formats
Explore sibling specifications and standards in the same developer cluster:
ZUGFeRD 2.3 CII E-Invoice Validator & Parser
Validate and parse German ZUGFeRD 2.x / Factur-X CII invoices with profile-scoped EN 16931 business rules.
View Format →XRechnung CII Validator API (EN 16931)
Validate XRechnung CII documents against the full EN 16931 business-rule set and return exact rule IDs with JSON paths.
View Format →Factur-X Profile Detection (BT-24) & EN 16931 Rule Scoping
Detect the Factur-X profile from the specification identifier (BT-24) and run the profile-scoped EN 16931 business rules.
View Format →Complementary Enterprise APIs
Seamlessly orchestrate data pipelines across adjacent financial, regulatory, and supply-chain protocols:
Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 →
Validate UBL 2.1 and CII e-invoices against EN 16931 and Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 rules.
ISO 20022 Financial Messaging →
Bridge validated e-invoice totals into ISO 20022 credit transfer instructions and reconciliation.
European VIES VAT Validator →
Check supplier and customer VAT identifiers before accepting a hybrid e-invoice.