Guide: Exporting PDF Reports

Baselayer generates comprehensive PDF reports for any completed Business Search. These reports include all verification results and ordered add-ons (Website Analysis, Industry Prediction, Liens, Litigation) in a single document - ideal for underwriting files, compliance documentation, and audit trails. This guide covers how to export PDFs through both the Console and API. For understanding what data appears in Business Search results, see Business Search: Basics. For verification workflows that lead to PDF export, see Business Search: Best Practices.

Prerequisites

Before exporting a PDF report, ensure:

Business Search is completed - PDFs can only be generated for searches with state: COMPLETED
Search results are available - You have the search ID from a completed Business Search
API key (for API exports) - See Authentication

Note: PDFs include only the products and add-ons that were ordered with the original search. If you didn’t request Website Analysis during the search, or run a Lien Search on the business, they won’t appear in the PDF.

1. What the PDF Report Contains

Each PDF export is a comprehensive snapshot of the Business Search results at the time of generation.

Core KYB Data (Always Included)

Every PDF report contains:

Business Identity
- Legal business name and structure, registration details and standing
Verification Signals
- Business name, address, TIN, officer and website match level (if all provided)
Risk Assessment
- KYB and Risk Ratings (A-F scale)
Business Profile
- Addresses, officers and registered agents, registrations, watchlist screening results

Optional Add-Ons (If Ordered with Search)

The PDF includes additional sections only if these products were requested in the original search:

Industry Prediction (Order.NaicsPrediction)
- NAICS, MCC, and SIC codes, industry keywords, confidence scores and risk classification
Website Analysis (Order.WebsiteAnalysis)
- Discovered website URL, domain metadata, legitimacy indicators, information found on site
Liens (if lien search was conducted)
- UCC filings, tax liens, including details and status
Litigation & Bankruptcy (if docket search was conducted)
- Court cases and filings, bankruptcy proceedings

Important: To include Industry Prediction and Website Analysis in the PDF, they must be ordered when you create the Business Search using the options parameter. Liens and litigation come from the most recent Lien and Docket Searches your organization ran on the business before exporting. You cannot retroactively add products to an existing PDF. This makes the PDF a complete, portable record of the entire KYB evaluation as it was performed.

2. Exporting a PDF in the Console

Step 1: Navigate to the Business Search result page in the Baselayer Console Step 2: Click the Download PDF button (icon) at the top right of the search results Step 3: The PDF will generate and download to your device automatically

When to use Console export:

Manual underwriting review
One-off compliance documentation
Sharing results with team members who don’t have API access
Quick verification for customer inquiries.

3. Exporting a PDF via API

Generate and download a PDF report programmatically using the export endpoint:

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.baselayer.com/searches/{search_id}/export \
  --header 'X-API-Key: <API_KEY>' \
  --output business_report.pdf

Path Parameter:

search_id - The unique identifier of the completed Business Search

Response:

Content-Type: application/pdf
Binary PDF file (streamed directly to the output file)

Response handling in code: Python example:

import requests

search_id = "b2f7c648-d931-4cb6-b38d-9db8bf410d21"
response = requests.post(
    f"https://api.baselayer.com/searches/{search_id}/export",
    headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"}
)

if response.status_code == 200:
    with open(f"report_{search_id}.pdf", "wb") as f:
        f.write(response.content)
    print("PDF saved successfully")
else:
    print(f"Error: {response.status_code}")

Node.js example:

const fs = require('fs');
const https = require('https');

const searchId = 'b2f7c648-d931-4cb6-b38d-9db8bf410d21';
const file = fs.createWriteStream(`report_${searchId}.pdf`);

const options = {
  hostname: 'api.baselayer.com',
  path: `/searches/${searchId}/export`,
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY' }
};

https.request(options, (response) => {
  response.pipe(file);
  file.on('finish', () => {
    file.close();
    console.log('PDF saved successfully');
  });
}).end();

4. Automating PDF Generation in Your Workflow

Many teams integrate PDF exports directly into their underwriting and compliance workflows. Here are proven automation patterns:

On Approval/Funding: generate PDFs automatically when applications are approved
Batch PDF Export for Audit: export PDFs for all searches in a date range
Webhook-Triggered Export: generate PDF immediately when search completes

Common Integration Points

CRM/LOS: Attach PDFs to customer records in Salesforce, HubSpot, or loan origination systems
Document Storage: Save to S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob, or internal document management
Compliance Systems: Route PDFs to audit trail systems or regulatory reporting tools
Manual Review Queues: Attach PDFs to flagged applications for analyst review
Customer Portals: Provide PDFs to customers for transparency and record-keeping

Because the export endpoint only requires the search ID, integration is lightweight and can be added to any workflow step.

5. Common Issues

”The export API returns 404 Not Found”

Cause: Search ID doesn’t exist or you don’t have access to it. Solutions:

Verify the search ID is correct
Ensure the search belongs to your organization
Check that you’re using the right API key

”The PDF is missing Website Analysis / Industry data”

Cause: These add-ons weren’t requested when the Business Search was created. Solution:

Order add-ons must be specified in the original search request using the options parameter
You cannot add products to a completed search
To include add-ons, create a new Business Search with options: ["Order.WebsiteAnalysis", "Order.NaicsPrediction"]

”Export endpoint returns 422”

Cause: The search hasn’t completed yet (state is still PENDING or EXECUTING). Failed searches and searches with no matched business also return 422 and can’t be exported. Solutions:

Wait for the search to complete before exporting PDF
Check search status: GET /searches/{id}/status
Listen for BusinessSearch.completed webhook before triggering PDF export

”PDF generation seems slow”

Expected timing: PDF generation can take up to 30 seconds for reports with many add-ons. If taking longer:

Check your network connection
Verify Baselayer API status at status.baselayer.com
Contact support if consistently taking >30 seconds

6. Next Steps

Understand what’s in the PDF:

Business Search: Basics - Overview of verification data included in reports
Scores & Ratings - Interpret KYB and Risk ratings in PDFs
Online Presence: Best Practices - Add Website Analysis and Industry data to future reports

Build automated workflows:

Webhooks at Baselayer - Trigger PDF export when searches complete
Business Search: Batch Searches - Export PDFs for bulk verification results
Portfolio Monitoring - Generate compliance reports over time

API Documentation:

API Reference - Complete endpoint specifications
Authentication - Manage API keys for automation

7. Summary

PDF exports transform Business Search results into comprehensive, portable audit records that include all KYB verification data and ordered add-ons. Key capabilities:

Console: One-click download for manual workflows
API: Programmatic export for automation (POST /searches/{id}/export)
Complete records: All verification signals, ratings, and add-ons in one document
Easy integration: Binary PDF response works with any storage system

Use PDF exports to:

Document underwriting decisions
Maintain compliance and audit trails
Automate end-to-end verification workflows
Share verification results with stakeholders

For help automating PDF exports or integrating with your document management system, contact your Baselayer account manager.

KEY CONCEPTS

PLAYBOOKS

PRODUCT GUIDES

Guide: Exporting PDF Reports

Prerequisites

1. What the PDF Report Contains

Core KYB Data (Always Included)

Optional Add-Ons (If Ordered with Search)

2. Exporting a PDF in the Console

3. Exporting a PDF via API

4. Automating PDF Generation in Your Workflow

Common Integration Points

5. Common Issues

”The export API returns 404 Not Found”

”The PDF is missing Website Analysis / Industry data”

”Export endpoint returns 422”

”PDF generation seems slow”

6. Next Steps

7. Summary

​Prerequisites

​1. What the PDF Report Contains

​Core KYB Data (Always Included)

​Optional Add-Ons (If Ordered with Search)

​2. Exporting a PDF in the Console

​3. Exporting a PDF via API

​4. Automating PDF Generation in Your Workflow

​Common Integration Points

​5. Common Issues

​”The export API returns 404 Not Found”

​”The PDF is missing Website Analysis / Industry data”

​”Export endpoint returns 422”

​”PDF generation seems slow”

​6. Next Steps

​7. Summary

Prerequisites

1. What the PDF Report Contains

Core KYB Data (Always Included)

Optional Add-Ons (If Ordered with Search)

2. Exporting a PDF in the Console

3. Exporting a PDF via API

4. Automating PDF Generation in Your Workflow

Common Integration Points

5. Common Issues

”The export API returns 404 Not Found”

”The PDF is missing Website Analysis / Industry data”

”Export endpoint returns 422”

”PDF generation seems slow”

6. Next Steps

7. Summary