In this Node.js tutorial for 2025, you will learn how to serve PDF files using the Node.js HTTP module. Serving PDFs from a Node.js server is an important skill when building web applications that provide downloadable documents, invoices, reports, eBooks, or any other PDF-based content. By understanding how to send PDFs through the HTTP module, you can deliver files directly to the browser, allowing users to either view them inline or download them to their devices.

The Node.js HTTP module gives you complete control over the server’s request and response process without relying on external frameworks. When serving PDFs, the server must send the correct Content-Type and Content-Disposition headers so that browsers know how to handle the file. The PDF can be streamed directly from the file system to the client, which is memory-efficient and works well for large documents.

What You Will Learn in This Tutorial

How the HTTP module works in Node.js for serving files

Setting the correct HTTP headers for PDF files

Understanding the difference between inline viewing and forced download

Streaming PDFs from the file system to the HTTP response

Serving large PDFs without blocking the event loop

Handling file read errors gracefully

Managing file paths and security when serving documents

Optimizing PDF delivery for performance

Real-World Use Cases

Sending invoices, receipts, or reports from a web application

Providing PDF eBooks for download from a server

Streaming PDFs directly to the browser without saving them locally first

Allowing users to view documents online without downloading

Delivering dynamically generated PDFs such as contracts or certificates

Best Practices You Will Learn

Always validate and sanitize file paths before serving files

Use streaming instead of loading the entire PDF into memory

Set correct HTTP headers to control browser behavior

Log file access for analytics and security

Implement error handling for missing or restricted files

By the end of this tutorial, you will know exactly how to serve PDF files in Node.js using the HTTP module, making it easy to add document download or viewing functionality to your web applications. You will also understand how to optimize delivery for large files and secure your file-serving process to prevent unauthorized access.

This tutorial is part of the Node.js 2025 Playlist, covering essential HTTP module skills such as serving HTML, JSON, plain text, images, and other static or dynamic content. Mastering PDF delivery will allow you to create more feature-rich and user-friendly backend services.

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