Document Engine handles document storage, rendering, and editing in the second mode.
Your frontend code stays mostly the same across modes. Initialization and file opening are the main differences.
For example, request headers configured in Web SDK for fetching documents apply to standalone mode. In Web SDK + Document Engine mode, document fetching is handled by Document Engine, so browser-side document request headers aren’t used for that step.
Nutrient Web SDK renders and edits documents directly in the browser using WebAssembly. This mode doesn’t require a server, plugins, or internet access.
Browser-based rendering and processing provide the following benefits:
No server deployment — You don’t need to deploy or maintain rendering servers.
Reduced infrastructure load — The client handles rendering and processing.
Stable UI on slower networks — Network speed has less impact on viewer interactions.
Data stays in the client — Documents don’t need to move across your network for rendering.
Nutrient Web SDK with Document Engine
When you combine Web SDK with Document Engine, the server handles storage and rendering. The web viewer receives only the document data it needs. Run Document Engine in your infrastructure or use managed by Nutrient.
Web SDK with Document Engine provides the following benefits:
Server-side rendering and processing — Reduces browser workload for large or complex documents.
Built-in syncing — Synchronizes annotations and form field values across sessions and servers.
Server-side controls — Runs sensitive processing on the server.
Advanced features — Supports OCR (Document Engine only) and Instant collaboration on web and mobile.
Scales with traffic — Supports growing workloads with a server-based architecture.
Headless workflows — Enables batch conversion and other automated document tasks.