How to download a pdf file from browser using Excel VBA

Question

I am using the below code snippet to download a PDF file from a website.

Option Explicit

Private Declare Function URLDownloadToFile Lib \"urlmon\" Alias   \         


        

Answer 1

I can think of a couple ways to do this. If you want to loop through a bunch of links, and download all files, you can setup an inventory list in Excel, like you see in the image below.

Then, run the following Macro.

Private Declare Function URLDownloadToFile Lib "urlmon" Alias _
  "URLDownloadToFileA" (ByVal pCaller As Long, ByVal szURL As String, ByVal _
    szFileName As String, ByVal dwReserved As Long, ByVal lpfnCB As Long) As Long

Sub DownloadFilefromWeb()
    Dim strSavePath As String
    Dim URL As String, ext As String
    Dim buf, ret As Long
    URL = Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A2").Value
    buf = Split(URL, ".")
    ext = buf(UBound(buf))
    strSavePath = "C:\Users\rshuell\Desktop\Downloads\" & "DownloadedFile." & ext
    ret = URLDownloadToFile(0, URL, strSavePath, 0, 0)
    If ret = 0 Then
        MsgBox "Download has been succeed!"
    Else
        MsgBox "Error"
    End If
End Sub

Now, if you just want to download one single file, run the script below.

Sub DownloadFileWithVBA()

Dim myURL As String
'Right-click on the link named 'Sample Address File'
'Click 'Copy Link Location'
'Paste the link below
myURL = "http://databases.about.com/library/samples/address.xls"

Dim WinHttpReq As Object
Set WinHttpReq = CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP")
WinHttpReq.Open "GET", myURL, False
WinHttpReq.Send

myURL = WinHttpReq.ResponseBody
    Set oStream = CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
    oStream.Open
    oStream.Type = 1
    oStream.Write WinHttpReq.ResponseBody
    oStream.SaveToFile ("C:\Users\Excel\Desktop\address.xls")
    oStream.Close

End Sub