Description

n8n-nodes-pdf-generator-api

This is an n8n community node. It lets you use PDF Generator API in your n8n workflows.

PDF Generator API is a powerful service that allows you to generate PDFs from templates, convert HTML/URLs to PDF, and perform various PDF operations like watermarking, encryption, optimization, and form field manipulation.

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.

Installation
Operations
Credentials
Compatibility
Usage
Resources
Version history

Installation

Follow the installation guide in the n8n community nodes documentation.

Use the package name: @pdfgeneratorapi/n8n-nodes-pdf-generator-api

Operations

This node supports the following operations organized by resource:

Asset

• Generate QR Code – Generate QR codes with customizable colors and logos
  • Support for base64 and file output formats
  • Optional logo overlay (from URL or base64)
  • Customizable QR code color

Document

• Generate – Generate a PDF document from a template with data
• Generate (Async) – Generate a PDF document asynchronously with callback
• Generate (Batch) – Generate multiple PDF documents in batch
• Generate (Batch + Async) – Generate multiple PDF documents in batch asynchronously
• List – List generated documents stored in the API
• Get – Retrieve a specific document by public ID
• Delete – Delete a document from storage

Template

• Create – Create a new PDF template
• Update – Update an existing template configuration
• Get – Retrieve template configuration
• Delete – Delete a template
• List – List available templates
• Copy – Create a copy of an existing template
• Get Data Fields – Extract data fields used in a template
• Get Template Schema – Get Template JSON Schema for validation
• Open Editor – Get URL to open template editor
• Validate – Validate template configuration

Conversion

• HTML to PDF – Convert HTML content directly to PDF
• URL to PDF – Convert a public URL to PDF

PDF Services

• Add Watermark – Add text or image watermarks to PDF documents
• Encrypt Document – Encrypt PDF documents with password protection
• Decrypt Document – Decrypt encrypted PDF documents
• Optimize Document – Optimize PDF file size for better performance
• Extract Form Fields – Extract form fields and metadata from PDF documents
• Fill Form Fields – Fill form fields in PDF documents with provided data

Workspace

• Create – Create a new workspace for organizing templates
• List – List all workspaces in organization
• Get – Get workspace information
• Delete – Delete a workspace

Credentials

To use this node, you need to authenticate with PDF Generator API:

Prerequisites

1. Sign up for a PDF Generator API account
2. Get your API Key and API Secret from Account Settings

Authentication Setup

1. In n8n, create new credentials for "PDF Generator API"
2. Enter your API Key and API Secret

JWT Authentication

The node automatically handles JWT token generation using your API credentials. Tokens are generated server-side and include:

• Issuer (iss): Your API Key
• Subject (sub): Workspace identifier
• Expiration (exp): Short-lived tokens for security

Compatibility

• Minimum n8n version: 0.199.0
• Tested with: n8n versions 0.199.0+
• Node API version: 1

Usage

QR Code Generation

1. Select Resource: Asset
2. Select Operation: Generate QR Code
3. Enter the content to encode (URL, text, etc.)
4. Choose output format (Base64 or File)
5. Optionally add a logo from URL or base64
6. Customize QR code color

Basic Document Generation

1. Select Resource: Document
2. Select Operation: Generate
3. Choose your template from the dropdown
4. Provide JSON data to merge with the template
5. Select output format (Base64, URL, Viewer, or File)

HTML to PDF Conversion

1. Select Resource: Conversion
2. Select Operation: HTML to PDF
3. Enter your HTML content
4. Configure paper size and orientation
5. Specify filename and output format

PDF Processing

• Watermarking: Add text or image watermarks with positioning options
• Encryption: Protect PDFs with owner and user passwords
• Decryption: Remove password protection from encrypted PDFs
• Optimization: Reduce file size while maintaining quality
• Form Fields: Extract form field metadata and fill PDF forms with data

Form Fields Operations

1. Extract Form Fields: Analyze PDF forms to discover available fields
2. Fill Form Fields: Populate PDF forms with data

Example form data:

{
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Doe",
  "email": "john.doe@example.com",
  "subscribe": true
}

Output Formats

• Base64: Returns PDF as base64 encoded string in JSON
• URL: Returns download URL (files stored for 30 days)
• Viewer: Returns viewer URL for viewing/downloading (files stored for 30 days)
• File: Returns binary PDF data for direct download

Supported Document Formats

• PDF: Full-featured PDF documents
• HTML: HTML documents for web display

Error Handling

The node includes comprehensive error handling for:

• Authentication failures
• Invalid template configurations
• Missing required parameters
• API rate limiting
• Network connectivity issues

For workflows that should continue on errors, enable "Continue on Fail" in node settings.

Resources

• n8n community nodes documentation
• PDF Generator API Documentation
• PDF Generator API Support
• Template Editor Guide
• Expression Language Documentation

Version history

0.4.0

• New: Added Asset resource with QR code generation
  • Generate QR codes with customizable colors
  • Optional logo overlay support (URL or base64)
  • Base64 and file output formats
• New: Added "Get Template Schema" operation to Template resource
  • Returns Template JSON Schema for validation
• New: Added "Viewer" output format for document generation
  • Available for all document generation operations (sync, async, batch)
  • Returns viewer URL for viewing/downloading PDFs
  • Files stored for 30 days like URL format
• 🔧 Improved: Enhanced output format descriptions and help text

0.3.0

• 🔧 Breaking: Removed ZIP and XLSX format support
• 🐛 Fixed: Parameter name collisions that caused UI issues with action generation
• 🔧 Improved: File response handling
• ✨ New: JSON parsing helper with consistent error handling across all user inputs
• 🐛 Fixed: MIME type mappings for proper file downloads (PDF, HTML)
• 🐛 Fixed: Resource/operation parameter extraction for proper n8n batch processing
• 🔧 Improved: PDF optimization stats
• 🛡️ Security: Enhanced input validation and error messaging

0.2.5 & 0.2.6

• 🧹 Improved: Removed debug code
• 📦 Optimized: Improved credentials logic

0.2.3 & 0.2.4

• 🧹 Cleanup: Removed external dependencies

0.2.2

• 🧹 Cleanup: Removed example nodes and credentials from package
• 🔧 Improved: Build process now only includes production files
• 📦 Optimized: Package structure for better n8n compatibility

0.2.1

• 🐛 Fixed: Fixed npm publish script in package.json
• 📝 Updated: Package metadata and repository information

0.2.0

• ✨ New: Added PDF form fields operations
  • Extract Form Fields: Analyze and extract form field metadata
  • Fill Form Fields: Populate PDF forms with data
• 🐛 Fixed: Improved error handling for PDF services operations
• 📝 Docs: Enhanced documentation and examples

0.1.0

• 🎉 Initial Release: Complete PDF Generator API integration
  • Document generation from templates
  • HTML/URL to PDF conversion
  • PDF processing (watermark, encrypt, decrypt, optimize)
  • Template and workspace management
  • Support for all output formats (Base64, URL, File)
  • Comprehensive error handling and validation