⚡n8n Workflow

Intermediate

Convert HTML to PDF using ConvertAPI

Automate HTML to PDF conversion using the ConvertAPI. This workflow generates a PDF from an HTML string and saves it to your disk, perfect for document generation.

Overview

Generates a PDF document from a given HTML string by calling the ConvertAPI and saves the resulting file to the local disk.

🧠 Description & Use Case

This workflow demonstrates how to convert an HTML string into a PDF file using the ConvertAPI service. It's a straightforward process for anyone needing to programmatically generate PDF documents from web content, reports, or invoices.

🔄 How It Works:

Trigger: The workflow is initiated manually by clicking 'Test workflow'.
Create HTML: A Set node defines a simple HTML document as a string. In a real-world scenario, this HTML could be dynamically generated from other data sources.
Prepare File for Upload: A Code node converts the HTML string into a binary file format that can be sent in an HTTP request. This is a crucial step to prepare the data for the API.
Convert to PDF via API: The HTTP Request node sends the prepared HTML file to the ConvertAPI endpoint (/convert/html/to/pdf). It uses a POST request with multipart-form-data and handles the authentication using your ConvertAPI secret.
Save the Result: The Write Result File to Disk node takes the PDF file returned by the ConvertAPI and saves it locally as document.pdf.

✅ Real-World Use Cases:

Invoice Generation: Automatically create PDF invoices from order data stored in your database or spreadsheet.
Report Automation: Generate daily, weekly, or monthly reports in a printable PDF format from analytics data.
Web Page Archiving: Save snapshots of important web pages or online receipts as permanent PDF files.
Document Creation: Create standardized documents like contracts, proposals, or certificates from user-submitted form data.

Instructions

Basic steps

Download workflow JSON
Import into n8n
Configure node parameters as needed
Test and enable the workflow

💡 Tips

After importing, verify all connectors and credentials match your environment.

Preview

Workflow Visualization

6 nodes

100%

Nodes

When clicking ‘Test workflow’

manualTrigger

Write Result File to Disk

readWriteFile

Sticky Note

stickyNote

Create HTML

set

v3.3

Convert HTML to File

code

Convert File to PDF

httpRequest

v4.2

Statistics

Total nodes:6

Disabled nodes:0

Node types:6

Connections:4

View full JSON structure

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "3409b6e3-aef1-4eb4-acfb-72a73101e109",
      "name": "When clicking ‘Test workflow’",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "position": [
        380,
        240
      ],
      "parameters": {},
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "4942cdfc-bc9a-43ac-a60d-06e1ddf52d07",
      "name": "Write Result File to Disk",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.readWriteFile",
      "position": [
        1360,
        240
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "options": {},
        "fileName": "document.pdf",
        "operation": "write",
        "dataPropertyName": "=data"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "1467a9ab-144d-48cc-a52f-3dca86ca0e8b",
      "name": "Sticky Note",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        880,
        100
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "width": 218,
        "height": 132,
        "content": "## Authentication\nConversion requests must be authenticated. Please create \n[ConvertAPI account to get authentication secret](https://www.convertapi.com/a/signin)"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "4d85a311-8e39-48ce-868e-95efec509247",
      "name": "Create HTML",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "position": [
        580,
        240
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "options": {},
        "assignments": {
          "assignments": [
            {
              "id": "ad325c1b-1597-45ab-98cd-1801da32e3f1",
              "name": "data",
              "type": "string",
              "value": "=<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en\">\n<head>\n    <meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n    <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\">\n    <title>ConvertAPI Test Document</title>\n</head>\n<body>\n    <h1>ConvertAPI Test Document</h1>\n    <p>This is a minimal HTML5 document used for testing ConvertAPI's conversion capabilities.</p>\n    <section>\n        <h2>Section Title</h2>\n        <p>This is a section within the document.</p>\n    </section>\n    <footer>\n        <p>&copy; 2024 Test Document</p>\n    </footer>\n</body>\n</html>"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 3.3
    },
    {
      "id": "a0e4e17a-097f-4127-9b60-c6ae637816a0",
      "name": "Convert HTML to File",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
      "position": [
        760,
        240
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "jsCode": "const text = $node[\"Create HTML\"].json[\"data\"]\nconst buffer = Buffer.from(text, 'utf8');\nconst binaryData = {\n  data: buffer.toString('base64'),\n  mimeType: 'application/octet-stream',\n  fileName: 'file.html',\n};\nitems[0].binary = { data: binaryData };\nreturn items;\n"
      },
      "typeVersion": 2
    },
    {
      "id": "653b21eb-dae5-44e0-858a-a2905f495911",
      "name": "Convert File to PDF",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "position": [
        940,
        240
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "url": "https://v2.convertapi.com/convert/html/to/pdf",
        "method": "POST",
        "options": {
          "response": {
            "response": {
              "responseFormat": "file"
            }
          }
        },
        "sendBody": true,
        "contentType": "multipart-form-data",
        "sendHeaders": true,
        "authentication": "genericCredentialType",
        "bodyParameters": {
          "parameters": [
            {
              "name": "file",
              "parameterType": "formBinaryData",
              "inputDataFieldName": "data"
            }
          ]
        },
        "genericAuthType": "httpQueryAuth",
        "headerParameters": {
          "parameters": [
            {
              "name": "Accept",
              "value": "application/octet-stream"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "credentials": {
        "httpQueryAuth": {
          "id": "WdAklDMod8fBEMRk",
          "name": "Query Auth account"
        }
      },
      "notesInFlow": true,
      "typeVersion": 4.2
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Create HTML": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Convert HTML to File",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Convert File to PDF": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Write Result File to Disk",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Convert HTML to File": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Convert File to PDF",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "When clicking ‘Test workflow’": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Create HTML",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Actions

Categories:

Data Workflow

Tags:

manualtriggersethttprequeststickynotecodereadwritefile

Technical Specs

Complexity:

Intermediate

Node Count:

6 nodes

Published:11 months ago

Updated:6 days ago

Compatibility

Platform:

N8N Cloud & Self-hosted

Min Version:

N8N v1.0.0+

Supports cloud and self-hosted deployment

License

This workflow template follows MIT license, you can freely use, modify and distribute.

Please comply with relevant third-party service terms when using.