PDF4me

Overview

The node provides a "Generate Document Single" operation that creates a single document based on a provided template and data. It supports multiple ways to input the template file (binary data, base64 string, raw HTML code, or URL) and various template file types such as Word (Docx), HTML, or PDF. The document data can be supplied as JSON or XML in different formats (text, binary data, base64 string, or URL). This flexibility allows users to generate customized documents dynamically by merging templates with structured data.

Common scenarios include:

• Generating personalized reports, invoices, or letters by filling templates with user-specific data.
• Creating contracts or forms where the content is dynamically populated from JSON or XML sources.
• Automating document creation workflows where templates are stored in different formats or locations.

Practical example:

• A workflow receives customer order data in JSON format and uses a Word template stored as binary data from a previous node to generate an invoice document for each order.

Properties

Output

The node outputs the generated document as binary data under a custom-named binary property (default "data"). The output contains the fully merged document created by applying the provided data to the specified template. The binary data represents the generated file in the format corresponding to the template type (e.g., DOCX, PDF, or HTML).

No additional JSON structure details are explicitly defined, but typically the output includes metadata about the generated file alongside the binary content.

Dependencies

• Requires access to the template file and data either via binary inputs, base64 strings, or URLs.
• No explicit external API keys or services are mentioned in the provided source code snippet for this operation.
• The node depends on internal action implementations for document generation (not detailed here).
• Proper configuration of input properties is necessary to ensure correct file and data retrieval.

Troubleshooting

• Common issues:
  • Incorrect or missing template file input leading to failure in document generation.
  • Malformed JSON or XML data causing parsing errors.
  • Mismatch between template file type and provided template content (e.g., providing HTML code for a non-HTML template).
  • Invalid URLs or inaccessible files when using URL input types.
• Error messages:
  • Errors related to missing required parameters (e.g., template file name or data content).
  • Parsing errors for JSON/XML data.
  • File read or download failures for URL inputs.
• Resolutions:
  • Verify all required fields are correctly filled according to the selected input types.
  • Validate JSON or XML data syntax before running the node.
  • Ensure URLs are accessible and point directly to the correct files.
  • Use binary data inputs from previous nodes carefully, confirming the binary property names.

Links and References

• n8n Documentation on Working with Binary Data
• JSON Schema and XML Basics
• Base64 Encoding Explained
• Document Generation Concepts