Generate PDFs inside your n8n workflows
Design the document once in ImaginePDF, then let n8n fill it in whenever the workflow runs. The step returns a real file, not a template for you to render yourself.
What the n8n app gives you
Everything the integration exposes today. Anything beyond this goes through the REST API.
Generate PDF operation
Choose one of your designs, supply the values, and the node renders a finished PDF. Each run costs one credit.
Your designs in a dropdown
The Design field is populated from your workspace, so there is no id to look up. A new design shows up the next time the node loads its list.
Field Values from earlier nodes
Add one row per field, keyed by the variable name you bound in the design, and map its value from the trigger or any node before it.
A binary file on the output item
The PDF comes back as binary data on the output item, in the field named data by default, alongside the download URL and filename as JSON. Gmail, Google Drive and Write Binary File can take it as it is.
Four steps, once
Connect your workspace, pick a design, and map the fields.
- 1
Install the node
In n8n, open Settings and then Community Nodes, click Install, and enter n8n-nodes-imaginepdf. It is verified by n8n, so an instance owner installs it once and everyone on that instance can use it.
- 2
Create an API key
In ImaginePDF, open Settings and then API Keys, and create a key. Copy it before closing the dialog, then paste it into a new ImaginePDF API credential in n8n.
- 3
Pick a design and fill the fields
Add the ImaginePDF node to the workflow, choose the design from the dropdown, and add a Field Values row for each variable you want to set.
- 4
Send the file on
Point the next node at the binary field. That can be an email attachment, an upload to Drive or S3, or a file written to disk.
What people build with it
The document generates itself the moment the thing that triggers it happens.
Invoice when an order is paid
A payment webhook starts the workflow, the invoice renders with the order data, and an email node sends it before anyone opens a document.
Certificate at the end of a course
A form submission or an LMS webhook produces the certificate, and the same run delivers it to the person who earned it.
One document per row on a schedule
A Schedule trigger reads rows from a sheet or a database and the node runs once per item, leaving one finished PDF for each.
Ticket or badge on signup
A registration lands, the design renders a ticket with its QR code, and the confirmation email carries it as an attachment.
Common questions
Do I need to write any code?
No. You design the document on the ImaginePDF canvas, mark the parts that change, and fill them in on the node with values from earlier steps.
Does it work on n8n Cloud, or only self-hosted?
Both. It is a verified community node, so an instance owner installs it once under Settings and Community Nodes, and from then on anyone on that instance can add it to a workflow.
How do I mark which parts of the document change?
In the ImaginePDF editor, select an element and bind it to a variable. Every variable you bind becomes a Field Values key on the node.
Can the PDF be attached to an email?
Yes. The node puts the PDF on the output item as binary data, so any node that accepts a binary field, Gmail and Send Email included, can attach it with no download step in between.
What is not in this version?
Image upload, batch generation and design search. The node renders one PDF per item, and an image field takes an uploads or assets reference rather than raw image data. A run of hundreds of documents is better served by a dataset in the dashboard.