How to Use the PodPDF API in n8n

n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform that gives developers and power users deep control over their automation logic. Because n8n supports arbitrary HTTP requests and custom JavaScript, integrating PodPDF is straightforward and flexible.

This guide covers everything from basic setup to advanced patterns like dynamic HTML templates, webhook-based async jobs, and error handling.

Prerequisites

An n8n instance (self-hosted or n8n cloud)
A PodPDF account with an API key

Getting Your API Key

Log into app.podpdf.com
Navigate to Settings → API Keys
Click Create API Key and name it (e.g., “n8n”)
Copy the key

Basic Setup: HTTP Request Node

Add an HTTP Request node to your workflow and configure it:

Method: POST

URL: https://api.podpdf.com/v1/convert

Authentication: Select Header Auth

Name: Authorization
Value: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Body Content Type: JSON

Body:

{
  "html": "<h1>Hello from n8n</h1><p>This PDF was generated automatically.</p>",
  "options": {
    "format": "A4",
    "margin": { "top": "20mm", "bottom": "20mm", "left": "20mm", "right": "20mm" }
  }
}

Send Headers: Enable and add:

Content-Type: application/json

Run the node. A successful response:

{
  "jobId": "job_abc123",
  "status": "completed",
  "pdfUrl": "https://files.podpdf.com/pdfs/job_abc123.pdf",
  "pageCount": 2,
  "createdAt": "2026-04-24T10:00:00Z"
}

The pdfUrl is then available in subsequent nodes via {{ $json.pdfUrl }}.

Storing the API Key as a Credential

For maintainability, store your API key as an n8n credential instead of hardcoding it.

Go to Settings → Credentials in n8n
Create a new Header Auth credential
Name: PodPDF API
Header Name: Authorization
Header Value: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Then in the HTTP Request node, select this credential under Authentication → Predefined Credential Type → Header Auth.

Building Dynamic HTML Templates

The key to useful PDF generation is combining n8n’s data from upstream nodes with an HTML template.

Using a Code node to build HTML

Add a Code node before the HTTP Request node:

const item = $input.first().json;

const html = `<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
  body { font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; padding: 40px; color: #333; }
  .header { border-bottom: 2px solid #0070f3; padding-bottom: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; }
  .company { font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; color: #0070f3; }
  table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; }
  th { background: #f0f4ff; padding: 12px; text-align: left; border-bottom: 2px solid #0070f3; }
  td { padding: 10px 12px; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; }
  .total { font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; color: #0070f3; text-align: right; margin-top: 20px; }
  .footer { margin-top: 40px; font-size: 12px; color: #888; border-top: 1px solid #eee; padding-top: 20px; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
  <div class="header">
    <div class="company">Acme Corp</div>
    <h2>Invoice #${item.invoiceNumber}</h2>
    <p>Date: ${new Date(item.date).toLocaleDateString('en-US', { year: 'numeric', month: 'long', day: 'numeric' })}</p>
  </div>

  <p><strong>Bill To:</strong><br>
  ${item.customerName}<br>
  ${item.customerEmail}</p>

  <table>
    <tr>
      <th>Description</th>
      <th>Qty</th>
      <th>Unit Price</th>
      <th>Amount</th>
    </tr>
    ${item.lineItems.map(line => `
    <tr>
      <td>${line.description}</td>
      <td>${line.qty}</td>
      <td>$${line.unitPrice.toFixed(2)}</td>
      <td>$${(line.qty * line.unitPrice).toFixed(2)}</td>
    </tr>`).join('')}
  </table>

  <p class="total">Total: $${item.total.toFixed(2)}</p>

  <div class="footer">
    Thank you for your business. Payment due within 30 days.
  </div>
</body>
</html>`;

return { html };

Then in the HTTP Request node, use an expression for the body:

{
  "html": "{{ $json.html }}",
  "options": {
    "format": "A4"
  }
}

Complete Workflow: Invoice Generation

Here’s a full n8n workflow for generating and emailing invoices from Airtable:

Nodes

Trigger: Airtable — Poll for new records in an “Invoices” table
Code — Build HTML from Airtable record fields
HTTP Request (PodPDF) — Generate PDF, get pdfUrl
HTTP Request (download) — Download the PDF binary (method: GET, URL: {{ $json.pdfUrl }}, response: File)
Gmail — Send email with PDF attachment
Airtable (update) — Update the record with the PDF URL and “Sent” status

Handling the PDF Binary

For email attachments, you need the binary PDF rather than just the URL. Add an HTTP Request node after PodPDF:

Method: GET
URL: {{ $json.pdfUrl }}
Response Format: File
Binary Property: data

The downloaded binary is then available as an attachment in Gmail, Outlook, or any email node.

Workflow: Markdown Report to PDF

For simpler documents, use Markdown:

// Code node
const report = $input.first().json;

const markdown = `# Weekly Report — ${report.weekEnding}

## Summary

- **Revenue:** $${report.revenue.toLocaleString()}
- **New Customers:** ${report.newCustomers}
- **Churned Customers:** ${report.churned}
- **Net MRR Change:** $${report.mrrChange.toLocaleString()}

## Top Performing Channels

${report.channels.map((c, i) => `${i + 1}. ${c.name} — $${c.revenue.toLocaleString()}`).join('\n')}

## Action Items

${report.actionItems.map(item => `- [ ] ${item}`).join('\n')}

---
*Generated automatically by n8n on ${new Date().toLocaleDateString()}*`;

return { markdown };

HTTP Request body:

{
  "markdown": "{{ $json.markdown }}",
  "options": {
    "format": "A4",
    "margin": { "top": "25mm", "bottom": "25mm", "left": "25mm", "right": "25mm" }
  }
}

Error Handling

Add an Error Trigger or use n8n’s built-in error workflow to catch PDF generation failures.

In the HTTP Request node, enable Continue On Fail and add a downstream IF node:

IF {{ $json.status }} === "completed"
  → proceed to email/storage
ELSE
  → send alert to Slack/email

For more robust handling, check the HTTP status code:

// Code node after HTTP Request
if ($input.first().json.status !== 'completed') {
  throw new Error(`PDF generation failed: ${JSON.stringify($input.first().json)}`);
}
return $input.first().json;

Tips for n8n + PodPDF

Use n8n credentials — Store your API key as a credential to avoid hardcoding it and to make rotation easy.

Build HTML in Code nodes — Template literals in JavaScript give you full control over the HTML structure. Much more flexible than string manipulation in expression fields.

Cache templates — If you’re generating the same document structure repeatedly, build the HTML template once in a Function node and reuse it.

Use webhook notifications for long jobs — For very large documents, use PodPDF’s async job mode and receive a webhook notification when the PDF is ready. Configure a Webhook node in n8n as the callback URL.

Test with n8n’s manual execution — Use n8n’s “Execute workflow” button with test data before activating the workflow to catch HTML/template errors early.

Pricing

PodPDF’s free tier includes 100 PDFs. The Pay As You Go plan is $0.01/PDF with no rate limits — ideal for n8n workflows that may generate many PDFs during high-traffic periods.

Create a free PodPDF account and run your first n8n workflow today.