Convert Web Page to PDF using ConvertAPI

This n8n workflow demonstrates how to convert a web page URL into a PDF document using the ConvertAPI service. It's a simple yet powerful automation for archiving web content or generating printable versions of online resources.

What it does

This workflow performs the following steps:

1. Triggers Manually: The workflow starts when you manually click "Execute workflow" in the n8n editor.
2. Provides Instructions: A "Sticky Note" node offers guidance on how to use the workflow, specifically mentioning the need to configure the "HTTP Request" node.
3. Converts URL to PDF: An "HTTP Request" node is configured to interact with ConvertAPI. It takes a web page URL as input and sends a request to ConvertAPI to convert it into a PDF.
4. Saves PDF to Disk: The resulting PDF binary data from ConvertAPI is then saved to a file on the local disk using the "Read/Write Files from Disk" node.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• ConvertAPI Account: You will need an account with ConvertAPI (https://www.convertapi.com/) and an API Secret.
• n8n Instance: A running instance of n8n.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the workflow: Import the provided JSON into your n8n instance.
2. Configure ConvertAPI Credentials:
   • Locate the "HTTP Request" node.
   • You will need to configure the API call to ConvertAPI. This typically involves setting the URL, Method (usually POST), and Headers or Query Parameters to include your ConvertAPI Secret.
   • The body of the request will contain the URL of the web page you want to convert. An example of a ConvertAPI request for URL to PDF conversion would look something like this (you'll need to adapt it to the HTTP Request node's interface):
     • URL: https://v2.convertapi.com/convert/web/to/pdf?Secret=<YOUR_CONVERTAPI_SECRET>
     • Method: POST
     • Body (JSON):

       {
         "Url": "https://n8n.io"
       }
       

     • Note: Replace <YOUR_CONVERTAPI_SECRET> with your actual ConvertAPI secret. You can also pass the URL dynamically from a previous node if you extend the workflow.
3. Configure File Output:
   • Locate the "Read/Write Files from Disk" node.
   • Set the File Name (e.g., output.pdf) and the Folder Path where you want to save the generated PDF.
4. Execute the workflow: Click the "Execute workflow" button in the "When clicking ‘Execute workflow’" node to run the workflow. The PDF will be saved to the specified location.

This workflow provides a basic framework. You can extend it further by:

• Adding a "Webhook" trigger to convert URLs submitted via an API call.
• Using an "Email" or "Slack" node to send the generated PDF.
• Integrating with cloud storage services like Google Drive or S3 to store the PDFs.