How to Fill and Email a PDF Attachment from Google Sheets Using PDF.co and Zapier

Step 1: Prepare the Google Sheet

Create a spreadsheet containing the information required for the PDF and email.

For example, your worksheet could contain these columns:

• Recipient Email: customer@example.com
• First Name: John
• Last Name: Smith
• Address: 123 Main Street
• Email Subject: Your completed form
• Email Message: Please find your completed form attached.

The column names should clearly identify the values that will be mapped into the PDF and email.

Add at least one complete sample row before configuring the Zap. Zapier will use this row when testing the workflow.

Avoid inserting blank rows within the active data range or changing the column headers after configuring the Zap.

Step 2: Create the Zap

Sign in to Zapier and create a new Zap.

Give the Zap a descriptive name, such as:

Fill and Email PDF Forms from Google Sheets

Step 3: Configure the Google Sheets Trigger

Select Google Sheets as the trigger application.

Choose New Spreadsheet Row as the trigger event. This starts the workflow whenever a new row is added to the bottom of the selected worksheet.

Connect your Google account and configure the trigger:

• Spreadsheet: Select the spreadsheet containing your recipient and form data.
• Worksheet: Select the worksheet Zapier should monitor.

Zapier also provides New or Updated Spreadsheet Row for workflows that should run when a row is added or changed. If you select that event, configure a trigger column so the Zap runs only when the appropriate value is added or updated.

The available Google Sheets triggers are listed in the Google Sheets integration directory.

Step 4: Test the Trigger

Test the Google Sheets trigger.

Zapier should retrieve the sample row and display each column as a separate output field. Confirm that the recipient’s email address, form values, subject, and message are present.

If a column is missing:

1. Confirm that the column has a header.
2. Add a value to the sample row.
3. Refresh the fields in Zapier.
4. Test the trigger again.

Step 5: Add the PDF.co Action

Add an action and select PDF.co.

Choose PDF Filler as the action event. This action can fill existing PDF form fields and return a URL for the generated PDF.

Connect your PDF.co account using OAuth:

1. Select Connect a new account.
2. Sign in to PDF.co.
3. Review and authorize the requested access.
4. Return to Zapier and select the connected account.

Step 6: Configure PDF Filler

Configure the PDF.co action with the following settings.

Source File URL

Enter the direct URL of the fillable PDF template.

The URL must be accessible to PDF.co and point to the actual PDF file. A link that opens only a browser preview or requires an interactive sign-in may not work.

Fillable Form Fields

Add an entry for every PDF field you want to populate. For each entry, specify the PDF field name and map its value from the Google Sheets trigger.

The PDF field names must match the internal field names defined in the fillable PDF. They may differ from the labels displayed visually on the document.

If the action asks for a page number, use the page containing the corresponding field. PDF.co page indexes generally begin with 0, so the first page is page 0.

File Name

Enter a meaningful output filename. Spreadsheet values can be included to make each document unique.

For example:

Completed_Form_John_Smith.pdf

You can construct this value by combining static text with the First Name and Last Name fields from Google Sheets.

Optional Settings

Configure options such as automatic trimming or custom profiles only when required by the document.

The current PDF.co action fields are listed under PDF Filler in the PDF.co Zapier integration directory.

Step 7: Test the PDF.co Action

Test the PDF.co action.

A successful test should return a URL for the completed PDF. Open the URL and verify that:

• Each value appears in the correct form field.
• No required fields are empty.
• Text is displayed correctly.
• The output filename is appropriate.
• The document opens without errors.

PDF.co output links are temporary, so the generated file should be used or copied to permanent storage while the link remains active.

Step 8: Add the Email Action

Add another action and select Gmail or your preferred email application.

For Gmail, choose Send Email as the action event and connect the account that will send the messages.

Configure the email:

• To: Map the Recipient Email value from Google Sheets.
• From Name: Enter the sender’s name or organization.
• Subject: Map the Email Subject value or enter a standard subject.
• Body: Map the Email Message value or compose a standard message.
• Attachments: Map the PDF URL returned by the PDF.co action.

Make sure the Attachments field receives the PDF.co result URL, not the source template URL.

You can combine spreadsheet values with static text. For example:

Hello John,

Please find your completed PDF form attached.

Best regards,
Customer Support

In this example, John can be mapped dynamically from the First Name column.

Step 9: Test the Email

Test the email action and check the recipient’s inbox.

Verify that:

• The message was delivered to the correct address.
• The subject and body contain the expected information.
• The completed PDF appears as an attachment.
• The attachment opens successfully.
• The PDF contains data from the correct spreadsheet row.

Step 10: Publish the Zap

Review each step and publish the Zap.

The workflow will now run whenever a new row is added to the selected Google Sheets worksheet.

For the most reliable results, add the complete row at once. Zapier may trigger before all information is available if values are entered gradually across several columns.

Optional: Track Processing Status

You can add a Status column to the spreadsheet and include an Update Spreadsheet Row action after the email step.

For example, update the row with:

Sent

You can also store:

• The PDF.co result URL
• The date the email was sent
• The recipient address
• An internal document identifier

If the workflow uses New or Updated Spreadsheet Row, configure its trigger column carefully so updating the status does not start the Zap again.