Important: Make sure the file sharing setting is set to “Anyone with the link” so that PDF.co can access the file.
What You'll Have When Done
A fully automated system that monitors your Google Drive for new PowerPoint or Google Slides presentations, instantly converts them into professional PDF files using PDF.co, and uploads the PDFs into a designated Drive folder for easy sharing, distribution, or archival.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- A PDF.co API Key (Get yours here)
- Google Drive OAuth2 credentials configured in n8n
- An n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted)
- A Google Drive folder for incoming presentations
- A Google Drive folder for converted PDF reports
Quick Start Options
Option A: I Want It Working Now
- Import this workflow template → Download JSON File
- Connect your Google Drive account in n8n
- Add your PDF.co API key in the PDF.co node
- Update the Google Drive Trigger with your source folder
- Update the Google Drive Upload node with your destination folder
- Test with a sample presentation (e.g., a quarterly business deck)
- Activate and let it run
Option B: I Want to Build It Step-by-Step
Follow the 4-step guide below to create the automation from scratch.
What This Automation Does (Overview)
- Monitors a Google Drive folder for new presentation files
- Sends the presentation to PDF.co to generate a high-quality PDF version
- Downloads the converted PDF file
- Uploads the PDF into a destination Google Drive folder for storage and sharing
Step-by-Step Build Guide
Step 1: Monitor for New Presentations
Step 1: Monitor for New Presentations
Node: Google Drive Trigger
Settings:
- Trigger On:
Changes Involving a Specific Folder - Folder From List: Your source folder
- Watch For:
File Created - Options → File Type:
Google Slides
What This Does: Automatically detects when a new presentation (Google Slides or uploaded PowerPoint converted to Google format) is added to your folder.
Success Looks Like: The trigger outputs file metadata (id, name, webViewLink) as soon as a presentation is added.
Step 2: Convert Presentation to PDF
Node: PDF.co API → Convert to PDF
Settings:
- Convert Type:
Document to PDF (RTF, DOC, DOCX, TXT) - URL:
={{ $json.webViewLink }} - Advanced Options → File Name:
={{ $json.name }}
What This Does: Calls PDF.co to fetch the presentation via its Drive link and convert it into a PDF.
Success Looks Like: PDF.co returns a secure URL to the generated PDF file.
Step 3: Download the PDF
Node: HTTP Request
Settings:
- URL:
={{ $json.url }} - Method:
GET
What This Does: Downloads the generated PDF file from PDF.co.
Success Looks Like: HTTP Request returns the PDF in binary form, ready for upload.
Step 4: Upload PDF to Google Drive
Node: Google Drive → Upload File
Settings:
- Operation: Upload
- Input Data Field Name:
data - Parent Drive from List:
My Drive - Parent Folder by ID: Select your destination folder
What This Does: Uploads the finalized PDF into your chosen Drive folder.
Success Looks Like: The converted presentation PDF appears neatly in your destination folder, ready to share or archive.
Congrats! You’ve created a powerful workflow that automatically converts new presentations into polished PDFs with zero manual effort.
Built something cool with this workflow? Share it with us @pdfdotco
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