Auto-Fill & Flatten PDF Forms from Google Form → Google Sheets → PDF.co (n8n)

Step 1: Trigger on new Google Form submissions (arriving as new rows)

Node: Google Sheets Trigger

What it does: Fires when a new row is added to Sheet1.

Settings

• Document: Select your Google Sheet (the one receiving Google Form responses).
• Sheet: Sheet1 (or your actual tab).
• Event: Row Added

Success looks like: When someone submits the Google Form, a new row appears in Sheets and this node runs, passing the row’s columns as JSON.

Step 2: (Optional) Normalize dates coming from the sheet

If your form captures dates as MM/DD/YYYY, convert to YYYY-MM-DD for consistency (good for filenames and records).

Node: Code

What it does: Scans incoming fields and adds an (ISO) version where it finds US-style dates.

Paste this JS in the Code node:

/**
 * n8n Code Node
 * Converts MM/DD/YYYY → ISO (YYYY-MM-DD)
 * - Valid dates: keep original and add "<Field> (ISO)"
 * - Invalid dates: remove original, add "<Field> (error)" = "nonexistent-calendar-date"
 */

function parseUsDateStrict(str) {
  if (typeof str !== 'string') return { ok: false };

  // Match pattern loosely; we'll validate logically afterward
  const re = /^(?<m>0?[1-9]|1[0-2])\/(?<d>\d{1,2})\/(?<y>\d{4})$/;
  const match = str.match(re);
  if (!match) return { ok: false };

  const month = parseInt(match.groups.m, 10);
  const day = parseInt(match.groups.d, 10);
  const year = parseInt(match.groups.y, 10);

  // Quick sanity range
  if (day < 1 || month < 1 || month > 12 || year < 1000) return { ok: false };

  // Check if date actually exists
  const dt = new Date(year, month - 1, day);
  const isReal =
    dt.getFullYear() === year &&
    dt.getMonth() === month - 1 &&
    dt.getDate() === day;

  if (!isReal) return { ok: false };

  // Return ISO format
  return {
    ok: true,
    iso: `${year}-${String(month).padStart(2, '0')}-${String(day).padStart(2, '0')}`
  };
}

return items.map(item => {
  const input = { ...item.json };
  const output = {};

  for (const key of Object.keys(input)) {
    const val = input[key];

    const looksLikeDate = typeof val === 'string' && /\d{1,2}\/\d{1,2}\/\d{2,4}/.test(val);

    if (looksLikeDate) {
      const res = parseUsDateStrict(val);

      if (res.ok) {
        // Valid date: keep original and ISO
        output[key] = val;
        output[`${key} (ISO)`] = res.iso;
      } else {
        // Invalid: remove original, add uniform error
        output[`${key} (error)`] = 'nonexistent-calendar-date';
      }
    } else {
      // Pass through non-date fields untouched
      output[key] = val;
    }
  }

  return { json: output };
});

Success looks like: Your item now includes fields like Created At (ISO) from Created At.

Step 3: Fill the PDF form and flatten it with PDF.co

You can use your custom PDF.co node or a generic HTTP Request (POST). I’ll show both.

Option A: Your custom PDFco node (“Fill a PDF Form”)

Node: PDFco Api (Fill a PDF Form)

What it does: Fills fields and applies Profiles to flatten.

Key parameters (match to your sample):

• Operation: Fill a PDF Form
• Source (url/filetoken): The PDF to fill (filetoken or URL).
• Fields → metadataValues: list of fields with fieldName matching the PDF.
• Advanced Options → name: output PDF name.
• Advanced Options → profiles: { 'FlattenDocument()': [] }

Example (from your sample, adapted):

// Fields: use exact fieldName from PDF Inspector, and values from the Sheet row

Asignee_Name ← $json["Asignee's Name"]

Created_at ← $json["Created At (ISO)"] or $json["Created At"]

Due_Date ← $json["Due on (ISO)"] or $json["Due on"]

Task ← $json["Task"]

Advanced Options:

name = Assigned Task to {{ $json["Asignee's Name"] }}

profiles = { 'FlattenDocument()': [] }

What flatten does: The Profile FlattenDocument() renders filled form fields into the page content so they cannot be edited later in a PDF viewer.

Success looks like: The node returns JSON with url pointing to the filled + flattened PDF.

Option B: Use HTTP Request (POST) directly

Node: HTTP Request (POST to PDF.co) Headers:

• x-api-key: <YOUR_PDFCO_API_KEY>
• Content-Type: application/json

URL: https://api.pdf.co/v1/pdf/edit/add

Body (JSON): (edit field names and URL/file per your file source)

{
  "url": "{{ $json.pdfUrl || 'https://YOUR_STORAGE/form-template.pdf' }}",
  "name": "Assigned Task to {{ $json['Asignee\\'s Name'] }}",
  "fields": [
    { "fieldName": "Asignee_Name", "pages": "0-", "text": "{{ $json['Asignee\\'s Name'] }}", "fontName": "Arial", "size": 9 },
    { "fieldName": "Created_at",   "pages": "0-", "text": "{{ $json['Created At (ISO)'] || $json['Created At'] }}", "fontName": "Arial", "size": 9 },
    { "fieldName": "Due_Date",     "pages": "0-", "text": "{{ $json['Due on (ISO)'] || $json['Due on'] }}", "fontName": "Arial", "size": 9 },
    { "fieldName": "Task",         "pages": "0-", "text": "{{ $json['Task'] }}", "fontName": "Arial", "size": 9 }
  ],
  "profiles": "{ 'FlattenDocument()': [] }"
}

Notes:

• pages: "0-" means “all pages from page index 0”. If your field is on a specific page, you can set "pages": "0" etc.
• If your template is stored in n8n binary, first upload it to a temp storage (PDF.co file/upload or your own) and pass the URL here.

Success looks like: JSON with a url to the filled+flattened PDF.

Step 4: Download the result as binary (so Drive can upload it)

Node: HTTP Request (GET)

What it does: Takes the url returned by the fill step and downloads the finished PDF as binary.

Settings

• URL: ={{ $json.url }}
• Method: GET
• Options → Add Option → Response Format: File
• Options → Add Option → Binary Property: data

Success looks like: The execution shows a Binary tab with data.

Step 5: Upload to Google Drive

Node: Google Drive → Upload File

What it does: Saves the finished PDF to your OUTPUT folder.

Settings

• Resource: File
• Operation: Upload
• Input Data Field Name (Binary Property): data
• Parent Drive: My Drive
• Parent Folder by ID: (pick your output folder)

If you want a standardized filename with the date, either set name in the PDF.co call (as we did) or add a Set node before upload to specify name like:

{{ 'Assigned Task to ' + $json["Asignee's Name"] + ' - ' + ($json["Created At (ISO)"] || $json["Created At"]) + '.pdf' }}

Step 6: (Optional) Email the PDF via PDF.co

Node: HTTP Request (POST)

URL: https://api.pdf.co/v1/email/send

Headers: x-api-key, Content-Type: application/json

Body (JSON) — Option B (valid JSON, single line, escaped):

{
  "url": "{{ $json.url }}",
  "from": "your_email@gmail.com",
  "to": "recipient@example.com",
  "subject": "New Task Assigned: {{ $('Code').item.json.Task }}",
  "bodyHtml": "<p>Hi,</p><p>Please find the attached, filled and flattened PDF form.</p><ul><li><strong>Task:</strong> {{ $('Code').item.json.Task }}</li><li><strong>Assignee:</strong> {{ $('Code').item.json['Asignee\\'s Name'] }}</li><li><strong>Created On:</strong> {{ $('Code').item.json['Created At (ISO)'] || $('Code').item.json['Created At'] }}</li><li><strong>Due On:</strong> {{ $('Code').item.json['Due on (ISO)'] || $('Code').item.json['Due on'] }}</li></ul><p>Best regards,<br>Project Automation Team</p>",
  "smtpserver": "smtp.gmail.com",
  "smtpport": "587",
  "smtpusername": "your_email@gmail.com",
  "smtppassword": "your_app_password",
  "async": false
}