Export Data into a PDF Template with PDF.co and Zapier

Step 1: Create the Trigger

1. Sign in to Zapier and create a new Zap.
2. Select Google Drive as the trigger app.
3. Choose New File in Folder as the trigger event.
4. Connect your Google Drive account.
5. Select the drive and folder containing your PDF templates.
6. Test the trigger and select a sample PDF.

You can replace this trigger with Google Sheets, Airtable, a form application, or another app if the workflow starts with a new data record.

Step 2: Add the PDF.co Action

dd another step and select PDF.co.

Choose Add Text to PDF as the action event. This action places text at specified coordinates on an existing PDF.

Connect your PDF.co account when prompted and authorize Zapier to access it.

Step 3: Configure the Action

Complete the PDF.co action fields:

• Source File URL: Select the direct PDF link returned by Google Drive.
• Text to Add: Enter fixed text or map a value from an earlier workflow step.
• X Coordinate: Enter the horizontal position for the text.
• Y Coordinate: Enter the vertical position for the text.
• Pages: Select the page where the text should appear. PDF.co uses 0 for the first page.
• File Name: Enter a name for the generated PDF, such as completed-template.pdf.
• Advanced Options: Configure the font name, size, color, or other available formatting settings as needed.

Use the PDF.co PDF Inspector to identify the correct page coordinates. Coordinates begin at the upper-left corner of the page.

To add several values, add another Add Text to PDF action for each value. Use the PDF URL returned by the preceding PDF.co action as the source file for the next one.

For example:

1. Add a customer name.
2. Pass the resulting PDF to another action that adds an address.
3. Pass that result to another action that adds an invoice number.

PDF.co’s current Zapier actions are listed on the PDF.co integration page.

Step 4: Test the Workflow

Test each PDF.co action and confirm that it returns a successful result with a temporary output URL.

Open the URL and verify that:

• The correct template was used.
• Each value appears on the intended page.
• The coordinates and formatting are correct.

Step 5: Use the Completed PDF

Add a final Zapier action to store or deliver the completed document. For example, you can:

• Upload it to Google Drive.
• Attach it to an email.
• Save it to Dropbox.
• Pass it to another application.

Map the final PDF.co output URL into the destination app’s file field.