How to Merge PDF files from Airtable using PDF.co and Make

Step 1: Create a New Scenario

• First, log into your Make account and click the Create a New Scenario button.

Step 2: Airtable Module

• Next, search and select the Airtable app. Then, choose the Search Records module to search for specific records or return all records.

Step 3: Airtable Configuration

Let’s set up the Airtable configuration.

• First, enter the name of your Airtable Base.
• Next, enter the specific Table where your files reside.
• Then, Add the Limit of the maximum number of records to return.

After setting up the configuration, click on the run button.

Step 4: Check How Attachments Are Stored

The direct attachment mapping works when each selected Airtable record contributes one PDF attachment.

If a record contains several attachments, add Flow Control → Iterator before the HTTP download step:

• Array: Map the record’s attachment array.
• HTTP download URL: Map the current attachment’s URL from the Iterator.
• PDF.co upload input: Map the downloaded file’s data and filename.

This processes each attachment individually. Include only the PDFs required for the merged document.

Use the attachment’s current download URL, not the Airtable record URL or attachment-viewer link. Airtable download URLs expire, so retrieve them during the current run and use them promptly.

Keep the Text Aggregator’s source set to Airtable → Search Records when combining attachments across all selected records into one PDF. Aggregate the URLs returned by PDF.co → Upload a File.

Before merging, inspect the comma-separated URL list. It should contain every expected PDF once, in the required order.

Test with two records: one containing a single PDF and another containing two PDFs. Confirm that all three source PDFs appear exactly once in the merged result and that their pages are in the correct order.

Step 5: Add HTTP Module

• Let’s add another module. Search and select the HTTP module. Then, choose to Get a File it will download a file from a given URL.

Step 6: Setup HTTP

• Under the URL field, select the Attachment URL from Airtable.

Step 7: Add PDF.co Module

• Let’s add another module and select PDF.co. Then, choose to Upload a File to upload files into temporary storage for use with PDF.co.

Step 8: PDF.co Configuration

• For the File field, select the HTTP – Get a File.

Step 9: Add Tools Module

• Now, let’s add the Tools module and choose the Text aggregator to aggregate multiple strings into one text.

Step 10: Text Aggregator Configuration

Let’s set up the configuration.

• First, enable the Show advanced settings.
• In the Source Module field, select the Airtable – Search Records.
• In the Row Separator field, choose the Other option.
• For the Separator field, input a comma to separate the URLs.
• For the Text field, select the URL from PDF.co – Upload a File.

Once you are done setting up the configuration, click on the run scenario button.

Step 11: Add Another Module

• Let’s add the final module. Search and select the PDF.co module. Then, choose to Merge a PDF to merge multiple PDF files into one PDF.

Step 12: Setup PDF.co Configuration

• For the Input Type field, we will use the Input Link(s) mode.
• For the Input Link field, add the Text from Text aggregator result.

Now, let’s run the scenario to see the result.

Step 13: Run Scenario Result

• Great! The scenario runs successfully, kindly copy the URL and paste it into your browser to view the output.