Automate Web Page to PDF Conversion with n8n HTTP Request Node

Opening Problem Statement

Meet Sarah, a content manager who frequently needs to archive web content as PDFs for record-keeping, client presentations, or compliance with company policies. Every time she wants to save a webpage as a PDF, she manually goes through a cumbersome process of opening browser print options or using external tools, often spending 30 minutes a day on this repetitive task. Manual conversions lead to inconsistent format quality and occasional errors, like missing images or incomplete pages. Sarah needs a way to automate these conversions to reclaim her time and ensure consistency.

What This Automation Does

This n8n workflow automates the conversion of specified web pages into PDF documents, directly saving them to your local disk. When you trigger the workflow, it:

• Sends a web page URL to ConvertAPI’s web-to-PDF service using an authenticated HTTP POST request.
• Receives the converted PDF file as a response, ensuring the process is seamless and secure.
• Writes the resulting PDF file to your file system with a predefined filename, like document.pdf.
• Allows easy customization of the web page URL, so you can convert any page you want, whenever you want.
• Eliminates the need for manual download or browser-based conversion tools.
• Ensures authentication with ConvertAPI to securely handle conversions, keeping your API usage traceable.

By automating these steps, Sarah saves at least 30 minutes daily, enjoys consistent, error-free PDF outputs, and gains peace of mind knowing the files are securely saved.

Prerequisites ⚙️

• n8n account: You need access to n8n to import and run this workflow.
• ConvertAPI account: To authenticate your PDF conversion requests via the HTTP Request node, sign up at ConvertAPI.
• File System Access: The workflow writes files to your local disk, so ensure n8n has permission to write to the desired location.
• HTTP Request credentials: Set up a generic HTTP Query authentication credential in n8n with your ConvertAPI secret.

Step-by-Step Guide to Build This Workflow

1. Trigger Manual Start

Navigate to your n8n editor. Click + New Workflow. Then drag the Manual Trigger node (When clicking ‘Test workflow’) onto the canvas. This node allows you to start the workflow manually.

You should see a button to run the workflow manually after setting this up.

Common mistake: Forgetting to add the manual trigger node prevents you from executing the workflow directly during testing.

2. Configure HTTP Request Node for PDF Conversion

Drag an HTTP Request node onto the canvas and connect it to the Manual Trigger node. Name it Convert web page to PDF.

In the HTTP Request node, set the following parameters:

• URL: https://v2.convertapi.com/convert/web/to/pdf (the API endpoint for web to PDF conversion)
• Method: POST
• Content Type: multipart-form-data
• Send Headers: Enabled
• Authentication: Set to Generic Credential Type with HTTP Query Auth using your ConvertAPI secret.
• Body Parameters: Add a parameter with the name url and value set to the webpage you want to convert, e.g., https://n8n.io.
• Header Parameters: Add header Accept: application/octet-stream to indicate that you expect a binary PDF file.

Expected result: When you run this node, the response should be a PDF file in binary format.

Common mistake: Forgetting to authenticate or incorrectly setting headers can cause 401 errors or improper content retrieval.

3. Write the PDF to Disk

Add a Read/Write Files from Disk node and connect it to the HTTP Request node. Set the operation to write and specify document.pdf as the filename.

In the dataPropertyName, enter =data to tell the node to write the PDF file data received from the previous node.

Outcome: This saves the converted PDF locally with the given filename.

Common mistake: Using the wrong data property name or forgetting to set write mode will prevent file saving.

4. Add Sticky Notes for Documentation

Use the Sticky Note nodes to document important notes on the canvas, like authentication requirements and instructions to change the URL parameter for conversion.

Customizations ✏️

1. Change Converted Webpage URL

In the HTTP Request node, update the url body parameter value to any desired web page URL you want to convert to PDF, such as https://example.com. This lets you convert any page on demand.

2. Rename Output PDF Filename

In the Read/Write Files from Disk node, change the fileName value to dynamically name files (e.g., using dates) by entering document-{{ $now.toISOString() }}.pdf.

3. Add Additional HTTP Headers

If your conversion needs custom headers (e.g., API version or client info), add them in the HTTP Request node’s header parameters section.

Troubleshooting 🔧

Problem: “401 Unauthorized” Error on HTTP Request Node

Cause: Incorrect or missing API credentials for ConvertAPI authentication.

Solution: Go to Credentials → HTTP Query Auth → Re-enter your ConvertAPI secret. Test the credential separately using n8n’s credential test feature.

Problem: File Not Saving to Disk

Cause: Incorrect data property name or file write permission issue.

Solution: Make sure the Read/Write Files node is set to write operation, fileName is correct, and in dataPropertyName you have =data. Check that n8n has OS-level write permissions.

Pre-Production Checklist ✅

• Verify ConvertAPI authentication by running the HTTP Request node independently.
• Test writing sample data to disk with the Read/Write Files node.
• Ensure the URL parameter in HTTP Request node is set to a reachable webpage.
• Run the entire workflow from manual trigger to confirm end-to-end PDF creation.
• Backup any existing PDF files in the target folder to avoid overwrites.

Deployment Guide

Once tested, activate the workflow in n8n. Use the manual trigger for on-demand conversions or integrate a more automated trigger if desired (e.g., cron for scheduled conversions).

Monitor the workflow execution logs in n8n for any failures or API limits.

FAQs

Can I convert multiple URLs in one go?

This workflow processes one URL per run. For multiple URLs, you could extend it with a loop or split node to iterate through a list of URLs.

Is my PDF data secure?

Yes, authentication with ConvertAPI and local file saving ensures that your data is handled securely within your environment.

Can I use a different PDF conversion API?

Yes, but you would need to update the HTTP Request node accordingly to match the new API’s endpoint, headers, and authentication.

Conclusion

By building this n8n workflow, you’ve transformed Sarah’s tedious manual process into a streamlined, automated PDF conversion system. You save about 30 minutes daily, avoid inconsistent file outputs, and maintain secure conversions with ConvertAPI’s service.

Next, consider expanding this automation to batch convert multiple pages, integrate with email nodes to send PDFs automatically, or add cloud storage nodes to back up your files remotely.

Automation with n8n empowers you to focus on what really matters and leave repetitive tasks behind — happy automating! ⚙️