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PDF.co Zapier integrationAutomate PDF.co with Zapier.

The PDF.co Zapier integration gives you 0 triggers, 29 actions and 0 searches. Everything happens after another app has started the Zap: convert, fill, split, secure or read a PDF. It works on the free plan for a two-step Zap, one trigger and one PDF.co action.

See the 29 operations

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Overview

What the PDF.co Zapier integration is for

It hands your documents to PDF.co from inside a Zap. Another app brings a file or some content, PDF.co turns it into a PDF, changes a PDF, cuts it up or pulls data out of it, and the next step uses the result. PDF.co never starts a Zap on its own: it has no trigger, so it always works second.

Three results people build with it. Invoice data in a spreadsheet: a supplier invoice arrives as a file, AI Invoice Parser reads it, and a later step writes the figures into a sheet. Contracts ready to sign: PDF Filler or Add Text to PDF puts a client's name and terms into a standard PDF, then PDF Security locks it with a password. Scanned mail you can search: Convert Scanned PDF to Searchable PDF turns a scan into a PDF whose text can be found and copied.

What Zapier does not do with PDF.co is just as useful to know. Nothing in PDF.co can start a Zap, so a new document in PDF.co never sets anything off. There is no search step either. Most actions need a link to the file, not the file name, and a Zap that reads a PDF then writes elsewhere already has three steps, which means a paid plan from day one.

If the choice of tool is still open, the Make vs Zapier and n8n vs Zapier pages are there.

Vocabulary

Zapier words, in plain English

Seven terms come back on this page. Here they are once.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap. With PDF.co it always comes from another app, a Drive folder, an inbox, a form.
Action
What the Zap does once started. PDF.co offers 29 of them, from converting a file to reading an invoice.
Task
What Zapier bills: one action your Zap completes successfully. Your plan's quota counts those and nothing else.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked on a timer that depends on your plan. An instant one is reported by the app itself, with no wait.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap continue only when what arrived meets your condition, for example a file name ending in .pdf.
Multi-step Zap
Any Zap beyond one trigger and one action. A second action, a filter or a search makes one, and it needs a paid plan.
Cost

What PDF.co costs you in Zapier tasks

Each PDF.co action that succeeds is one task. The trigger in the other app is free, and so is Zapier checking that app for new items.

  • PDF.co action that succeeds1 task
  • Trigger, checks, failed step0 task
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps
  • PDF.co on the free planYes, not reserved for paid plans

A PDF.co step that fails is not counted. PDF.co is not reserved for paid plans, so the free plan works: 100 tasks a month, unlimited Zaps, but two steps per Zap. Read an invoice and then write it to a sheet, and you are at three steps, which needs a paid plan. Each action counts on its own: a Zap that converts, compresses, then secures a file uses three tasks per run. PDF.co keeps its own credit count on its side, and PDF Merger warns that converting non-PDF files can use more of those credits. How fast the Zap starts depends on the other app's trigger: on a polling one, the grid below applies.

Connect

Connect PDF.co to Zapier in three steps

  1. 01

    Open your connections

    In Zapier, open the Apps page of your account and click + Add connection. You need a PDF.co account first, and access to any file you do not own but want the Zap to process.

  2. 02

    Pick PDF.co

    Type PDF.co in the dialog, select it, then click Add connection. A new tab opens on the PDF.co side, where you finish the link between the two accounts.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Log in to PDF.co in that tab and let Zapier into the account. The connection is then offered in all 29 PDF.co actions, so you do this once, not once per Zap.

First Zap

Your first Zap: invoices from Drive into a sheet

GoalEach invoice dropped in a Drive folder is read by PDF.co and lands as a row in a spreadsheet.

  1. 01

    Start from the Drive folder

    Create a Zap and pick the app and event that start it: a new file in the folder where invoices land. PDF.co cannot play this role, since it has no trigger of its own.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger on a real file

    Run the test. Zapier brings back the three most recent items of the connected account; pick a real invoice, so every field after this is mapped on true data.

  3. 03

    Add AI Invoice Parser

    Add an action, choose PDF.co and AI Invoice Parser, select your connection, then put the file's link from the trigger into Source File URL, the only required field.

  4. 04

    Send the figures to the sheet

    Add the spreadsheet step and map what PDF.co returned into its columns. Three steps make this a multi-step Zap, so it needs a paid plan.

  5. 05

    Test each step, then publish

    Run each step once and read what came back before moving on. When the row looks right, publish the Zap. Invoices already in the folder before that are not picked up.

Actions

The 29 PDF.co actions, grouped by what they do

PDF.co gives you 29 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Add Barcode to PDF

Action

In Zapier“Generate Barcode and add to existing PDF”

Generates a barcode and prints it straight onto an existing PDF. Four fields are required: the value, the barcode type (a QR code if you leave the default), and the X and Y position.

When to use it
a scannable code on each shipping label so the warehouse can check parcels in.
2

Add Form Field to PDF

Action

In Zapier“Add a fillable form field (text field or checkbox) to a PDF at a specified position.”

Adds a fillable box, a text field or a checkbox, to a PDF at a given position. You set an Id, the Type and the X and Y coordinates, all required.

When to use it
turning a flat order form into one customers can fill in on screen.
3

Add Image to PDF

Action

In Zapier“Add an image, logo, or signature to a PDF at a specified position.”

Places a picture, a logo or a signature on a PDF at the position you set. The image comes from a link, a PDF.co file token or an encoded image.

When to use it
adding the manager's scanned signature to approved purchase orders.
4

Add Text to PDF

Action

In Zapier“Add Text to PDF”

Stamps a line of text at a precise spot on an existing PDF, set by X and Y coordinates. For a line break, the text field accepts \n.

When to use it
writing a reference number in the corner of every delivery note.
Watch out
the coordinates are required and easy to get wrong; PDF.co points to its PDF Inspector to find them.
5

AI Invoice Parser

Action

In Zapier“Transform your invoice processing with our advanced AI. Enjoy quick, accurate data extraction that eliminates manual effort and saves you valuable time.”

Reads an invoice with AI and returns its data, ready to map into the next step. Source File URL is the only required field.

When to use it
supplier invoices that someone currently retypes into the accounting sheet, number by number, with the usual typos along the way.
6

Barcode Generator

Action

In Zapier“Generate a variety of barcodes, e.g. QRCode.”

Produces a barcode image, a QR code by default, from the value you give it in Barcode Value. An option returns an inline image link you can drop into an email or a web page.

When to use it
a QR code per event ticket, generated from the booking number.
7

Advanced Barcode Reader

Action

In Zapier“Decode barcodes from images or PDF documents swiftly and accurately.”

Decodes the barcodes printed on an image or a PDF and passes their values on to the next step.

When to use it
reading the order number off a returned delivery slip that was photographed, so the return is matched to the right order without anyone typing it.
8

Anything to PDF Converter

Action

In Zapier“Seamlessly convert a variety of formats such as URLs, HTML code, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, and more into PDF.”

Turns a web page, some HTML, a document, a spreadsheet, a slide deck or an image into a PDF. You tell it the Input Format first, which is required, then give it the content.

When to use it
quotes written in a word processor that must leave as PDF before reaching the client.
9

PDF to Anything Converter

Action

In Zapier“Convert PDF to JPG, PNG, CSV, XML, JSON and other formats”

Turns a PDF into another format, an image, a table file, plain text and more, chosen in Output Format. Options group lines inside table cells.

When to use it
a bank statement received as PDF that accounting wants as a table.
Watch out
the line-grouping options are ignored when the output is plain text without layout.
10

Custom API Call

Action

In Zapier“Allows the execution of a custom API call to the PDF.co API. This is intended for advanced users.”

Sends a direct request to PDF.co for anything the other actions do not cover. PDF.co itself aims it at advanced users.

When to use it
only once someone on the team has checked the PDF.co documentation for the exact request.
Watch out
its one required field asks which PDF.co request to send; pick it from the list rather than typing a path from memory.
11

Document Classifier

Action

In Zapier“Analyze the text of an input document using AI and return its class (such as: invoice, order, industry). This can utilize custom rules and is helpful for quickly identifying the origin of a document.”

Sorts a document by type: AI goes through its text and tells you what kind it is, an invoice or an order for instance. Custom keyword rules can refine that, case-sensitive or not.

When to use it
a shared inbox where mixed documents arrive and each type should take a different path.
12

Document Parser

Action

In Zapier“Extract data from invoices, reports, statements, and other documents using AI-based templates. This tool is beneficial for automating data extraction tasks and reducing manual workload.”

Pulls data out of invoices, reports, statements and other documents using AI-based templates defined in PDF.co.

When to use it
utility statements whose amounts must end up in a cost tracker, where someone used to copy them line by line from each PDF.
13

Send Email With Attachment

Action

In Zapier“Send Email With Attachment”

Sends an email with a file attached, through your own mail server rather than Zapier's. Sender, recipient, subject and all the server settings are required.

When to use it
mailing the finished PDF from the company address in the same Zap.
Watch out
without your server name, port, username and password at hand, the step cannot be set up.
14

Get PDF Information

Action

In Zapier“Extract information from a PDF document such as page count, page size, author, description, keywords and also any form field information.”

Returns details about a PDF: page count, page size, author, description, keywords, plus its form fields if you ask for them.

When to use it
checking that a returned form actually has its fillable fields before trying to read them.
15

HTML to PDF Converter

Action

In Zapier“Convert HTML or URL to PDF with advanced options (e.g. layout, orientation). Supports HTML templates (Handlebar and Mustache).”

Renders HTML, a web address or an HTML template with its data into a PDF, with layout and orientation options. The Input Type field decides which of those three you feed it.

When to use it
a receipt or a certificate built from a template, filled with each customer's data.
Watch out
by default it waits for the whole page to load; an option skips that wait, which speeds up pages whose content keeps changing.
16

Convert Scanned PDF to Searchable PDF

Action

In Zapier“Converts a scanned PDF or image file into a text-searchable PDF.”

Reads the text on a scanned PDF or an image and gives back a PDF where that text can be searched and copied.

When to use it
paper mail scanned at reception that the team needs to find by keyword later.
17

PDF Merger

Action

In Zapier“Combine multiple document formats into a single PDF. Supported formats include PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, JPG, PNG, and more.”

Combines several files into one PDF. You list the file links in Source File URL, separated by commas or in separate fields.

When to use it
a client pack that joins a cover letter, a contract and an appendix.
Watch out
Word, Excel or image files need the auto-convert option on, and that conversion can use more PDF.co credits.
18

PDF Page Tools

Action

In Zapier“Tools to rotate and delete pages from your PDF files effectively.”

Rotates or deletes pages in a PDF. The Operation Type field asks you to choose between Rotate Pages and Delete Pages.

When to use it
scans that come out sideways from the office copier, or a blank last page to drop.
19

Compress and Optimize PDF

Action

In Zapier“Significantly reduce PDF file size by compressing and optimizing images and objects within the document.”

Shrinks a PDF by compressing its images and inner objects, so the file is lighter to store or send. It only needs the Source File URL.

When to use it
catalogues too heavy to go out as an email attachment, made light enough to send before they reach a client.
20

PDF Filler

Action

In Zapier“Add text, images, signatures to a PDF, fill PDF form fields, or create a new PDF from templates.”

Writes text, images and signatures onto a PDF, fills its form fields, or builds a new PDF from a template. It is the broadest of the editing actions.

When to use it
an onboarding form pre-filled with what a new hire typed into your HR tool.
Watch out
an option trims spaces and line breaks from the values, worth turning on when they come from free-text fields.
21

PDF Find Table

Action

In Zapier“This operation employs AI to scan a PDF document for tables, returning an array of found tables with coordinates and information about the detected columns.”

Scans a PDF with AI and returns the tables it finds, with their position and the columns it detected.

When to use it
a first pass on supplier reports to know where the price table sits before extracting it, when every supplier lays out the page differently.
22

PDF Security

Action

In Zapier“Add/Remove Password and Security Features to/from PDF file”

Adds or removes a password on a PDF and sets what readers may do: print, copy, modify, fill forms, comment.

When to use it
payslips locked before they go out by email.
Watch out
those restrictions apply to someone who opens the file with the user password; the owner password ignores them.
23

Search and Delete Found Text in PDF

Action

In Zapier“Identify and remove specified text from a PDF document using text search or fixed-position coordinates”

Removes chosen text from a PDF, located either by a text search or by fixed coordinates on the page.

When to use it
erasing an internal reference or a staff name before a document goes out to a client, when the rest of the file must stay exactly as it is.
24

Search and Replace Text in PDF

Action

In Zapier“Locate and replace specified text within a PDF document”

Finds a piece of text in a PDF and swaps it for another, in the order you list them. Regular expressions and case-sensitive matching are optional.

When to use it
updating last year's price list where only a few labels change.
Watch out
five replacements at most per task, and the number of texts to find must match the number of replacements.
25

Search and Replace With Image in PDF

Action

In Zapier“Search text inside PDF and replace with Image”

Looks for a word or a placeholder inside a PDF and puts an image in its place, taken from the Replacement Image URL you give it.

When to use it
a contract template with a {signature} placeholder that becomes the real signature once approved.
26

Search in PDF

Action

In Zapier“Allows you to search for specific text within PDF documents or scanned images.”

Finds a word or a phrase inside a PDF or a scanned image, set in Search Query. A regular-expression mode handles trickier patterns.

When to use it
spotting whether an incoming contract mentions a penalty clause, so legal only opens the ones that do.
27

Split PDF Into Multiple Files

Action

In Zapier“This operation allows you to split a PDF document into multiple new PDF files, using specific page numbers or page ranges.”

Cuts a PDF into several files by page numbers or ranges, such as 1,2-5,7-, or one file per page with *. The first page is page 1.

When to use it
a batch of scanned forms where each one is a fixed number of pages.
28

Split PDF Based on Barcode Search

Action

In Zapier“This operation segments a PDF document based on barcode search, creating new PDF files for each segment.”

Breaks a PDF into segments wherever it finds a given barcode, and makes a new file for each segment. Pages carrying the barcode can be left out.

When to use it
a stack of documents scanned together, separated by barcode cover sheets.
29

Split PDF Based on Text Search

Action

In Zapier“This operation segments a PDF document based on text search (with OCR), creating new PDF files for each segment.”

Splits a PDF each time a chosen text shows up on a page, reading scans along the way, and returns one file per segment.

When to use it
a long export where every customer section starts with the same heading.
Watch out
the search ignores case unless you turn the option on.
When it breaks

When a PDF.co Zap breaks

Zapier attaches one help article to PDF.co, How to get started with PDF.co on Zapier. The cases below come from the action fields and from limits common to every Zap.

  • A file name instead of a link

    Source File URL wants a link PDF.co can open. Map a file name or a local path into it and the action has nothing to process.

  • Five replacements per task, no more

    Search and Replace Text in PDF handles five pairs at most in one run, and the texts to find must match the replacements in number.

  • Merging that eats credits

    PDF Merger with non-PDF files needs auto-convert on, and PDF.co warns that this route can use more of its own credits.

  • No backlog

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after it is published. Files already sitting in the folder are never processed; that backlog is a separate job.

  • A loop that burns tasks

    Save the processed PDF back into the very folder the trigger watches and the Zap restarts on its own output, again and again.

  • A bulk upload held back

    Drop a huge batch of files in at once, after a migration for instance, and Zapier's flood protection can hold the trigger back.
Need help

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FAQ

PDF.co Zapier integration: common questions

01Is the PDF.co Zapier integration free?
Yes, on the Zapier side it runs on the free plan, because PDF.co is not reserved for paid plans. The free plan gives 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but each Zap stops at two steps: a trigger from another app and one PDF.co action. That covers simple cases, like making a scan searchable. Reading an invoice and then writing it somewhere is three steps, so it needs a paid plan. PDF.co also keeps its own credit count, separate from Zapier tasks.
02How many Zapier tasks does PDF.co use?
One task per PDF.co action that succeeds. The trigger from the other app costs nothing, and Zapier checking that app for new items costs nothing either, however often it looks. A PDF.co step that fails is not counted. The bill grows with the number of actions: a Zap that converts a file, compresses it and then secures it with a password uses three tasks every time it runs. Plan the chain before building, and drop any step that does not change the outcome.
03Does PDF.co react in real time on Zapier?
PDF.co cannot start a Zap, so the speed depends on the app that does. If that app's trigger is instant, it reports the event to Zapier itself and the Zap runs straight away, whatever your plan. If it is a polling trigger, Zapier checks on a timer: every 15 minutes on Free, 2 on Professional, 1 on Team and Enterprise. The type is shown on the other app's page, and an instant trigger shows a lightning bolt in the editor.
04What does it take to connect a PDF.co account?
A PDF.co account, and read or write access to any file you do not own but want the Zap to process. The connection itself is three moves: open the Apps page of your Zapier account and add a connection, search PDF.co and confirm, then sign in on the tab that opens and grant Zapier access. Every PDF.co action then reuses that same connection. For Send Email With Attachment, also have your mail server's settings ready.
05Why does a PDF.co action find no file to work on?
Usually because Source File URL did not get a usable link. Nearly every PDF.co action requires it, and it expects a link to the file that PDF.co can open, or a PDF.co file token, not a file name. When the previous step only passes a name or an internal reference, PDF.co has nothing to work on. Test the step on a real file, check what the trigger actually returns, and map the field that holds a link.
06What if the operation needed is not among the 29 PDF.co actions?
Then there are two routes. Custom API Call sends a direct request to PDF.co for options the other actions do not expose; PDF.co reserves it for advanced users, and the request has to be checked in its documentation first. Otherwise, the missing part goes to another app in the same Zap, which stores, shares or files the result. Either way, keep in mind that PDF.co has no trigger and no search, so nothing can start from PDF.co itself.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for PDF.co?
Decide on criteria rather than reputation. First, which PDF.co operations each tool offers: on Zapier there are 29 actions, no trigger, no search. Then billing: Zapier counts one task per successful action, and any Zap beyond two steps needs a paid plan, which a PDF chain reaches quickly. Then who maintains the automation and how comfortable that person is with each editor. Weigh those three points against your own document flow before picking.
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