DocumentGenerator

Render data using a Handlebars template

Overview

The DocumentGenerator node renders data using a Handlebars template. It allows you to generate custom text outputs by merging input data with either a provided template string or a template fetched from a URL. This is useful for generating dynamic documents, emails, reports, or any text-based content where the structure is defined by a template and the content comes from your workflow data.

Common scenarios:

Generating personalized email bodies for each contact in a list.
Creating formatted reports from tabular data.
Producing templated notifications or messages based on incoming data.

Practical example:
Suppose you have a list of users and want to send each a customized welcome message. You can use this node to merge user data into a Handlebars template, producing a unique message for each user.

Properties

Below are the supported input properties:

Display Name	Type	Meaning
Template String	string	The Handlebars template as a direct string. Used when "Use a Template String" is enabled.
Template URL	string	The URL to fetch the Handlebars template from. Used when "Use a Template String" is disabled.
Output Key	string	The property name under which the rendered text will be saved in the output. Only shown if "Define a Custom Output Key" is set.

Note:

Only one of "Template String" or "Template URL" is required, depending on the "Use a Template String" toggle.
"Output Key" is only required if "Define a Custom Output Key" is enabled; otherwise, the default key is text.

Output

The node outputs an array of items, each containing a json object with the rendered result.

Structure:

[
  {
    "json": {
      "text": "<rendered output here>"
    }
  }
]

If a custom output key is specified, "text" will be replaced by your chosen key.
When rendering all items with one template (using the "Render All Items with One Template" option), the output will contain a single item with the rendered result.
No binary data is produced by this node.

Dependencies

External Library: Uses @jaredwray/fumanchu for Handlebars template rendering.
Template URL: If using a template URL, the node requires network access to fetch the template.
No credentials or API keys are required unless your template URL is protected.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

Invalid Handlebars syntax: If your template contains errors, rendering will fail. Double-check your template against the Handlebars documentation.
Missing required fields: Ensure that all required properties ("Template String" or "Template URL", and "Output Key" if custom key is enabled) are filled.
Network errors: If fetching a template from a URL fails, check the URL and your network connection.
Empty output: If the output is empty, verify that your input data matches the variables used in your template.

Error messages you might see:

"Cannot read property 'compile' of undefined" — Indicates an issue with the Handlebars library or template loading.
"Request failed with status code XXX" — Problem fetching the template from the provided URL.