Overview
This node integrates with the Gotenberg API to convert documents into PDF format. Specifically, the "URL to PDF" operation converts a web page at a given URL into a PDF document. This is useful for automating the generation of PDFs from online content such as reports, invoices, or articles without manual downloading or printing.
Common scenarios include:
- Archiving web pages as PDFs for offline access or record keeping.
- Generating printable versions of dynamic web content.
- Automating report generation workflows where source data is available via URLs.
For example, you can input a URL like https://example.com and receive a PDF snapshot of that page formatted according to your specified paper size and layout preferences.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| URL | The web page URL to convert into a PDF document. Must be a valid URL string. |
| Paper Size | Standard paper sizes for the PDF output. Options: A3, A4, A5, Custom, Legal, Letter, Tabloid. |
| Paper Width | (Shown if Paper Size is Custom) Width of the paper in units such as inches (in), millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), points (pt), pixels (px), or picas (pc). |
| Paper Height | (Shown if Paper Size is Custom) Height of the paper in supported units. |
| Landscape | Whether to use landscape orientation instead of portrait. Boolean value. |
| Advanced Options | Collection of additional settings including: - Flatten PDF: Remove form fields and annotations. - Generate Tagged PDF: Create accessible tagged PDF. - Margins: Top, Bottom, Left, Right margins in supported units. - Metadata: JSON string to embed metadata like title and author. - Omit Background: Hide default white background for transparency. - Page Ranges: Specify which pages to print (e.g., "1-5, 8"). - PDF for Universal Access: Enable accessibility optimizations. - PDF/A Format: Convert to archival PDF standards (None, PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-3b). - Prefer CSS Page Size: Use page size defined by CSS. - Print Background: Include background graphics. - Scale: Rendering scale factor between 0.1 and 2. - Single Page: Render entire content on one page. - Wait Delay: Seconds to wait before conversion (URL only). |
Output
The node outputs binary PDF data representing the converted document. The output includes:
jsonobject containing:success: Boolean indicating if the operation succeeded.operation: The operation performed ("urlToPdf").filename: The name of the generated PDF file.contentType: MIME type, typicallyapplication/pdf.size: Size of the PDF in bytes.url: The original URL converted (only for URL to PDF).paperSize: The paper size used for the PDF.
binarydata field namedpdfcontaining the actual PDF file content.
If the result is a ZIP archive (not typical for URL to PDF), the binary field will be named zip with MIME type application/zip.
Dependencies
- Requires connection to a Gotenberg server API endpoint, configured via credentials providing the base URL and authentication token.
- The node uses HTTP POST requests with multipart/form-data encoding to send conversion parameters and receive PDF data.
- No other external dependencies are required.
Troubleshooting
- Invalid URL or unreachable web page: Ensure the URL is correct and accessible from the Gotenberg server.
- Timeouts or delays: Use the "Wait Delay" property to allow the page to fully load before conversion.
- Incorrect paper size or layout issues: Verify paper size and margin settings; use custom sizes if needed.
- Authentication errors: Confirm that the API key credential for Gotenberg is correctly configured.
- Malformed metadata JSON: Check that the metadata string is valid JSON.
- Large or complex pages failing: Try reducing scale or simplifying the page content.
Common error messages usually relate to network connectivity, invalid parameters, or server-side processing failures. Reviewing the Gotenberg server logs can provide more insight.