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PDF4me

Comprehensive PDF and document processing: generate barcodes, convert files, extract data, manipulate images, and automate workflows with the PDF4ME API

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Overview

This node converts PDF documents into PowerPoint presentations. It supports multiple input methods for the PDF file, including binary data from a previous node, a base64-encoded string, or a URL pointing to the PDF. The conversion process can be adjusted for quality and OCR language to better handle scanned or image-based PDFs. Advanced options allow customization of processing profiles, retry behavior, and output formatting.

This node is beneficial when you need to quickly transform static PDF reports, presentations, or documents into editable PowerPoint slides for further editing or presentation purposes. For example, converting a PDF report into a PowerPoint deck for a meeting, or transforming scanned PDFs with text recognition into slide format.

Properties

Name Meaning
Input Data Type Choose how to provide the PDF file to convert:
- Binary Data (from previous node)
- Base64 String (direct content)
- URL (link to PDF file)
Input Binary Field Name of the binary property containing the PDF file (used if Input Data Type is Binary Data). Usually "data" for file uploads.
Base64 PDF Content Base64 encoded string of the PDF document content (used if Input Data Type is Base64 String).
PDF URL URL to the PDF file to convert (used if Input Data Type is URL).
Output File Name Desired filename for the resulting PowerPoint (.pptx) file. Default is "converted_document.pptx".
Document Name Name of the source PDF file for reference purposes. Default is "document.pdf".
Quality Type Conversion quality setting:
- Draft: Faster conversion, suitable for simple PDFs with clear text.
- Quality: Slower but more accurate, better for complex layouts.
OCR Language Language used for OCR text recognition in images or scanned PDFs. Options include Arabic, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish.
Advanced Options Collection of additional settings:
- Custom Profiles: JSON string to adjust custom API properties.
- Max Retries: Number of polling attempts for async processing.
- Merge All Sheets: Combine multiple pages into one flow.
- Preserve Output Format: Keep original formatting when possible.
- Retry Delay (Seconds): Base delay between polling attempts, increases exponentially.
- Use Async Processing: Enable asynchronous processing for large files.

Output

The node outputs a JSON object containing the converted PowerPoint file data. This typically includes:

  • A binary property holding the PowerPoint (.pptx) file content, ready for download or further processing.
  • Metadata such as the output file name.

If the node supports binary output, it means the PowerPoint file is provided as binary data within the workflow, enabling seamless integration with other nodes that consume or store files.

Dependencies

  • Requires access to an external PDF-to-PowerPoint conversion service via API.
  • Needs an API key or authentication token configured in n8n credentials to authorize requests.
  • Network access to fetch PDF files if using URL input type.
  • Proper configuration of retry and async options may be necessary for large or complex PDFs.

Troubleshooting

  • Common Issues:

    • Invalid or inaccessible PDF URL leading to download failures.
    • Incorrect base64 encoding causing conversion errors.
    • Large or complex PDFs timing out or failing without sufficient retries or async processing enabled.
    • Unsupported languages for OCR may result in poor text recognition.
  • Error Messages:

    • "File not found" or "Unable to download PDF": Check URL validity and network connectivity.
    • "Invalid base64 content": Verify the base64 string is correctly encoded.
    • "Conversion failed" or timeout errors: Increase max retries, enable async processing, or reduce file size.
    • Authentication errors: Ensure API key or credentials are correctly set up in n8n.

Links and References

  • PDF4me API Documentation — for details on custom profiles and advanced API options.
  • General info on PDF to PowerPoint conversion tools and OCR language support.

Discussion