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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

The node provides functionality to split PDF documents in various ways. It supports splitting a PDF after a specific page, recurring splits every N pages, splitting at specific page numbers, or extracting specific page ranges. This is useful for workflows that need to break down large PDFs into smaller parts, such as processing individual chapters, invoices, or sections separately.

Practical examples include:

  • Splitting a multi-page invoice PDF into separate files per invoice.
  • Extracting only certain page ranges from a report for further analysis.
  • Recurring splits to divide a document into equal-sized chunks for batch processing.

Properties

Name Meaning
Input Data Type How the PDF data is provided: Base64 String, Binary Data (from previous nodes), or URL to the PDF file.
Binary Property Name The name of the binary property containing the PDF file (used if Input Data Type is Binary Data).
Base64 Content Base64 encoded string of the PDF content (used if Input Data Type is Base64 String).
PDF URL URL pointing to the PDF file (used if Input Data Type is URL).
File Name The name of the source file, used for naming output files.
Split Action Method of splitting the PDF: Split After Page, Recurring Split After Page, Split Sequence, or Split Ranges.
Split Action Number Page number parameter for split actions like Split After Page or Recurring Split After Page.
Split Sequence Comma-separated list of page numbers where the PDF should be split (for Split Sequence action).
Split Ranges Page ranges to extract, e.g., "1-4,10-21" (for Split Ranges action).
File Naming Naming convention for the split files.
Advanced Options Custom JSON profiles to adjust extra API call properties for advanced use cases.

Output

The node outputs an array of JSON objects representing the resulting split PDF files. Each output item typically contains the PDF data either as binary or base64 depending on input and configuration. The output includes metadata such as file names based on the chosen naming convention.

If binary data is used, the output will contain the split PDF files as binary attachments suitable for further processing or saving.

Dependencies

  • Requires access to the PDF processing API service (likely pdf4me) which performs the actual PDF splitting.
  • Needs an API key credential configured in n8n to authenticate requests to the external PDF service.
  • Internet access is required if using URL input type or calling the external API.

Troubleshooting

  • Common issues:
    • Incorrect page numbers or ranges can cause errors or empty outputs.
    • Providing invalid base64 or inaccessible URLs will result in failures.
    • Missing or incorrect binary property names when using binary input will cause the node to fail.
  • Error messages:
    • Errors related to invalid page numbers or ranges usually indicate out-of-bound pages.
    • Authentication errors suggest missing or invalid API credentials.
    • Network errors may occur if the URL is unreachable or the API service is down.
  • Resolutions:
    • Verify page numbers and ranges are within the PDF's page count.
    • Ensure the API key credential is correctly set up and valid.
    • Confirm URLs are accessible and correct.
    • Check binary property names match those from previous nodes.

Links and References

Discussion