Automation library · Research and reporting

Automated PDF report downloader & organizer with Google Drive

Started by a clock, and works across Google Drive and Google Sheets. 17 steps, 2 branches, 1 loop or waits: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium

Download free
17 stepsMedium: a working afternoon
2Branches: places the flow splits
1Loop or waits
2Services it connects to

The flow

Starts it 3Logic 8Service 6

The steps in the order they run, from what starts it.

  1. 1Manual TriggerManual triggerStarts it
  2. 2Schedule (Every 12 Hours)Schedule triggerStarts it
  3. 3Called by Another WorkflowExecute Workflow triggerStarts it
  4. 4Read Pending PDF URLsGoogle SheetsService
  5. 5Loop Over PDFsSplit In BatchesLogic
  6. 6Completion SummarySetLogic
  7. 7Prepare Download InfoCodeLogic
  8. 8Is Valid URL?IfLogic
  9. 9Download PDFHttp RequestService
  10. 10Mark as InvalidSetLogic
  11. 11Download Success?IfLogic
  12. 12Log ErrorGoogle SheetsService
  13. 13Upload to Google DriveGoogle DriveService
  14. 14Mark as FailedSetLogic
  15. 15Update Source StatusGoogle SheetsService
  16. 16Extract File MetadataCodeLogic
  17. 17Save to PDF LibraryGoogle SheetsService

How it's built

Starts on
A clock
Steps
17, with 2 branches, 1 loop or waits
Size
Medium: a working afternoon
Connects to
Google Drive, Google Sheets
Model
None. This is plumbing, not judgement

Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Google Drive and Google Sheets accounts. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on a clock.

Does it use AI?

No. Every step is fixed logic or a call to a service, so it does the same thing every time.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 17 steps is enough that you should read each one before running it.

How do I import it?

Copy the workflow, open a new workflow in n8n and paste. The steps appear on the canvas, ready for your own accounts.

Before you run it

Nothing here has been tested by us. It is somebody's working automation, read and described from its own steps. Treat the connections it wants as a list of accounts it will touch, and read the 17 steps before you point it at anything that matters.