Skip to main content
PDF4me APIIntegrationsGeneral GuidelinesExtensionsAPI Tester

Swiss QR Invoice PDFs: Rename by Creditor, Amount, or Reference in n8n !

· 10 min read
Sankalp Mishra
SEO and Content Writer

You get PDFs—invoices, payment slips—each with a Swiss QR code that holds who’s paying, how much, and which reference. You want those files renamed by that data so you can find and sort them in a snap. Doing it by hand doesn’t scale.

The fix: an n8n workflow that downloads the PDF, uses Read Swiss QR Code (PDF4me) to pull out that structured payment data, merges it with the file, and uploads it with a new name—by creditor, amount, reference, or whatever you need. Same file, better filename, zero manual renaming.

This guide walks you through the full flow: download the PDF, read its Swiss QR code, then merge and upload with a filename built from the data you care about—creditor name and city, amount and reference, or debtor details.

The Flow at a Glance​

Your n8n workflow for renaming PDFs by Swiss QR data looks like this:

  1. Trigger — Manual for testing, or automated (e.g. Dropbox, email, webhook) when a new PDF is available.
  2. Download a file — Fetches the PDF from your source (e.g. Dropbox) and outputs it as binary in a field such as document.
  3. Read Swiss QR Code (PDF4me) — Extracts Swiss QR-bill data from the PDF and outputs structured data (swissQrData: creditor cr_Name, cr_City, cr_Country, debtor ud_Name, Amount, Currency, Reference, etc.). The original PDF stays on the Download node.
  4. Merge — Combines the Read Swiss QR Code output (Swiss QR data) and the Download output (PDF binary) into one item so the next node has both the new filename and the file content.
  5. Upload a file — Saves the PDF with the path/filename set to the Swiss QR fields you choose (e.g. Test AG_Zurich_Switzerland.pdf or 1000_CHF_REF123.pdf).

Same file, new name—every time. Below we walk through each part in detail.

n8n workflow overview: Trigger → Download a file → Read Swiss QR code → Merge → Upload a file

Step 1: Download the File and Read Its Swiss QR Code​

Get the PDF into n8n and extract the naming value with PDF4me Read Swiss QR Code. The file can come from Download a file (e.g. Dropbox), Google Drive, email, or any node that outputs binary.

Flow so far: Trigger → Download a file → Read Swiss QR Code.

Important: Read Swiss QR Code returns the payment data (in swissQrData)—it does not pass through the PDF. The file content stays on the Download node. In Step 2 you'll merge both so the Upload node has the file and the new name.

  1. Add a trigger — Manual for testing; for production, use an automated trigger (e.g. Dropbox, Email, Google Drive, webhook).
  2. Add Download a file (e.g. Dropbox) — Set File Path to your PDF location (e.g. /Blog Data/Read Swiss QR.pdf) and Put Output File in Field to document so the PDF is available as binary for the next nodes.
  3. Add a PDF4me node → Barcode → Read Swiss QR Code.
  4. Configure the Read Swiss QR Code node:
    • Credential to connect with: Your PDF4me account.
    • Resource: Barcode → Barcode Operations: Read Swiss QR Code.
    • Input Data Type: Binary Data.
    • Input Binary Field: document (same as the Download node's output field).
    • Output File Name: e.g. swissqr_code_data.json.
    • Async: Turn on for larger PDFs if needed.
  5. Run the node. The output includes success, docName, and swissQrData with creditor (cr_Name, cr_City, cr_Country), debtor (ud_Name, etc.), Amount, Currency, Reference, IBAN, and more. You'll use these fields for the filename in the Upload step.

Full parameter reference: Read Swiss QR Code (n8n).

n8n Dropbox Download a file node: file path and put output in field document
n8n Read Swiss QR code node: parameters and swissQrData output

Step 2: Merge and Upload with the New Name​

You need both the PDF binary (from Download) and the Swiss QR data (from Read Swiss QR Code) in one item so the Upload node can save the file under the new name. A Merge node combines them; the Upload node then uses the Swiss QR fields as the path or filename.

  1. Add a Merge node
    • Mode: Combine.
    • Combine by: Position (first item from Input 1 with first from Input 2).
    • Number of Inputs: 2.
    • Input 1: Connect from Read Swiss QR Code (provides swissQrData).
    • Input 2: Connect from Download a file (provides binary.document).
    • Output: One merged item with both the Swiss QR JSON and binary.document, so the next node has the new filename and the file content.
n8n Merge node: combine Swiss QR JSON and PDF binary
  1. Add an Upload node (e.g. Dropbox Upload a file, or any node that accepts binary + path)
    • File Path (expression): Use the Read Swiss QR Code output. You can reference the node by name: $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.
    • Binary File: ON.
    • Input Binary Field: document.
    • The file is uploaded with the Swiss QR–derived name; the PDF content is unchanged.

Use creditor name, city, and country for the filename (e.g. Test AG_Zurich_Switzerland.pdf):

/Blog Data/{{ $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.cr_Name }}_{{ $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.cr_City }}_{{ $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.cr_Country }}.pdf

Resolves to: /Blog Data/Test AG_Zurich_Switzerland.pdf

n8n Upload a file: dynamic filename from Swiss QR creditor data

The same Merge + Upload pattern works with Google Drive, email, or any storage that accepts binary and a dynamic path. Tip: For Dropbox, enable read and write in the Dropbox App Console (Permissions → Files and folders)—e.g. read for Download, files.content.write for Upload—and use a new access token after changing permissions.

Gotcha: If Upload reports missing binary, ensure Merge Input 2 is from Download a file, not from Read Swiss QR Code.

Why This Works​

Key points

  • Trigger — Use a manual trigger for testing or an automated trigger (Dropbox, email, webhook) so the workflow runs whenever a new PDF is available.
  • Read Swiss QR Code extracts Swiss QR-bill data and outputs swissQrData (creditor cr_*, debtor ud_*, Amount, Currency, Reference, etc.). It does not pass through the PDF; the file stays on the Download node.
  • Merge (Combine by Position) pairs Read Swiss QR Code output with Download output so the next node receives one item with both binary.document and swissQrData.
  • Upload uses an expression like $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.cr_Name (and cr_City, cr_Country, or other fields) for the path/filename and binary.document for the content—so each file is renamed by Swiss QR data.

Real-World Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Invoices Renamed by Creditor

Problem: Incoming invoice PDFs with generic names; you need to find them by supplier (creditor) and location.

Solution: Rename by creditor name, city, and country (e.g. Test AG_Zurich_Switzerland.pdf). Each file is searchable by who sent the bill.

Extract fields: cr_Name, cr_City, cr_Country Trigger: Dropbox folder, email attachment, or webhook

Scenario 2: Payment Slips by Amount and Reference

Problem: Payment slip PDFs need to be filed by amount and payment reference for reconciliation.

Solution: Rename by amount, currency, and reference (e.g. 1000_CHF_210000000003139471430009017.pdf). Match documents to bank transactions.

Extract fields: Amount, Currency, Reference Trigger: Dropbox, email, webhook

Scenario 3: Debtor-Based Filing

Problem: You need to group PDFs by customer (ultimate debtor) for accounting.

Solution: Rename by debtor name (e.g. Test Debt AG.pdf) or debtor name + city. Direct mapping to customer records.

Extract fields: ud_Name, ud_City Trigger: Email, shared folder, webhook

Quick FAQ​

  • What if no Swiss QR code is found? Use a fallback in the File Path expression, e.g. {{ $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData?.cr_Name || 'no-qr-found' }}. You can add a conditional branch to skip Upload or send those files to a separate folder.
  • Can I use creditor and amount together? Yes. Example: {{ $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.cr_Name }}_{{ $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.Amount }}_{{ $('Read SwissQR code').item.json.swissQrData.Currency }}.pdf.
  • Can I use this for Google Drive or email? Yes. Same pattern: use any node that gives you the file as binary and any Upload (or save) node that accepts binary plus a dynamic path.

Next Steps​

Recap: Trigger → Download a file → Read Swiss QR Code → Merge → Upload. The filename is built from swissQrData (e.g. creditor name, city, country, or amount/reference). Each PDF is saved with the extracted Swiss QR data as its name.

  1. Get your API key — Use the same PDF4me account for n8n. Free to start.
  2. Build your n8n flow — Trigger → Download a file → Read Swiss QR Code → Merge → Upload with the File Path set to the Swiss QR expression you need.
  3. Read the full docs — Read Swiss QR Code (n8n).
  4. Try the API — Test the Read Swiss QR Code endpoint with your own PDF in the API Tester.
Get Your API KeyRead Swiss QR Code in n8nTry SwissQR Code APIRename with Barcode