Create PDF/A using n8n action

PDF4me Create PDF/A converts standard PDF documents into archival-quality PDF/A format through n8n automation workflows. Process PDFs via n8n triggers, binary data, base64 strings, or public URLs to generate compliant PDF/A files (PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-3b) with embedded fonts, standardized color spaces, preserved metadata, validation checks, and full compliance to ISO archival standards for long-term document preservation. This solution is ideal for legal document archiving, regulatory compliance, government records, healthcare documentation, financial records, and digital preservation workflows that require standards-compliant PDF/A conversion with guaranteed long-term accessibility and seamless integration.

Setup

Add the PDF4me "Create PDF/A" node to your n8n workflow and configure the required parameters. For initial setup instructions, see our n8n Integration Guide.

Prerequisites:

• PDF4me API credentials
• n8n workflow access

Get Your API Key

Configuration:

1. Add PDF4me node to workflow
2. Select "Create PDF/A" action
3. Configure input parameters (see below)

Parameters

Complete list of parameters for the Create PDF/A action. Configure these parameters to control PDF/A compliance conversion.

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (***) are required and must be provided for the action to function correctly.

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Input Data Type***	String	PDF Input Format Selection • Choose the format of your PDF data input • PDF4me supports multiple input types • Options: Binary Data, Base64 String, or URL	Binary Data
Input Binary Field	Binary	Binary PDF File Input (Required if Binary Data) • Reference PDF file from previous n8n node or file upload • PDF4me processes binary PDF files with automatic format detection • Required when Input Data Type is "Binary Data"	{{ $binary.data }}
Base64 Document Content	String	Base64 Encoded PDF Input (Required if Base64 String) • Provide PDF data as base64 encoded string • PDF4me automatically decodes and processes the PDF content • Required when Input Data Type is "Base64 String"	UEsDBBQABgAI...
File URL	String	Public PDF URL Input (Required if URL) • Provide a public/open permission URL to the PDF file • PDF4me downloads and processes the file from URL • Required when Input Data Type is "URL"	https://abc.com/sample.pdf
Output File Name***	String	PDF/A Output Filename • Specify the name for the generated PDF/A file • Must include .pdf extension • PDF4me ensures unique naming and format validation	converted_pdfa.pdf
Binary Output Property Name***	String	Binary Data Output Mapping • Define the variable name for accessing generated PDF/A binary data • Used in subsequent workflow actions • Essential for workflow automation	data
Document Name***	String	Source PDF Reference • Specify the name of the source PDF file • For reference and tracking purposes • Helps with processing tracking	document.pdf
PDF/A Compliance***	Enum	PDF/A Compliance Level Selection • Choose the PDF/A compliance level for the generated archive • Different levels provide varying degrees of compatibility • Options: PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-2u, PDF/A-2a, PDF/A-3b, PDF/A-3u, PDF/A-3a • Essential for long-term preservation	PDF/A-1b (Level B Basic)
	PDF/A-1b - Level B (Basic) Conformance	Yes (One Required)	PDF/A-1b Basic Conformance - Enterprise-grade PDF/A-1b compliance optimized for reliable document reproduction and long-term archival preservation. This foundational standard ensures visual appearance consistency across platforms and software versions, providing maximum compatibility for digital document archiving. Essential for general document preservation, regulatory compliance, and enterprise archival workflows requiring broad software support and reliable visual reproduction.
	PDF/A-1a - Level A (Accessible) Conformance	Yes (One Required)	PDF/A-1a Accessible Conformance - Advanced PDF/A-1a compliance combining basic conformance with comprehensive accessibility features including document structure, text span tagging, image descriptions, unicode mapping, and language specifications. Optimized for screen reader compatibility and enhanced accessibility compliance. Essential for documents requiring ADA compliance, accessibility standards, and inclusive document viewing experiences.
	PDF/A-2b Basic Compliance	Yes (One Required)	PDF/A-2b Basic Compliance - Enhanced PDF/A-2b standard supporting advanced PDF features including image compression, transparency effects, embedded fonts, digital signatures, and PDF/A file embedding capabilities. Built on PDF versions 1.5, 1.6, and 1.7 with improved visual fidelity and document archiving capabilities. Essential for complex documents with advanced graphics, multimedia content, and comprehensive document package archiving.
	PDF/A-2u Basic Compliance with Unicode Mapping	Yes (One Required)	PDF/A-2u Unicode Compliance - Advanced PDF/A-2b compliance enhanced with comprehensive unicode text mapping for improved international character support and cross-platform text rendering. Ensures proper handling of multilingual content, special characters, and international document standards. Essential for global document archiving, multilingual content preservation, and international compliance requirements.

Advanced Options

The following parameters are available in the Advanced Options section and are optional:

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Allow Upgrade	Boolean	PDF/A Upgrade Permission • Control whether PDF4me can upgrade to higher compliance level • true = allows automatic upgrade to better compliance • false = maintains exact specified compliance level • Useful when source meets higher standards	true
Allow Downgrade	Boolean	PDF/A Downgrade Permission • Control whether PDF4me can downgrade to lower compliance level • true = allows fallback to compatible compliance levels • false = fails if exact compliance cannot be achieved • Ensures conversion success flexibility	false
Custom Profiles	String	Custom Configuration Profiles • Set additional options using custom profiles • JSON-like format containing predefined parameters • Enables advanced PDF/A generation settings • Optional for specialized requirements	{ "outputDataFormat": "base64", "preserveMetadata": true }

Output

Output Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
fileName	String	PDF4me generated PDF/A filename - The complete filename of the successfully generated PDF/A document with proper .pdf extension. PDF4me ensures unique naming and validates file format compliance for seamless integration with downstream processes	converted_pdfa.pdf
mimeType	String	PDF4me PDF/A MIME type - The MIME type of the generated PDF/A file, indicating the file format for proper handling in web applications and file systems	application/pdf
fileSize	Number	PDF4me PDF/A file size in bytes - The exact size of the generated PDF/A file in bytes, provided by PDF4me for storage planning, bandwidth optimization, and file transfer monitoring. Essential for enterprise document management and workflow automation	245760
success	Boolean	PDF4me conversion status indicator - Boolean flag indicating the success or failure of the PDF-to-PDF/A conversion process. PDF4me returns true for successful conversions and false for any errors, enabling robust error handling in automated workflows	true
inputDataType	String	PDF4me input data format used - Indicates the type of input data that was processed (base64, binary, or URL). Useful for understanding the input method used in the conversion process	binary
sourceFileName	String	PDF4me source PDF reference - The original PDF filename that was processed by PDF4me's conversion engine. This reference is maintained for audit trails, debugging purposes, and tracking the source of generated PDF/A documents in enterprise workflows	document.pdf
pdfaCompliance	String	PDF4me PDF/A compliance level used - Indicates the PDF/A compliance level that was applied during the conversion process. Shows which compliance standard (PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-2b, etc.) was used for the conversion	PDF/A-1b (Level B Basic)
isPdfaCompliant	Boolean	PDF4me PDF/A compliance status - Boolean flag indicating whether the generated PDF meets PDF/A compliance standards. Shows whether the PDF is suitable for long-term archival and preservation	true
complianceLevel	String	PDF4me compliance level detail - Detailed information about the specific compliance level achieved, including any warnings or recommendations for optimal archival storage	Level B Basic

N8N Action Response

The PDF4me Create PDF/A API returns a response that can be viewed in multiple formats. Choose the view that best fits your needs:

JSON

JSON Response Format

The raw JSON response from the API:

{
  "fileName": "converted_pdfa.pdf",
  "mimeType": "application/pdf",
  "fileSize": 245760,
  "success": true,
  "inputDataType": "binary",
  "sourceFileName": "document.pdf",
  "pdfaCompliance": "PDF/A-1b (Level B Basic)",
  "isPdfaCompliant": true,
  "complianceLevel": "Level B Basic"
}

Table

Table View

Response data in a structured table format:

Parameter	Value
fileName	converted_pdfa.pdf
mimeType	application/pdf
fileSize	245760
success	true
inputDataType	binary
sourceFileName	document.pdf
pdfaCompliance	PDF/A-1b (Level B Basic)
isPdfaCompliant	true
complianceLevel	Level B Basic

Schema

Schema View

The data structure and types of the response:

1 item
fileName: AB converted_pdfa.pdf
mimeType: AB application/pdf
fileSize: # 245760
success: ☑ true
inputDataType: AB binary
sourceFileName: AB document.pdf
pdfaCompliance: AB PDF/A-1b (Level B Basic)
isPdfaCompliant: ☑ true
complianceLevel: AB Level B Basic

Type Indicators:

• AB = String
• # = Number
• ☑ = Boolean

Binary

Binary Data View

The actual PDF/A file data and metadata:

data
─────────────────────────────
File Name: converted_pdfa.pdf
File Extension: pdf
Mime Type: application/pdf
File Size: 240.0 KB

Binary Data Access:

• n8n Binary Object: $binary.data.data
• Base64 Content: Available for direct use
• File Operations: Ready for download, email, or storage

Use Cases

Government and Regulatory Compliance

• Convert documents to PDF/A format for government submissions, regulatory filings, and official documentation that requires long-term archival compliance and legal validity
• Process legal documents, contracts, and official records by converting them to PDF/A format for court submissions, legal proceedings, and regulatory compliance
• Transform historical documents, archives, and official records to PDF/A format for long-term preservation, digital archiving, and compliance with archival standards

Financial and Banking Documentation

• Convert financial statements, audit reports, and banking documents to PDF/A format for regulatory compliance, financial reporting, and long-term record keeping
• Process tax documents, compliance reports, and financial records by converting them to PDF/A format for regulatory submissions, audit trails, and financial compliance
• Transform insurance documents, claims records, and financial contracts to PDF/A format for long-term storage, regulatory compliance, and legal documentation

Healthcare and Medical Records

• Convert medical records, patient files, and healthcare documentation to PDF/A format for HIPAA compliance, medical record keeping, and long-term patient data preservation
• Process clinical reports, laboratory results, and medical imaging documents by converting them to PDF/A format for medical record management, compliance, and archival
• Transform pharmaceutical documentation, clinical trial records, and medical research data to PDF/A format for regulatory compliance, research documentation, and long-term preservation

Get Help

n8n Integration Guiden8n SampleGetting Started