Merge multiple Excel files using n8n action

PDF4me Merge Excel Files stitches together any number of workbooks from your n8n workflow. Provide a document list (each with file content, filename, optional worksheet filters, and ordering), then pick an output format (XLSX, XLS, PDF, or CSV). PDF4me automatically handles worksheet name collisions by appending numeric suffixes.

Setup

Add the PDF4me “Merge Files” 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 the PDF4me node to the workflow
2. Select the "Merge multiple Excel files" action
3. Build the Documents array and choose the output format

Parameters

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (***) are required. Each entry inside Documents must include FileContent (base64) and Filename.

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
File Name***	String	Logical name for the primary workflow file (used as reference).	merged.xlsx
Documents***	Array	Array of merge items. Each item requires: • FileContent (Base64) – workbook bytes • Filename – e.g., north.xlsx • SortPosition – optional number; lower values merged first • WorksheetsToMerge – optional string array of worksheet names to include; empty = all sheets	[{"FileContent":"...","Filename":"north.xlsx","SortPosition":1,"WorksheetsToMerge":["Summary"]}]
Output Format	String	XLSX (default), XLS, PDF, or CSV. CSV exports only the first worksheet.	XLSX
Output File Name	String	Name (without extension) for the merged result. Default merged.	Quarterly_Report
Binary Data Output Name***	String	Binary slot to store the merged document.	document

Use n8n expressions or the Function node to assemble the Documents array when merging dynamic file counts.

Output

Output Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
fileName	String	Merged workbook filename - The name of the output merged Excel file	merged-workbook.xlsx
fileSize	Number	File size in bytes - The size of the merged Excel file in bytes	440413
success	Boolean	PDF4me operation status - Boolean flag indicating the success or failure of the file merging process. PDF4me returns true for successful operations and false for any errors	true
outputFormat	String	Output file format - The format of the merged output file. Values: "XLSX", "XLS", "PDF", "CSV"	XLSX
filesCount	Number	Number of files merged - The total count of Excel files that were merged	2
filesMerged	Array	Array of merged file details - Array of objects containing information about each file that was merged, including filename, sortPosition, and worksheets	[{"filename": "file1.xlsx", "sortPosition": 1, "worksheets": "all"}]
message	String	Operation message - Descriptive message indicating the result of the file merging operation, including the number of files merged and output format	Successfully merged 2 Excel file(s) into XLSX format

N8N Action Response

The PDF4me Merge multiple Excel files 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": "merged-workbook.xlsx",
    "fileSize": 440413,
    "success": true,
    "outputFormat": "XLSX",
    "filesCount": 2,
    "filesMerged": [
      {
        "filename": "file1.xlsx",
        "sortPosition": 1,
        "worksheets": "all"
      },
      {
        "filename": "file2.xlsx",
        "sortPosition": 1,
        "worksheets": "all"
      }
    ],
    "message": "Successfully merged 2 Excel file(s) into XLSX format"
  }
]

Table

Table View

Response data in a structured table format:

Parameter	Value
fileName	merged-workbook.xlsx
fileSize	440413
success	true
outputFormat	XLSX
filesCount	2
filesMerged	Array of merged file objects
message	Successfully merged 2 Excel file(s) into XLSX format

Files Merged Array Details:

Parameter	Value
filename	file1.xlsx
sortPosition	1
worksheets	all

Parameter	Value
filename	file2.xlsx
sortPosition	1
worksheets	all

Schema

Schema View

The data structure and types of the response:

1 item
fileName: T merged-workbook.xlsx
fileSize: # 440413
success: ☑ true
outputFormat: T XLSX
filesCount: # 2
filesMerged: [] Array
  [0]: {} Object
    filename: T file1.xlsx
    sortPosition: # 1
    worksheets: T all
  [1]: {} Object
    filename: T file2.xlsx
    sortPosition: # 1
    worksheets: T all
message: T Successfully merged 2 Excel file(s) into XLSX format

Type Indicators:

• T = String (Text)
• # = Number
• ☑ = Boolean
• [] = Array
• {} = Object

Binary

Binary Data View

The actual Excel document file data and metadata:

data
─────────────────────────────
File Name: merged-workbook.xlsx
File Extension: xlsx
Mime Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
File Size: 440 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

• Regional report consolidation: Merge regional workbooks into one national report ordered by SortPosition.
• Department submissions: Combine department worksheets while only keeping specific tabs (e.g., Summary, KPIs).
• Distribution-ready bundles: Merge multiple Excel sources then convert to PDF for leadership review.

Get Help

n8n Integration Guiden8n SampleGetting Started