Remove Header/Footer from Excel using n8n action

PDF4me Remove Header Footer from Excel enables selective removal of headers and footers from Excel documents through n8n automation workflows. Process Excel files via n8n triggers, binary data, base64 strings, or public URLs to remove left, center, and right sections from both headers and footers independently, with full control over worksheet targeting (specific sheets or all sheets) and culture-specific localization. This solution is ideal for document standardization, template cleanup, preparation for rebranding, and automated formatting workflows that require selective header/footer removal with granular control and seamless integration.

Setup

Add the PDF4me "Remove Header Footer" 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 "Remove Header/Footer" action
3. Configure input parameters (see below)

Parameters

Complete list of parameters for the Remove Header Footer action. Configure these parameters to control header/footer removal.

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (***) are required. All section removal flags are optional and default to false.

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Input Data Type***	String	Excel Input Format Selection • Choose the format of your Excel data input • PDF4me supports multiple input types • Options: Binary Data, Base64 String, or URL	Binary Data
Input Binary Field***	Binary	Binary Excel File Input (Required if Binary Data) • Reference Excel file (.xlsx, .xls) from previous n8n node or file upload • PDF4me processes binary Excel files with automatic format detection • Required when Input Data Type is "Binary Data"	{{ $binary.data }}
Base64 Excel Content***	String	Base64 Encoded Excel Input (Required if Base64 String) • Provide Excel content (.xlsx, .xls) as base64 encoded string • PDF4me automatically decodes and processes the Excel content • Required when Input Data Type is "Base64 String"	UEsDBBQABgAI...
Excel URL***	String	Public Excel URL Input (Required if URL) • Provide a public/open permission URL to the Excel file (.xlsx, .xls) • PDF4me downloads and processes the Excel file from the provided URL • Required when Input Data Type is "URL"	https://abc.com/data.xlsx
Excel Name***	String	Excel Input Filename • Specify the name of the input Excel file with proper extension (.xlsx, .xls) • PDF4me uses this for format detection and processing optimization	data.xlsx
Remove Header Left	Boolean	Remove Left Header Section • True - Remove left section (Section 0) of header • False - Preserve left header section • Default: false • Independent control of header sections	true
Remove Header Center	Boolean	Remove Center Header Section • True - Remove center section (Section 1) of header • False - Preserve center header section • Default: false • Independent control of header sections	true
Remove Header Right	Boolean	Remove Right Header Section • True - Remove right section (Section 2) of header • False - Preserve right header section • Default: false • Independent control of header sections	false
Remove Footer Left	Boolean	Remove Left Footer Section • True - Remove left section (Section 0) of footer • False - Preserve left footer section • Default: false • Independent control of footer sections	true
Remove Footer Center	Boolean	Remove Center Footer Section • True - Remove center section (Section 1) of footer • False - Preserve center footer section • Default: false • Independent control of footer sections	true
Remove Footer Right	Boolean	Remove Right Footer Section • True - Remove right section (Section 2) of footer • False - Preserve right footer section • Default: false • Independent control of footer sections	false
Worksheet Names	String	Comma-Separated Worksheet Names • List of worksheet names to process • Format: "Sheet1,Summary,Report" • Worksheet Selection Logic: If WorksheetNames has values → Processes those named worksheets. If both WorksheetNames and WorksheetIndexes are empty → Processes ALL worksheets in the workbook • Worksheet names must match exactly	Sheet1,Report
Worksheet Indexes	String	Comma-Separated Indexes (0-based) • List of worksheet indexes to process • Format: "0,2,4" for first, third, and fifth sheets • Worksheet Selection Logic: If WorksheetIndexes has values → Processes those indexed worksheets. If both parameters have values → Processes worksheets matching either criteria (union) • 0-based indexing: Index 0 = first worksheet	0,1
Culture Name	String	Culture Code for Localization • Culture/locale code for text rendering • Examples: "en-US", "de-DE", "fr-FR" • Empty string uses invariant culture • Default: "" (empty string)	en-US
Binary Data Output Name***	String	Binary Data Output Mapping • Define the variable name for accessing generated Excel binary data • Used in subsequent workflow actions • Essential for workflow automation	document

Output

Output Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
fileName	String	Excel document filename without header/footer - The name of the output Excel document file after header/footer removal	excel_without_header_footer.xlsx
fileSize	Number	File size in bytes - The size of the Excel document in bytes after header/footer removal	212810
success	Boolean	PDF4me operation status - Boolean flag indicating the success or failure of the header/footer removal process. PDF4me returns true for successful operations and false for any errors	true
originalFileName	String	Original Excel document filename - The name of the input Excel document file	myExcelFile.xlsx
removeHeaderLeft	Boolean	Left header removal status - Indicates whether the left header section was removed. true if removed, false if preserved	false
removeHeaderCenter	Boolean	Center header removal status - Indicates whether the center header section was removed. true if removed, false if preserved	false
removeHeaderRight	Boolean	Right header removal status - Indicates whether the right header section was removed. true if removed, false if preserved	false
removeFooterLeft	Boolean	Left footer removal status - Indicates whether the left footer section was removed. true if removed, false if preserved	false
removeFooterCenter	Boolean	Center footer removal status - Indicates whether the center footer section was removed. true if removed, false if preserved	false
removeFooterRight	Boolean	Right footer removal status - Indicates whether the right footer section was removed. true if removed, false if preserved	false
worksheetName	String	Worksheet name - The name of the worksheet where header/footer removal was applied	Sheet1
applyToAllWorksheets	Boolean	Apply to all worksheets - Indicates whether header/footer removal was applied to all worksheets. true if applied to all, false if applied to specific worksheet only	false
message	String	Operation message - Descriptive message indicating the result of the header/footer removal operation	Header and footer removed from Excel file successfully

N8N Action Response

The PDF4me Remove Header/Footer 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": "excel_without_header_footer.xlsx",
    "fileSize": 212810,
    "success": true,
    "originalFileName": "myExcelFile.xlsx",
    "removeHeaderLeft": false,
    "removeHeaderCenter": false,
    "removeHeaderRight": false,
    "removeFooterLeft": false,
    "removeFooterCenter": false,
    "removeFooterRight": false,
    "worksheetName": "Sheet1",
    "applyToAllWorksheets": false,
    "message": "Header and footer removed from Excel file successfully"
  }
]

Table

Table View

Response data in a structured table format:

Parameter	Value
fileName	excel_without_header_footer.xlsx
fileSize	212810
success	true
originalFileName	myExcelFile.xlsx
removeHeaderLeft	false
removeHeaderCenter	false
removeHeaderRight	false
removeFooterLeft	false
removeFooterCenter	false
removeFooterRight	false
worksheetName	Sheet1
applyToAllWorksheets	false
message	Header and footer removed from Excel file successfully

Schema

Schema View

The data structure and types of the response:

1 item
fileName: T excel_without_header_footer.xlsx
fileSize: # 212810
success: ☑ true
originalFileName: T myExcelFile.xlsx
removeHeaderLeft: ☑ false
removeHeaderCenter: ☑ false
removeHeaderRight: ☑ false
removeFooterLeft: ☑ false
removeFooterCenter: ☑ false
removeFooterRight: ☑ false
worksheetName: T Sheet1
applyToAllWorksheets: ☑ false
message: T Header and footer removed from Excel file successfully

Type Indicators:

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

Binary

Binary Data View

The actual Excel document file data and metadata:

data
─────────────────────────────
File Name: excel_without_header_footer.xlsx
File Extension: xlsx
Mime Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
File Size: 212.8 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

Document Standardization and Cleanup

• Remove old headers and footers before adding new branding
• Clean up inconsistent header/footer formatting across documents
• Standardize document appearance by removing outdated elements

Rebranding and Template Preparation

• Remove old company logos and text before applying new branding
• Clean templates for reuse by removing previous branding elements
• Prepare documents for rebranding initiatives with complete header/footer removal

Client Deliverable Preparation

• Remove internal headers and footers before client delivery
• Sanitize documents by removing confidential internal markings
• Prepare clean documents for external distribution

Get Help

n8n Integration Guiden8n SampleGetting Started