Update Rows in Excel using n8n action

PDF4me Update Rows in Excel modifies existing worksheet rows directly from n8n. Feed one or more JSON objects (always wrapped in an array) and PDF4me matches properties to column headers, applies automatic type conversion, and walks sequentially through the worksheet starting at the row you choose. Perfect for syncing SQL results, refreshing CRM snapshots, or patching approval status columns without inserting new rows.

Setup

Add the PDF4me “Update Rows” 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 "Update rows" action
3. Provide the Excel source, JSON array, and update offsets

Parameters

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (***) are required. Json Data must always be a JSON array (wrap single rows in []).

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Input Data Type***	String	Excel source selector. Options: Binary Data, Base64 String, URL.	Binary Data
Input Binary Field***	Binary	Required when Input Data Type = Binary Data. Reference upstream binary.	{{ $binary.data }}
Base64 Document Content***	String	Required when Input Data Type = Base64 String. Provide base64 workbook.	UEsDBBQAAAA...
Document URL***	String	Required when Input Data Type = URL. Public link to the workbook.	https://files.example.com/report.xlsx
File Name***	String	Processing/display name of the workbook (with extension).	inventory.xlsx
Json Data***	String	JSON array of objects. Each object updates one row sequentially.	[{"SKU":"A-100","Stock":45}]
Worksheet Name	String	Target worksheet. Empty uses the first sheet.	Inventory
Start Row	Number	1-based worksheet row to start updating (headers usually row 1).	2
Start Column	Number	1-based column offset used for header alignment.	1
Convert Numeric And Date	Boolean	Auto-convert numeric/date strings into Excel values. Default true.	true
Date Format	String	Excel date format applied when conversion is enabled.	yyyy-MM-dd
Numeric Format	String	Excel numeric format when conversion is enabled.	#,##0.00
Ignore Null Values	Boolean	When true, nulls leave existing cell values untouched.	true
Ignore Attribute Titles	Boolean	Case-insensitive header matching. Default false.	true
Culture Name	String	Culture for parsing numbers/dates. Empty = invariant.	en-US
Binary Data Output Name***	String	Name of the output binary slot storing the patched workbook.	document

Output

Output Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
fileName	String	Excel document filename with rows updated - The name of the output Excel document file after row updates	excel_updated.xlsx
fileSize	Number	File size in bytes - The size of the Excel document in bytes after row updates	212810
success	Boolean	PDF4me operation status - Boolean flag indicating the success or failure of the row update 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
worksheetName	String	Worksheet name - The name of the worksheet where rows were updated	Sheet1
startRow	Number	Starting row number - The 1-based row number where updates began	1
startColumn	Number	Starting column number - The 1-based column number where updates began	1
rowsUpdated	Number	Number of rows updated - The total count of rows that were successfully updated	1
convertNumericAndDate	Boolean	Numeric and date conversion status - Indicates whether automatic numeric and date conversion was enabled. true if enabled, false if disabled	true
dateFormat	String	Date format applied - The date format string that was applied during conversion	yyyy-MM-dd
numericFormat	String	Numeric format applied - The numeric format string that was applied during conversion	N2
ignoreNullValues	Boolean	Null value handling - Indicates whether null values were ignored. true if nulls were ignored (preserved existing values), false if nulls were written	false
ignoreAttributeTitles	Boolean	Case-insensitive header matching - Indicates whether case-insensitive header matching was used. true if enabled, false if case-sensitive	false
cultureName	String	Culture/Locale code - Culture code used for parsing numbers and dates (e.g., "en-US", "de-DE", "fr-FR")	en-US
message	String	Operation message - Descriptive message indicating the result of the row update operation, including the number of rows updated and worksheet name	Successfully updated 1 row(s) in worksheet 'Sheet1'

N8N Action Response

The PDF4me Update rows 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_updated.xlsx",
    "fileSize": 212810,
    "success": true,
    "originalFileName": "myExcelFile.xlsx",
    "worksheetName": "Sheet1",
    "startRow": 1,
    "startColumn": 1,
    "rowsUpdated": 1,
    "convertNumericAndDate": true,
    "dateFormat": "yyyy-MM-dd",
    "numericFormat": "N2",
    "ignoreNullValues": false,
    "ignoreAttributeTitles": false,
    "cultureName": "en-US",
    "message": "Successfully updated 1 row(s) in worksheet 'Sheet1'"
  }
]

Table

Table View

Response data in a structured table format:

Parameter	Value
fileName	excel_updated.xlsx
fileSize	212810
success	true
originalFileName	myExcelFile.xlsx
worksheetName	Sheet1
startRow	1
startColumn	1
rowsUpdated	1
convertNumericAndDate	true
dateFormat	yyyy-MM-dd
numericFormat	N2
ignoreNullValues	false
ignoreAttributeTitles	false
cultureName	en-US
message	Successfully updated 1 row(s) in worksheet 'Sheet1'

Schema

Schema View

The data structure and types of the response:

1 item
fileName: T excel_updated.xlsx
fileSize: # 212810
success: ☑ true
originalFileName: T myExcelFile.xlsx
worksheetName: T Sheet1
startRow: # 1
startColumn: # 1
rowsUpdated: # 1
convertNumericAndDate: ☑ true
dateFormat: T yyyy-MM-dd
numericFormat: T N2
ignoreNullValues: ☑ false
ignoreAttributeTitles: ☑ false
cultureName: T en-US
message: T Successfully updated 1 row(s) in worksheet 'Sheet1'

Type Indicators:

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

Binary

Binary Data View

The actual Excel document file data and metadata:

data
─────────────────────────────
File Name: excel_updated.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

• Inventory sync: Refresh stock counts pulled from ERP queries while keeping pricing and metadata untouched.
• Order or project status: Patch status, owner, or SLA columns whenever upstream systems emit updates.
• Finance adjustments: Re-write forecast or actuals rows nightly without breaking existing formulas/structure.

Get Help

n8n Integration Guiden8n SampleGetting Started