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Update Table of Contents using n8n action

PDF4me Update Table of Contents enables updating or creating Table of Contents in Word documents through n8n automation workflows with comprehensive formatting options and professional styling capabilities. This powerful TOC management feature supports automatic detection of existing TOC fields, customizable heading levels, hyperlink support, tab leader control, text case options, and culture localization with full control over TOC appearance and functionality, perfect for document navigation, professional formatting, and automated TOC generation.

Setup​

Add the PDF4me "Update Table of Contents" 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 "Update Table of Contents" action
  3. Configure input parameters (see below)
Update Table of Contents

Parameters​

Complete list of parameters for the Update Table of Contents action. Configure these parameters to control TOC generation and formatting.

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (***) are required. Advanced parameters provide fine-grained control over TOC formatting and appearance.

ParameterTypeDescriptionExample
Input Data Type***StringWord Document Input Format Selection
• Choose the format of your Word document data input
• PDF4me supports multiple input types
• Options: Binary Data, Base64 String, or URL		Binary Data
Input Binary Field***BinaryBinary Word File Input (Required if Binary Data)
• Reference Word file (.docx, .doc) from previous n8n node or file upload
• PDF4me processes binary Word files with automatic format detection
• Required when Input Data Type is "Binary Data"		{{ $binary.data }}
Base64 Word Content***StringBase64 Encoded Word Input (Required if Base64 String)
• Provide Word content (.docx, .doc) as base64 encoded string for secure transmission
• PDF4me automatically decodes and processes the Word content
• Required when Input Data Type is "Base64 String"		UEsDBBQABgAI...
Word Document URL***StringPublic Word Document URL Input (Required if URL)
• Provide a public/open permission URL to the Word file (.docx, .doc) to be processed
• PDF4me downloads and processes the Word file from the provided URL
• Required when Input Data Type is "URL"		https://abc.com/document.docx
Word Document Name***StringWord Document Input Filename
• Specify the name of the input Word file with proper extension (.docx, .doc)
• PDF4me uses this for format detection and processing optimization		document.docx
Heading LevelsStringHeading Levels to Include in TOC
• Range format: "1-3" (includes heading levels 1, 2, and 3)
• Single level: "1" (includes only heading level 1)
• Multiple ranges: "1-2,4-6" (includes levels 1-2 and 4-6)
• Default: "1-3"
• Controls which heading levels appear in the TOC		"1-3"
Use HyperlinksBooleanInclude Hyperlinks in Table of Contents
• Yes - TOC entries are clickable links to headings
• No - TOC entries are plain text
• Default: Yes		Yes
Hide Tab LeaderBooleanHide Tab Leader Dots
• Yes - No dots between text and page numbers
• No - Dots between text and page numbers
• Default: Yes		Yes
Use UppercaseBooleanUse Uppercase for TOC Entries
• Yes - TOC entries displayed in uppercase
• No - TOC entries in original case
• Default: Yes		Yes
Culture NameStringDocument Culture/Locale
• Culture code for document processing (e.g., "en-US", "de-DE", "fr-FR")
• Default: null (no culture-specific processing)
• Affects document language and formatting		en-US

Output​

Output Parameters​

ParameterTypeDescriptionExample
fileNameStringUpdated document filename - The name of the output Word document with updated table of contentsdocument_toc_updated.docx
fileSizeNumberFile size in bytes - The size of the updated Word document in bytes13965
successBooleanPDF4me operation status - Boolean flag indicating the success or failure of the TOC update operation. PDF4me returns true for successful operations and false for any errorstrue
originalFileNameStringOriginal Word document filename - The name of the input Word document filedocument.docx
headingLevelsNumberHeading levels included - The number of heading levels that were included in the table of contents3
includePageNumbersBooleanPage numbers included - Whether page numbers were included in the table of contentstrue
tabLeaderStringTab leader style - The style of tab leader used in the table of contents (e.g., "Dots", "None", "Underscore")Dots
cultureNameStringDocument culture/locale - The culture code used for document processing (e.g., "en-US", "de-DE", "fr-FR")en-US
messageStringOperation message - Descriptive message indicating the result of the TOC update operationTable of Contents updated successfully

N8N Action Response​

The PDF4me Update Table of Contents API returns a response that can be viewed in multiple formats. Choose the view that best fits your needs:

JSON Response Format

The raw JSON response from the API:

[
  {
    "fileName": "document_toc_updated.docx",
    "fileSize": 13965,
    "success": true,
    "originalFileName": "document.docx",
    "headingLevels": 3,
    "includePageNumbers": true,
    "tabLeader": "Dots",
    "cultureName": "en-US",
    "message": "Table of Contents updated successfully"
  }
]

Use Cases​

Enterprise Document Automation​

  • Document Navigation: Create navigable documents for easy access
  • Professional Formatting: Apply consistent TOC formatting to all documents
  • Academic Standards: Meet academic and professional document requirements
  • Document Distribution: Send well-structured documents to stakeholders

AI-Powered Document Processing​

  • Multi-Format Support: Process Word documents in .docx and .doc formats
  • Multi-Language Processing: Support for different languages and regions
  • Intelligent Field Recognition: Automatically detect and update existing TOC fields

Business Intelligence and Analytics​

  • Document Management: Organize documents with proper navigation structure
  • Compliance Monitoring: Ensure documents meet formatting requirements
  • Performance Metrics: Track processing accuracy and efficiency

Get Help​

n8n Integration Guiden8n SampleGetting Started