{"workflow":{"id":13892,"name":"Watermark and password-protect new Google Drive PDFs with Autype","views":1,"recentViews":0,"totalViews":1,"createdAt":"2026-03-05T11:45:27.061Z","description":"![screenshot of Workflow](fileId:4765)\n\nImportant: This workflow uses the [Autype](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n8n-nodes-autype) community node and requires a self-hosted n8n instance.\n\nThis workflow watches a Google Drive folder for new PDF uploads. When a new file appears, it automatically creates two secure versions (one with a \"CONFIDENTIAL\" watermark and one with password protection) and saves both back to the same folder. Activate and forget.\n\n## Who is this for?\n\nLegal teams, compliance officers, and anyone who needs every PDF in a shared folder to be watermarked and locked automatically. Common scenarios: securing contracts before client review, stamping internal reports with \"CONFIDENTIAL\", or ensuring all documents in a compliance folder are password-protected.\n\n## What this workflow does\n\nThe workflow uses a Google Drive Trigger to detect new PDFs in a watched folder. For each new file it creates `filename-watermark.pdf` (with a diagonal text watermark) and `filename-protected.pdf` (encrypted with user and owner passwords), then uploads both back to the same Google Drive folder.\n\n## How it works\n\n1. **New PDF Uploaded to Drive** — A Google Drive Trigger polls the watched folder every minute for new files.\n2. **Download PDF from Drive** — Downloads the new PDF as binary data.\n3. **Upload PDF to Autype** — Uploads the PDF to Autype Document Tools storage once. Returns a file ID used by both parallel branches.\n4. From here the workflow splits into two parallel branches:\n   - **Branch A — Watermark:** Add Watermark → Save `*-watermark.pdf` to Drive\n   - **Branch B — Protect:** Password-Protect PDF → Save `*-protected.pdf` to Drive\n5. Both branches reference the same Autype file ID from step 3. No re-upload needed.\n6. Output filenames are derived from the original filename via expression (e.g. `report.pdf` → `report-watermark.pdf` / `report-protected.pdf`).\n\n## Setup\n\n1. Install the **Autype community node** (`n8n-nodes-autype`) via **Settings → Community Nodes**.\n2. Create an **Autype API credential** with your API key from [app.autype.com](https://app.autype.com). See [API Keys in Settings](https://docs.autype.com/getting-started/editor/settings#api-keys).\n3. Connect your **Google account** via OAuth2 in n8n credentials (**Settings → Credentials → Google Drive OAuth2 API**).\n4. Replace `YOUR_FOLDER_ID` in the trigger node and both Google Drive upload nodes with your actual folder ID. You can find it in the folder's URL: `https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/YOUR_FOLDER_ID`.\n5. Select your Autype credential in all Autype nodes and your Google Drive credential in all Google Drive nodes.\n6. **Activate the workflow** (it will now process every new PDF uploaded to the folder automatically)\n\n**Note:** This is a community node. It is not maintained by the n8n team. You need a self-hosted n8n instance to use community nodes.\n\n## Requirements\n\n- Self-hosted n8n instance (community nodes are not available on n8n Cloud)\n- Autype account with API key (free tier available)\n- `n8n-nodes-autype` community node installed\n- Google Drive account with OAuth2 credentials configured in n8n\n\n## How to customize\n\n- **Change the watched folder:** Update `YOUR_FOLDER_ID` in the trigger and both upload nodes (you can use separate input and output folders if preferred)\n- **Change watermark text:** Edit the `text` field in the Add Watermark node (common options: \"DRAFT\", \"INTERNAL USE ONLY\", \"DO NOT COPY\", or your company name)\n- **Adjust watermark style:** Change font size, opacity (0 to 1), rotation angle, and color in the watermark options.\n- **Change passwords:** Update the user and owner passwords in the Password-Protect node (remove the user password if you only want to restrict editing, not opening)\n- **Skip protection:** Remove the protection branch (Protect → Save Protected) if you only need watermarked PDFs.\n- **Skip watermark:** Remove the watermark branch (Watermark → Save Watermarked) and keep only the protection branch if you only need encryption.\n- **Add compression:** Insert an Autype Compress operation before the Google Drive upload to reduce file size.\n- **Use a different trigger:** Replace the Google Drive Trigger with a webhook, email trigger, or any other trigger that provides binary PDF data.\n","workflow":{"id":"pdf-watermark-protect-gdrive","meta":{"instanceId":"autype-template"},"name":"Automatically Watermark and Password-Protect New PDFs in Google Drive with Autype","tags":[],"nodes":[{"id":"34427cf7-cbb9-4b7c-8a07-cdd0a6c8c11c","name":"New PDF Uploaded to Drive","type":"n8n-nodes-base.googleDriveTrigger","position":[432,208],"parameters":{"event":"fileCreated","options":{},"pollTimes":{"item":[{"mode":"everyMinute"}]},"triggerOn":"specificFolder","folderToWatch":{"__rl":true,"mode":"list","value":"YOUR_FOLDER_ID","cachedResultUrl":"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/YOUR_FOLDER_ID","cachedResultName":"Your Folder"}},"credentials":{"googleDriveOAuth2Api":{"id":"YOUR_GOOGLE_CREDENTIAL_ID","name":"Google Drive account"}},"typeVersion":1},{"id":"64a1aa76-575d-441e-94de-9ac48e648c2e","name":"Download PDF from Drive","type":"n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive","position":[704,208],"parameters":{"fileId":{"__rl":true,"mode":"id","value":"={{ $json.id }}"},"options":{},"operation":"download"},"credentials":{"googleDriveOAuth2Api":{"id":"YOUR_GOOGLE_CREDENTIAL_ID","name":"Google Drive account"}},"typeVersion":3},{"id":"c064c0b2-dedc-4622-baf6-5f1a5f8b125e","name":"Upload PDF to Autype","type":"n8n-nodes-autype.autype","position":[976,208],"parameters":{"resource":"file"},"credentials":{"autypeApi":{"id":"YOUR_CREDENTIAL_ID","name":"Autype account"}},"typeVersion":1},{"id":"3980bc9a-5655-429c-9661-cac956aac28b","name":"Add Watermark","type":"n8n-nodes-autype.autype","position":[1232,208],"parameters":{"fileId":"={{ $json.id }}","resource":"documentTools","operation":"watermark","downloadOutput":true,"watermarkOptions":{"opacity":0.3,"fontSize":50,"rotation":-45}},"credentials":{"autypeApi":{"id":"YOUR_CREDENTIAL_ID","name":"Autype account"}},"typeVersion":1},{"id":"ff4f32b4-c990-4989-a158-588ead63bb68","name":"Save Watermarked PDF to Drive","type":"n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive","position":[1504,208],"parameters":{"name":"={{ $('Download PDF from Drive').item.json.name.replace(/\\.pdf$/i, '') }}-watermark.pdf","driveId":{"__rl":true,"mode":"list","value":"My Drive"},"options":{},"folderId":{"__rl":true,"mode":"list","value":"YOUR_FOLDER_ID","cachedResultUrl":"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/YOUR_FOLDER_ID","cachedResultName":"Your Folder"}},"credentials":{"googleDriveOAuth2Api":{"id":"YOUR_GOOGLE_CREDENTIAL_ID","name":"Google Drive account"}},"typeVersion":3},{"id":"3b78ab54-9cd3-4bea-8869-23e3125c1231","name":"Password-Protect PDF","type":"n8n-nodes-autype.autype","position":[1232,544],"parameters":{"fileId":"={{ $json.id }}","resource":"documentTools","operation":"protect","downloadOutput":true,"protectOptions":{"userPassword":"open-secret","ownerPassword":"owner-secret"}},"credentials":{"autypeApi":{"id":"YOUR_CREDENTIAL_ID","name":"Autype account"}},"typeVersion":1},{"id":"dfef3221-c2bb-4999-91e1-c43d8aa7aeaa","name":"Save Protected PDF to Drive","type":"n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive","position":[1504,544],"parameters":{"name":"={{ $('Download PDF from Drive').item.json.name.replace(/\\.pdf$/i, '') }}-protected.pdf","driveId":{"__rl":true,"mode":"list","value":"My Drive"},"options":{},"folderId":{"__rl":true,"mode":"list","value":"YOUR_FOLDER_ID","cachedResultUrl":"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/YOUR_FOLDER_ID","cachedResultName":"Your Folder"}},"credentials":{"googleDriveOAuth2Api":{"id":"YOUR_GOOGLE_CREDENTIAL_ID","name":"Google Drive account"}},"typeVersion":3},{"id":"5401ddbc-72b5-4bc8-b89a-39e764d8361f","name":"Sticky Note","type":"n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote","position":[-208,-128],"parameters":{"width":520,"height":780,"content":"## Automatically Watermark and Password-Protect New PDFs in Google Drive\n### When a new PDF is uploaded to a Google Drive folder, this workflow automatically creates two secure versions: one with a \"CONFIDENTIAL\" watermark and one with password protection.\n\nActivate the workflow and it runs hands-free. Every new PDF in the watched folder gets processed within a minute.\n\n### How it works\n1. **New PDF Uploaded to Drive** — Google Drive Trigger watches a specific folder for new files (polls every minute).\n2. **Download PDF from Drive** — Downloads the new file as binary data.\n3. **Upload PDF to Autype** — Uploads to Autype Document Tools storage once (file ID valid for 60 min). Both branches use this same ID.\n4. **Branch A — Watermark:** Add Watermark → Save `*-watermark.pdf` to Drive.\n5. **Branch B — Protect:** Password-Protect PDF → Save `*-protected.pdf` to Drive.\n\nBoth branches run in parallel. No re-upload needed.\n\n### Requirements\n* **Autype account** — Sign up at [app.autype.com](https://app.autype.com) and go to **Settings → API Keys** to generate your API key.\n* **Google Drive** — Connect your Google account via OAuth2 in n8n credentials.\n* **n8n-nodes-autype** — Install the Autype community node via **Settings → Community Nodes** in your self-hosted n8n instance.\n\n> ⚠️ Community node: requires self-hosted n8n. Not available on n8n Cloud."},"typeVersion":1},{"id":"94d57c82-1a80-4fbe-a3da-0b59e5e60846","name":"Sticky Note1","type":"n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote","position":[368,64],"parameters":{"color":7,"width":520,"height":340,"content":"### 1. Trigger & Download\nThe Google Drive Trigger polls the watched folder every minute. When a new file appears, it downloads the PDF binary and uploads it once to Autype. The returned file ID is shared by both parallel branches."},"typeVersion":1},{"id":"12cb2442-1221-4bfb-842d-08a4c6424e0a","name":"Sticky Note2","type":"n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote","position":[1184,64],"parameters":{"color":7,"width":508,"height":292,"content":"### 2.1 Watermark & Save\nStamps a diagonal \"CONFIDENTIAL\" watermark on the uploaded PDF and saves the result back to Google Drive as `*-watermark.pdf`. Runs in parallel with branch 2.2."},"typeVersion":1},{"id":"9cada5de-f549-4d0a-8207-d27954ce4edc","name":"Sticky Note3","type":"n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote","position":[1184,416],"parameters":{"color":7,"width":512,"height":292,"content":"### 2.2 Protect & Save\nEncrypts the uploaded PDF with a user password (to open) and owner password (to edit), then saves as `*-protected.pdf` in the same folder. Runs in parallel with branch 2.1 — no re-upload needed."},"typeVersion":1}],"active":false,"pinData":{},"settings":{"executionOrder":"v1"},"versionId":"docs-v2","connections":{"Add Watermark":{"main":[[{"node":"Save Watermarked PDF to Drive","type":"main","index":0}]]},"Password-Protect PDF":{"main":[[{"node":"Save Protected PDF to Drive","type":"main","index":0}]]},"Upload PDF to Autype":{"main":[[{"node":"Add Watermark","type":"main","index":0},{"node":"Password-Protect PDF","type":"main","index":0}]]},"Download PDF from Drive":{"main":[[{"node":"Upload PDF to Autype","type":"main","index":0}]]},"New PDF Uploaded to Drive":{"main":[[{"node":"Download PDF from Drive","type":"main","index":0}]]},"Save Watermarked PDF to Drive":{"main":[[]]}}},"lastUpdatedBy":1,"workflowInfo":{"nodeCount":11,"nodeTypes":{"n8n-nodes-autype.autype":{"count":3},"n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote":{"count":4},"n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive":{"count":3},"n8n-nodes-base.googleDriveTrigger":{"count":1}}},"status":"published","readyToDemo":null,"user":{"name":"8Automator","username":"kesim0","bio":"Software Developer with 6+ years of experience based in Bavaria, Germany. I specialize in building business automation solutions, integrations, and tools with n8n to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.","verified":true,"links":[""],"avatar":"https://gravatar.com/avatar/752654f7c39695b04e1c549d8ec67c3cd526e8a97843ec25601baab4a707541e?r=pg&d=retro&size=200"},"nodes":[{"id":58,"icon":"file:googleDrive.svg","name":"n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive","codex":{"data":{"resources":{"generic":[{"url":"https://n8n.io/blog/your-business-doesnt-need-you-to-operate/","icon":" 🖥️","label":"Hey founders! 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