Automated upload & send a large file with TransferNow

This workflow creates a user-friendly web form to upload a file, which allows users to upload a single large file (up to 5Gb) through a custom web form and automatically send it via TransferNow, handling the complex multi-part upload process required for large files.

Advantages

• ✅ No manual steps: The entire process from file upload to email delivery is fully automated.
• ✅User-friendly: Anyone can upload files via a simple web form, without needing to access TransferNow directly.
• ✅Supports large files: TransferNow’s API handles large files that are not suitable for email attachments.
• ✅ Secure file delivery: The workflow uses TransferNow’s secure, expiring download links.
• ✅Customizable: You can easily adjust the workflow to support multiple file types, multiple recipients, or different validity rules.
• ✅Scalable: Works for individuals, teams, or businesses that frequently need to share large documents.

How It Works

The workflow is triggered when a user submits the embedded web form. Here is the process:

1. Form Trigger: A user accesses the form, fills in the required details (Title, Message, Recipient Email), and uploads a single PDF file. Submitting the form starts the workflow.
2. File Processing: The workflow calculates the size of the uploaded file, which is a necessary parameter for the TransferNow API.
3. Transfer Creation: It sends a request to the TransferNow API to create a new file transfer. The API responds with details needed for the upload, including a unique transferId and uploadId.
4. Upload URL Retrieval: The workflow requests a pre-signed upload URL from TransferNow for the specific part of the file.
5. File Upload: The binary file data from the form and the upload URL from the previous step are merged. The workflow then performs a direct PUT request to the secured TransferNow URL to upload the file's binary content.
6. Upload Confirmation: After the upload, the workflow informs the TransferNow API that the file part upload is complete.
7. Finalization: Once the entire upload is confirmed, the workflow finalizes the transfer on TransferNow's side.
8. Data Retrieval & Response: The workflow fetches the final transfer data, constructs a public download URL, and sends a success message back to the user's browser, displaying the recipient's email and the download link.

Set Up Steps

To use this workflow, you need to configure the connection to the TransferNow API.

1. Get TransferNow API Credentials:

   • Create a free account on TransferNow developer portal to get your API key (a 14-day free trial is available).

2. Configure Credentials in n8n:

   • In the n8n editor, locate the HTTP Request nodes named "Set Transfer", "Get Upload Url", etc.
   • These nodes use a credential called "Header Auth TransferNow". You need to create this credential.
   • Go to Credentials > Add Credential and select "HTTP Header Auth".
   • Give it a name (e.g., "TransferNow API Key").
   • In the Name field, enter x-api-key.
   • In the Value field, paste your personal TransferNow API key.
   • Save the credential. The existing nodes will automatically use it, or you can select it from the dropdown in each node's credentials section.

3. Activate the Workflow:

   • Save the workflow and click the Activate toggle to make it live.
   • Once activated, the On form submission node will provide a unique public URL for your form. Share this URL with users to start uploading and sending files.

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