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Automatically sign PDFs from a watched Google Drive folder with PDF API Hub

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Automatically sign PDFs from a watched Google Drive folder with PDF API Hub preview
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1. Workflow Overview

Auto E Sign PDF — Google Drive Watcher Automatically signs PDF documents the moment they land in a Google Drive folder — no manual steps needed. The signed output is routed to a Drive folder. How i...

Best for

  • Document Extraction automation workflows
  • intermediate n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.googledrivetrigger, n8n-nodes-base.googledrive, n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.if, n8n-nodes-pdf-api-hub.pdfsplitmerge, n8n-nodes-base.stickynote

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Rishabh Dugar.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Automatically sign PDFs from a watched Google Drive folder with PDF API Hub
Workflow name
Automatically sign PDFs from a watched Google Drive folder with PDF API Hub

Auto E-Sign PDF — Google Drive Watcher

Automatically signs PDF documents the moment they land in a Google Drive folder — no manual steps needed. The signed output is routed to a Drive folder.


How it works

  1. Google Drive Trigger watches a folder every minute for newly created files
  2. Download file fetches the file from Drive into the workflow
  3. Config sets your signature URL, position (x/y), and output method (drive or email)
  4. Is PDF? filters out non-PDF files — only PDFs proceed
  5. Sign a PDF overlays your signature image at the configured coordinates using PDF API Hub
  6. Output Router sends the signed PDF to Drive
  7. Log records the filename and signed status for auditing

Setup

Credentials

  • Google Drive OAuth2 (trigger + download + upload nodes)
  • PDF API Hub API key — sign up at pdfapihub.com

Configuration (in the Config node)

Field Description
signature_url Public URL to your PNG signature image
sign_x / sign_y Pixel coordinates for signature placement
output drive to save to Google Drive, email to send via email
email Recipient address (required only if output = email)

Folder setup

  • Set your watch folder in the Google Drive Trigger node
  • Set your output folder in the Upload file node

Notes

  • Signature image should be a PNG with a transparent background for best results
  • Non-PDF files dropped into the watched folder are silently skipped

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Google Drive Trigger

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleDriveTrigger - googleDriveTrigger
Config choices
Version 1

Block 2 - Download file

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive - googleDrive
Config choices
Version 3

Block 3 - Config

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 2

Block 4 - Is PDF?

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 1

Block 5 - Sign a PDF with a signature image

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-pdf-api-hub.pdfSplitMerge - pdfSplitMerge
Config choices
Version 1

Block 6 - Upload file

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive - googleDrive
Config choices
Version 3

Block 7 - Log

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 2

Block 8 - Sticky Note - Folders

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

3. Summary Table

Workflow Automatically sign PDFs from a watched Google Drive folder with PDF API Hub
Complexity intermediate
Nodes 8
Categories Document Extraction
Author Rishabh Dugar
Published 12 Apr 2026

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/14998/14998.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Automatically sign PDFs from a watched Google Drive folder with PDF API Hub do?

Auto E Sign PDF — Google Drive Watcher Automatically signs PDF documents the moment they land in a Google Drive folder — no manual steps needed. The signed output is routed to a Drive folder. How i...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Document Extraction use case.