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๐Ÿ“ Extract and clean PDF data from Google Drive

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๐Ÿ“ Extract and clean PDF data from Google Drive preview
Open on n8n.io

Important notice

This workflow is provided as-is. Please review and test before using in production.

1. Workflow Overview

What This Does Automatically finds PDF file in Google Drive and extracts information. Use it to pull out clean output. It then formats the output into a clean JSON object. How It Works 1. Man...

Best for

  • Document Extraction automation workflows
  • AI Summarization automation workflows
  • advanced n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.noop, n8n-nodes-base.manualtrigger, n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.googledrive, n8n-nodes-base.extractfromfile, n8n-nodes-base.code, 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 EoCi - Mr.Eo.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
๐Ÿ“ Extract and clean PDF data from Google Drive
Workflow name
๐Ÿ“ Extract and clean PDF data from Google Drive

๐ŸŽฏ What This Does

Automatically finds PDF file in Google Drive and extracts information. Use it to pull out clean output. It then formats the output into a clean JSON object.


๐Ÿ”„ How It Works

1. Manual Trigger starts the process. 2. ๐Ÿ”ŽFind File: "Google Drive" node finds the PDF file/files in a specified folder and downloads it/them. 3. ๐Ÿ“Extract Raw Text: "Extract From File" node pulls the text content from the retrieval file/files. 4. โœ…Output Clean Data: "Code" node refines the extracted content and runs custom code for cleaning and final formatting.


๐Ÿš€Setup Guidelines

Setup Requirements

  • Google Drive Account: A Google Drive with an empty folder or folder that contains PDF file/files that you want to process.
  • API Keys: Gemini, Google Drive.

Set up steps

Setup time: < 5 minutes

  1. Add Credentials in n8n:

    • Ensure your Google Drive OAuth2 and Google Gemini (PaLM) API credentials are created and connected. Go to Credentials > New to add them if you haven't created yet.
  2. Configure the Search Node (Get PDF Files/File):

    • Open the node and select your Google Drive credential.
    • In the "Resource" field, choose File/Folder. In "Search Method" field, select "Search File/Folder Name", In "Search Query" type in *.pdf.
    • Add on 2 filters, in "Folder" filter click on dropdown choose "From List" and connect to the created folder on your google drive. In "What to Search" filter, select file.
    • Add on "Options" (optional): Click on "Add option", choose ("ID" and "Name")
  3. Define Extraction Rules (Extract Files/File's Data):

    • Select File Type: Open node and click on the dropdown below "Operation" section, choose "Extract From PDF". Next, in "Input Binary Field" section keep as default "data".
  4. Clean & Format Data (Optional):

    • Adjust the Get PDF Data Only node to keep only the fields you need and give them friendly names.
    • Modify the Data Parser & Cleaner node if you need to perform custom transformation.
  5. Activate and Run:

    • Save and Activate the workflow.
    • Click "Execute Workflow" to run it manually and check the output.

Thatโ€™s it! Once configured, this workflow becomes your personal data assistant. Run it anytime you need to extract information quickly and accurately, saving you hours of manual work and ensuring your data is always ready to use.

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 - Done !

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

Block 2 - Start

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

Block 3 - Get PDF Data Only

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.4

Block 4 - Get PDF Files/File

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

Block 5 - Download Retrieval Files/File

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

Block 6 - Extract Files/File's Data

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

Block 7 - Data Parser & Cleaner

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

Block 8 - Sticky Note2

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

Block 9 - Sticky Note3

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

Block 10 - Sticky Note4

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

Block 11 - Sticky Note5

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

Block 12 - Sticky Note6

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

Block 13 - Sticky Note7

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

Block 14 - Sticky Note8

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

Block 15 - Sticky Note9

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

3. Summary Table

Workflow ๐Ÿ“ Extract and clean PDF data from Google Drive
Complexity advanced
Nodes 15
Categories Document Extraction, AI Summarization
Author EoCi - Mr.Eo
Published 28 Sept 2025

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/9061/9061.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 ๐Ÿ“ Extract and clean PDF data from Google Drive do?

What This Does Automatically finds PDF file in Google Drive and extracts information. Use it to pull out clean output. It then formats the output into a clean JSON object. How It Works 1. Man...

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, AI Summarization use case.