The automations below allow you to create PDF documents from your Airtable data. They each have their own strengths:
Comparison
| Best for | Set-up process | Use case examples |
PDF Generator | generating PDFs from a template that doesn't need line items | very easy | invitations, contracts, certificates, brochures, tickets |
Invoice Generator | invoices and receipts with line items | very easy | invoices, receipts |
Generate PDF from Airtable Formula | simple text-only PDFs | more involved | very simple documents to meet record-keeping requirements |
Convert HTML to PDF | maximum flexibility | more involved | same as PDF generator, but with conditional fields and other more complex configurations |
PDF Generator
The most user-friendly, yet powerful option for this is our PDF Generator automation. Here's how to set it up:
Upload the PDF Template to the automation settings page. This template should have fillable fields in it.
Set the Output Field where the filled out PDF will be stored.
Optionally, set the Filename Field, i.e. the field that contains the file name for the generated PDF, e.g. invoice number etc. Any characters that are not permitted in file names are ignored.
Under Field Mapping, click Scan PDF for Form Fields.
Select which PDF form field maps to which Airtable field. Data from that Airtable field will be entered into that field in the PDF when the automation is run.
Confirm your field mapping by clicking Save Mappings.
Optional: Under Output Options, choose whether or not to flatten the PDF. If this option is enabled (which is the default), the fields will no longer be editable in the generated PDF.
This automation is a great way to export data from specific records, or records in a specific view, as easy-to-use PDFs! It is currently limited to generated files in portrait orientation.
Invoice Generator
Our invoice generator automation can generate PDF invoices. This is the simplest and quickest way to generate invoices in Airtable. Have a look at the linked article for how to set this up and all the options!
Generate PDF from Airtable Formula
This automation is used for simple text-only PDFs. The content of the PDF is generated by a formula field, where you can add data from different fields. This automation generates PDFs in portrait orientation by default. This can be changed by setting Orientation to Landscape.
Convert HTML to PDF
This automation generates PDFs based on HTML code, and can therefore create PDFs with the exact design you desire! ChatGPT can help generate the HTML code if you're not familiar with it. The HTML code needs to be contained in a formula field and can contain data from different fields. This automation generates PDFs in portrait orientation by default. This can be changed by setting Orientation to Landscape.