How to Create PDF Reports and Documents with Airtable & Pabbly Connect

Learn how to create automated PDF reports and documents using Airtable and Pabbly Connect in this detailed tutorial. Step-by-step instructions included. Explore systematic approaches to creating efficient automation solutions that convert technical concepts into practical, implementable instructions.

Watch Step By Step Video Tutorial Below

1. Accessing Pabbly Connect for Automation

To create PDF reports with Airtable and Pabbly Connect, start by accessing the Pabbly Connect platform. You can do this by entering the URL Pabbly.com/connect in your browser. This will take you to the homepage where you can either sign in or sign up for a free account.

Once you are on the homepage, if you are a new user, click on the ‘Sign Up for Free’ button to create your account, which takes only a couple of minutes. After signing up, you will be able to explore the features of Pabbly Connect and utilize 100 free tasks every month, allowing you to test various automations.

2. Creating a Workflow in Pabbly Connect

After signing into Pabbly Connect, navigate to your dashboard and click on the ‘Create Workflow’ button. You will need to name your workflow, for instance, ‘Create PDF Reports and Documents with Airtable and Pabbly Connect.’ Select the appropriate folder for organization before clicking on ‘Create’ to initiate the workflow setup.

• Click on ‘Create Workflow’.
• Name your workflow accordingly.
• Select a folder for organization.

Once the workflow is created, you will see two sections: Trigger and Action. The Trigger is an event that starts the workflow, while the Action is what happens as a result. In this case, the Trigger will be Airtable, and the Action will be Google Docs, both integrated seamlessly using Pabbly Connect.

3. Setting Up Airtable as the Trigger

In this step, you will set Airtable as the Trigger application in your Pabbly Connect workflow. Choose ‘Airtable’ as your trigger application and select the trigger event as ‘New Record’. This means that every time a new record is added in Airtable, the workflow will be activated.

After selecting the trigger event, click on ‘Connect’ to establish a connection with your Airtable account. It’s important to be logged into your Airtable account for a smooth connection process. Grant Pabbly Connect access to your Airtable base, ensuring it can capture all necessary data.

• Select ‘Airtable’ as the Trigger application.
• Choose ‘New Record’ as the trigger event.
• Connect to your Airtable account and grant access.

Once the connection is established, select the base and table from your Airtable account that you want to use. For example, you might select a base named ‘Unique Waves Order Details.’ This setup allows Pabbly Connect to monitor the Airtable base for new entries and trigger subsequent actions.

4. Creating Google Docs Action for Invoices

After setting up the Airtable Trigger, the next step is to add an Action in Pabbly Connect. Select ‘Google Docs’ as the Action application and choose the action event ‘Create Document from Template.’ This action will generate an invoice document based on a predefined template each time a new record is added in Airtable.

Connect your Google Docs account to Pabbly Connect and select the template document you have created for invoices. This template should contain placeholders for customer details, such as name, email, and item purchased, which will be dynamically filled with data from Airtable.

Select ‘Google Docs’ as the Action application. Choose ‘Create Document from Template’ as the action event. Map the customer details to the invoice template.

By mapping these details correctly, Pabbly Connect ensures that each invoice generated contains the correct information for each customer, thus automating the entire invoicing process efficiently.

5. Finalizing and Testing the Workflow

With both the Trigger and Action set up, it’s time to finalize your workflow in Pabbly Connect. Click on the ‘Save’ button to ensure all your configurations are stored. You can then test the workflow by adding a new record in your Airtable base. After a short wait, the invoice should be generated automatically in Google Docs.

Once you add a new order in Airtable, wait for the 10-minute polling time for Pabbly Connect to capture the new record. After this time, check your Google Docs account to see the newly created invoice. The invoice will reflect all the details you mapped from Airtable, confirming that your workflow is working successfully.

By using Pabbly Connect, you can automate this process without any coding skills, making it accessible for everyone. This integration not only saves time but also reduces the chances of human error in invoice generation.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to create automated PDF reports and documents using Airtable and Pabbly Connect. By following these steps, you can streamline your invoicing process and improve efficiency in your operations. This powerful integration allows you to focus on your business while Pabbly Connect handles the automation seamlessly.