How to Create & Send PDF Document from Google Sheets using Pabbly Connect and PDFMonkey

Learn how to automate PDF document creation and sending from Google Sheets using Pabbly Connect and PDFMonkey with this step-by-step tutorial. This comprehensive guide reveals exactly how to connect your applications and automate repetitive tasks — accessible for professionals of all technical backgrounds.

Watch Step By Step Video Tutorial Below

1. Setting Up Pabbly Connect for Automation

To start the process of creating and sending PDF documents from Google Sheets, we first need to set up Pabbly Connect. This platform acts as the central integration tool that connects Google Sheets with PDFMonkey and Gmail. Begin by navigating to the Pabbly Connect website and signing in or creating a new account if you don’t have one.

Once signed in, click on the ‘Create Workflow’ button. Name your workflow appropriately, such as ‘Create and Send PDF Document from Google Sheets using PDFMonkey’. Select the folder where you want to save this workflow, and click on ‘Create’ to proceed. This setup is crucial as it establishes the foundation for the automation process.

2. Configuring Google Sheets as the Trigger Application

The next step involves configuring Google Sheets as the trigger application in Pabbly Connect. This means that whenever a new row is added or updated in your Google Sheet, it will trigger the automation. To do this, search for Google Sheets in the trigger application options.

• Select the trigger event as ‘New or Updated Spreadsheet Row’.
• Connect your Google Sheets account to Pabbly Connect by following the prompts.
• Copy the provided webhook URL, which will be used to link Google Sheets to Pabbly Connect.

After copying the webhook URL, navigate to your Google Sheets. Access the ‘Extensions’ menu, find the Pabbly Connect add-on, and set up the initial configuration. Paste the copied webhook URL into the designated field and specify the trigger column, which should be the final data column that indicates when to send data to Pabbly Connect.

3. Generating PDF Document Using PDFMonkey

With the Google Sheets trigger set up, the next step is to generate the PDF document using PDFMonkey through Pabbly Connect. In the actions section of your workflow, search for PDFMonkey as the action application. Select the action event ‘Generate Document’ to create the PDF certificate.

To connect PDFMonkey with Pabbly Connect, you need to provide an API token. Log into your PDFMonkey account, navigate to the API authentication section, and copy your API key. Paste this token back into Pabbly Connect to establish the connection.

• Enter the template ID for the PDF document you want to generate.
• Map the dynamic data fields from Google Sheets, such as participant names and course details, to the corresponding fields in your PDF template.
• Test the request to ensure the document is generated successfully.

Once the document is generated, you will receive a response containing a preview URL and document ID. This response confirms that the PDF has been successfully created using the data from your Google Sheets.

4. Sending the PDF Document via Gmail

After generating the PDF document, the next step is to send it to the participant via email using Gmail, facilitated by Pabbly Connect. Add a new action step in your workflow and select Gmail as the action application. Choose the action event ‘Send Email’ to initiate the email sending process.

Connect your Gmail account to Pabbly Connect by granting the necessary permissions. In the email setup, you will need to map the recipient’s email address, which you can retrieve from the Google Sheets response. Additionally, specify the email subject and content, including the dynamic link to the generated PDF document.

Map the participant’s name and course details in the email body. Ensure the download URL for the PDF is correctly linked in the email content. Test the email function to confirm it sends successfully.

Once the email is sent, you will receive a confirmation response indicating that the PDF document has been successfully emailed to the participant.

5. Conclusion: Automating PDF Document Creation with Pabbly Connect

In this tutorial, we explored how to create and send PDF documents from Google Sheets using Pabbly Connect and PDFMonkey. By setting up a trigger in Google Sheets, generating a PDF certificate through PDFMonkey, and sending it via Gmail, we streamlined the entire process.

This automation not only saves time but also ensures accuracy in document generation and distribution. Utilizing Pabbly Connect as the central integration platform allows for seamless connections between these applications, enhancing overall productivity.

With this setup, you can easily manage participant certificates or any other document generation tasks efficiently. Follow these steps to automate your workflows and focus on more critical tasks.