Fill PDF forms in n8n workflows
Drop Emboss into any n8n workflow: turn flat PDFs fillable, fill them from documents you already have, and pass the finished PDF to the next node. Verified by n8n, on self-hosted n8n and n8n Cloud.
Up and running in five steps.
- 01
Add the verified node
Emboss is a verified n8n node, so it's in the built-in Nodes panel. Open the editor, click + in the top right, and search for Emboss. An instance owner does a one-time setup, then everyone on the instance can use it, on self-hosted n8n or n8n Cloud.
- 02
Connect your API key
Create an Emboss account, copy an API key from the dashboard, and add it as an Emboss credential in n8n. One credential covers every operation.
- 03
Pick an operation
Add the Emboss node and choose Create Fillable Form, Fill From PDF + Context, or Fill Existing Form. For existing forms, a built-in picker lists the forms on your account, so there are no IDs to copy around.
- 04
Map the PDF and context
Point the node at the binary PDF from a previous step — an email attachment, a Drive download, an HTTP response — and attach any context files Emboss should read values from.
- 05
Use the filled PDF downstream
The node returns the finished PDF as binary data, ready for whatever comes next: email it, save it to storage, post it to another API.
Three actions, one connection.
| Action | What it does | What you get back |
|---|---|---|
| Create Fillable Form | Detects the fields in a flat PDF and places real form fields on it | The fillable PDF as binary data, plus the form's id for later fills |
| Fill From PDF + Context | Takes a flat PDF and your context documents, detects the fields, and fills them in one pass | The filled PDF as binary data |
| Fill Existing Form | Fills a form you've already created, picked from the built-in form list, using new context documents | The filled PDF as binary data |
n8n specifics.
No webhook setup
Emboss processes asynchronously, but the node handles that for you: it polls until the job completes and returns the result in the same execution. There is nothing to configure: no callback URLs, no second workflow.
Verified by n8n
Emboss is an n8n-verified node, reviewed by n8n and listed in the built-in Nodes panel. It ships with zero runtime dependencies, so installs are instant and it runs the same on self-hosted n8n and n8n Cloud.
Self-hosted and Cloud
Everything works the same on a self-hosted n8n instance and on n8n Cloud. The node only needs outbound HTTPS to the Emboss API.
Questions, answered.
How is it priced?
Per operation, with no subscription. Creating a fillable form and filling one are billed separately, in cents, and every account gets a free monthly allowance, enough to build and test a workflow without paying anything. Current rates are on the pricing page.
How long does processing take?
It scales with page count and how much context Emboss has to read, from seconds for a short form to a few minutes for a long, context-heavy one. The integration polls for you and resumes when the PDF is ready, so you never write timing logic.
What are the file limits?
The form must be a PDF up to 10 MB and 100 pages. You can attach up to 5 context files — PDF, DOCX, XLSX, images, or plain text — with 30 MB total across them.
Does it work on self-hosted n8n?
Yes. Emboss is verified by n8n, so it's in the built-in Nodes panel on any self-hosted instance and on n8n Cloud. An instance owner does a one-time setup, then the node behaves identically on both.
Where does the filled PDF go?
It comes back as binary data on the node's output, the standard n8n shape, so any node that accepts binary input (email, storage, HTTP request) can use it directly.
Fill your first form in five minutes.
Free to start. No card, no subscription — pay per call when you're ready to scale.