Fill PDF forms in Pipedream workflows
Add Emboss as a step in any Pipedream workflow: turn flat PDFs fillable, fill them from context documents, and hand the finished PDF to the next step. Native async polling, with no callbacks to wire up.
Up and running in five steps.
- 01
Add the Emboss step
In the workflow builder, search for Emboss in the step picker and add it wherever the PDF work happens: after a trigger, a download, or any step that produces a file.
- 02
Connect your API key
Create an Emboss account, copy an API key from the dashboard, and paste it when Pipedream asks you to connect the app. The connection is reused across workflows.
- 03
Pick an action
Choose Create Fillable Form, Fill From PDF + Context, or Fill Existing Form, depending on whether you're making a form fillable, filling a new one in one pass, or re-filling one you've created before.
- 04
Map the file and context
Set File Path Or Url to the PDF from an earlier step (a /tmp path or a URL both work), and attach any context files Emboss should read values from.
- 05
Get the filled PDF
The action polls until processing completes and returns the filled PDF's /tmp filepath, ready for the next step to upload, attach, or send.
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's /tmp filepath, 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's /tmp filepath |
| Fill Existing Form | Fills a form you've already created with new context documents | The filled PDF's /tmp filepath |
Pipedream specifics.
Raise the execution timeout
Set your workflow's execution timeout to at least 750 seconds (workflow settings → execution controls). PDF processing can outlast the default timeout on long, context-heavy forms.
Async with native rerun polling
Processing is asynchronous, and the action uses Pipedream's native rerun mechanism to poll: it suspends between checks instead of holding compute, then resumes when the PDF is ready. No callback URLs to configure.
Deploy to see true behavior
The builder's test mode can appear to sit on long polls. That's a quirk of testing suspended steps, not a hang. Deploy the workflow to see how it actually runs.
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.
Why does the step look stuck when I test it?
The builder's test mode doesn't visualize suspended steps well, so a long poll can look like a hang. The deployed workflow suspends and resumes correctly. Deploy it and check the event log to see true behavior.
What does the action return?
The filled PDF's filepath in /tmp, Pipedream's standard place for files in a workflow. Downstream steps can read it directly to upload, attach, or send the PDF.
Fill your first form in five minutes.
Free to start. No card, no subscription — pay per call when you're ready to scale.