Processing
PDF Manipulation Nodes Reference
Technical reference for `copyPdf`, `mergePdf`, `splitPdf`, `compressPdf`, `rotatePdf`, `watermarkPdf`, `metadataPdf`, and `flattenPdf`.
Updated 2 min read
Overview
This page covers the PDF file-manipulation nodes that create new PDF artifacts without changing the broader workflow payload model.
Configuration / Settings
| Node | Key settings | Notes |
|---|---|---|
copyPdf | suffix | Appends a suffix like _copy to the original filename. |
mergePdf | filename, orderMode, firstFilePattern, patternOperator, patternCaseSensitive, dedupeByName, pageMode, pageRanges | Supports deterministic ordering and optional page filters. |
splitPdf | UI: method, ranges, pageCount | The UI exposes burst, ranges, and fixed-page splits. The underlying API currently supports burst and explicit page selection; fixed-size chunking should be treated as a current limitation. |
compressPdf | UI: compression level | Compression is routed through the PDF compression service. |
rotatePdf | angle | Executor also supports a pages field, although the current sidebar only exposes the angle selector. |
watermarkPdf | text | The sidebar exposes text. The watermark API also supports opacity, font size, color, and position. |
metadataPdf | title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer | Only the first four are exposed in the sidebar today. |
flattenPdf | annotations, forms | Annotation flattening is limited because pdf-lib only truly flattens forms. |
Inputs Expected
- All covered nodes expect upstream PDF files as
Blob[]. mergePdfworks best with multiple inputs.splitPdf,compressPdf,rotatePdf,watermarkPdf,metadataPdf, andflattenPdfcan process one or more PDFs independently.
Variables Exported / Outputs
Output shape for all covered nodes: Blob[]
Notable metadata:
copyPdf,mergePdf, and other file-producing nodes storeoutputFileIds.mergePdfalso records the orderedfileIdsit used.splitPdfcan produce a ZIP-style artifact depending on the split mode and current API path.
Common Use Cases
- Preserve the original document with
copyPdfbefore destructive edits. - Merge uploads into a single package for email or archive steps.
- Stamp metadata and watermarking before sending a final download.
- Flatten filled forms before printing or long-term storage.
Edge Cases
mergePdfvalidates regex patterns and page-range syntax before sending the request.splitPdfhas an implementation gap between the UI's fixed-size mode and the current API route.flattenPdfcan flatten form fields, but annotation flattening is limited by the underlying library.metadataPdfsupports more fields than the sidebar currently exposes, so advanced values may need to be set programmatically.