Compress PDFs via n8n Form with pdfRest API Toolkit

Compress PDFs instantly from an n8n Form using the pdfRest API Toolkit

This workflow gives your users a simple upload form: select a compression level, submit a PDF, and receive a smaller, compressed PDF back in the same browser response—powered by the pdfRest API Toolkit inside a self-hosted n8n workflow.

What this workflow does

• Collects input: Receives a PDF file upload and a chosen compression level (low, medium, or high) via an n8n Form Trigger.
• Maps fields correctly: Aligns the form’s uploaded file field name with the configured binary input field name (default is "PDF") and passes the selected compression level into the pdfRest processing fields.
• Optimizes via pdfRest: Sends the uploaded PDF to the pdfRest API Toolkit using the selected compression level (Optimize/Compress PDF), then downloads the optimized result.
• Returns binary response: Responds to the browser with the compressed PDF as a binary file response through a Respond to Webhook-style response.

Use cases

• Build a lightweight internal tool for SaaS ops to reduce PDF size before sharing with customers or partners.
• Enable support teams to compress attachments on demand (e.g., for email or portal upload limits).
• Provide an n8n-powered “compress and download” experience for end users without additional client-side libraries.

Technical details

• Required: Self-hosted n8n
• Node / integration: @pdfrest/n8n-nodes-pdfrest community node (pdfRest API)
• Credential: pdfRest API key plus the correct endpoint/region from pdfrest.com
• Workflow components: Form Trigger, Set (field mapping), optional notes (e.g., set/sticky note), and a binary file response via Respond-to-Webhooks

Customization is possible: replace the Form Trigger with a Webhook to compress files sent by another system, or swap the return step for Google Drive upload instead of responding with the file.