Make Integration: Automate Document Generation

Last updated March 23, 2026

The PDFMonkey module for Make lets you generate documents as part of your automated scenarios. Combine it with triggers from form builders, CRMs, or databases to produce and deliver files without writing code.

Setup

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A PDFMonkey account (sign up here)
  • A Make account
  • A published template in PDFMonkey

For account creation and template setup, see From Zero to First Document.

To connect PDFMonkey to Make, add the PDFMonkey module to your scenario and click Create a connection. Enter your API Secret Key from the My Account page.

Generate a Document

Add the PDFMonkey Generate a Document module to your scenario. Select your Workspace and Template, then map fields from previous modules to the variables defined in your template.

PDFMonkey field mapping in Make

Naming variables

Variable names in your template must follow specific formatting rules. See the naming variables reference for correct and incorrect formats.

After the module runs, it returns data about the generated document, including the download URL and filename.

Document generated result in Make

Working with the Generated File

Downloading the File

To use the generated file in downstream modules, download it first. Add the HTTP Get a File module and pass it the Download URL returned by the PDFMonkey module.

HTTP Get a File module configuration

The download URL expires after 1 hour. If you plan to use it later, download the file immediately or upload it to permanent storage. See Download URL for details.

Sending by Email

Add your email provider module (or Make’s built-in Send an email module) and attach the downloaded file. Customize the File name field to avoid the default file.pdf name; the PDFMonkey module returns a filename you can use directly.

Email attachment configuration with custom filename

You can also set a custom filename in PDFMonkey so it arrives with a meaningful name in every scenario.

Example: Tally Form to Document

This example shows a complete scenario that receives a Tally form submission, generates a document, and sends it by email.

The Tally Form

The scenario uses a Tally form as its data source:

Tally form used as scenario trigger

Setting Up the Trigger

Create a new scenario with Tally’s Watch New Responses trigger. Make creates a webhook URL and attaches it to your Tally form automatically.

Tally webhook setup in Make

Submit a test form entry and click Run once to verify the connection:

Run once button in Make scenario

Trigger data received from Tally

Mapping Fields and Generating

With the trigger data available, configure the PDFMonkey module to map Tally fields to your template variables, then add the HTTP and email modules as described in Working with the Generated File.

Always publish your template

If the documents you generate don’t match your template, check that you published it. Forgetting to publish after making changes is a common mistake, especially when switching between Make and PDFMonkey.

Troubleshooting

JSON Escaping

The Make module sends data as JSON. If your data contains double quotes or line breaks, the JSON becomes invalid. For example, a name like Peter "Spider-Man" Parker breaks the JSON structure.

Replace " with \" inside values to escape double quotes:

JSON escaping configuration in Make

Line breaks (\n) require the same treatment: replace \n with \\n to keep the JSON valid.

Template Not Published

If the generated documents don’t reflect your latest template changes, the most likely cause is an unpublished template. Open your template in PDFMonkey and click Publish before running the scenario again.

Download URL Expired

The download URL is valid for 1 hour. If a later module in your scenario fails because the URL has expired, move the HTTP Get a File step closer to the PDFMonkey module so the download happens immediately.

For more details, see Download URL Returns 403.

Next Steps

Navigation