Google Sheets to PDF with Zapier

1.1 — Structure your data

Nothing fancy here. Headers in row 1, data below. I'll use a certificate example, but the same structure works for invoices, reports, whatever you're building.

I added an email column so I can send each certificate to the right person later. You can skip that if you just need to download the PDFs.

1.2 — Column naming tips

One thing that'll save you headaches: keep column names simple. No spaces, no special characters.

Already have a spreadsheet with weird column names? It'll still work, you'll just have to map fields manually in Zapier.

2.1 — Choose a template

I'll use a certificate template for this tutorial. You can grab one from our template gallery or create your own from scratch.

1. Go to Templates
2. Pick one that looks close to what you need
3. Click Use Template to copy it to your dashboard

Already have a design from Canva or Figma? Check out our Canva import guide.

2.2 — Add variables for your columns

Here's the key part. Your spreadsheet has a column called name. In your template, you use {{name}}. When Zapier runs, it swaps the placeholder for the actual value.

So the template text changes from this:

Need to do more with your data? Check expressions for things like formatting dates or doing math.

2.3 — Test it

Before connecting Zapier, let's make sure the template actually works. Click the Preview tab and paste in some test data:

You should see the values appear in your certificate. If something looks off, fix it now before we connect Zapier.

3.1 — Set up the trigger

1. Go to zapier.com and create a new Zap
2. Search for Google Sheets
3. Pick New Spreadsheet Row as the trigger
4. Connect your Google account and select your spreadsheet
5. Test it — Zapier should pull in one of your existing rows

There's also a New or Updated Spreadsheet Row trigger if you want to regenerate PDFs when you edit a row. I'm using the simpler one for this tutorial.

3.2 — Add the PDF action

1. Add an action step and search for TemplateFox
2. Pick Generate PDF
3. Connect your account (you'll need your API key from the dashboard)
4. Select the template you created earlier
5. Map the fields — Zapier shows you all the columns from your sheet

If you named your columns the same as your template variables, Zapier might auto-fill some of this.

3.3 — Send the PDF somewhere

The PDF action gives you a URL. Now you need to do something with it. I'm going to email it.

1. Add another action: Gmail (or whatever email service you use)
2. For the recipient, use the email column from your spreadsheet
3. Attach the PDF URL from the previous step
4. Write your email subject and body

Turn on the Zap and add a row to your spreadsheet. If everything's wired up right, you should get an email with the PDF attached.

Don't want to email? You can save to Google Drive, upload to Dropbox, post to Slack — whatever works for your workflow.