Step-by-Step Guide to Integrating Google Docs with Airtable Data on Make.com: Create PDF Reports with Ease

Hey there, Make.com users! Today, we're going to tackle a common problem that many of us have faced: integrating Google Docs with Airtable data to create PDF reports. We'll walk you through a step-by-step solution, provide some troubleshooting tips, and wrap up with a summary. Let's dive in!

The Problem

So, you've been playing around with the Google Docs integration, generating an HTML table with several rows and inline CSS formatting, and then creating a new Google Doc to insert the HTML. That's all fine and dandy, but here's the catch: the only module that allows you to insert HTML is the 'create Google document' module.

Ideally, you'd want to create a template (with headers, page numbers, etc.) and insert the HTML table into that. But the 'Create document from template' module and 'add to existing document' module don't seem to allow that. The HTML is inserted but not rendered as HTML. Quite a pickle, isn't it?

The Solution

After spending hours on this, we've found a solution that works well. Here's a step-by-step guide:

  1. Create a JSON string using Make, from your Airtable data.
  2. Pass that JSON string to Google Apps Script.
  3. Google Apps Script runs JavaScript to create a table (not an HTML table) in your Google Doc and populate it with your data.

And voila! You've successfully integrated your Airtable data with Google Docs.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you're finding that the formatting is suffering and the output isn't as beautiful as you'd like, don't worry. This is a common issue. The best workaround we've found is to first create a document from a template and an HTML table from the Airtable data, and then insert this as HTML using the 'create a document' module. It's not perfect, but it's the best we've managed to achieve so far.

Summary

In conclusion, integrating Google Docs with Airtable data to create PDF reports can be a bit tricky, but it's definitely doable. By creating a JSON string from your Airtable data and passing it to Google Apps Script, you can create a table in your Google Doc and populate it with your data. Remember, the key is to use the 'create a document' module to insert your HTML. Happy making!

You do have further questions?

Ask your question via E-Mail: Richard@make-app.de
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