Use a self-hosted Gotenberg container and n8n’s HTTP Request node. Build your HTML in the workflow, turn it into binary data with the filename index.html, upload that file to Gotenberg’s Chromium endpoint, and store the PDF returned in the response. This avoids sending the document to a hosted PDF-conversion provider while keeping the renderer inside your own Docker network.
Strictly speaking, Gotenberg exposes an HTTP API. “Without an API” therefore means without a third-party hosted conversion API. The sources for this workflow do not establish a completely in-process n8n conversion method that makes no HTTP call at all.
What you need
- A self-hosted n8n instance, normally running in Docker Compose.
- A Gotenberg image that includes Chromium. The full image includes Chromium, LibreOffice and PDF engines; the Chromium-only image supports URL, HTML and Markdown conversion. The LibreOffice-only image does not support HTML conversion.
- An HTML string in an n8n item, plus a desired output name.
Keep Gotenberg on the same Compose network as n8n. Other services can then reach it at http://gotenberg:3000 without publishing the renderer to the public internet.
Run Gotenberg beside n8n
Add a Gotenberg service to the same Docker Compose project as n8n. The official installation documentation uses the gotenberg/gotenberg:8 image. A minimal service is:
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services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
# keep your existing n8n configuration here
gotenberg:
image: gotenberg/gotenberg:8
# No ports are required when only n8n needs accessStart or recreate the project with your normal Compose command. Because both containers share a network, the n8n HTTP Request node should use the service name gotenberg, not localhost. Inside the n8n container, localhost refers to n8n itself.
Do not expose the renderer unnecessarily
Published Docker ports are externally reachable by default. If you need to test from the host, bind a port to loopback, such as 127.0.0.1:3000:3000, rather than exposing it on every interface. For production, service-to-service access on the private Compose network is usually sufficient.
Build the n8n workflow
1. Provide the HTML
Your first node can be a Webhook, Set, Code, database, or other node that outputs JSON similar to:
{
"html": "<!doctype html><html><head><style>body{font-family:Arial}</style></head><body><h1>Invoice</h1></body></html>",
"file_name": "invoice.pdf"
}Build a complete document when possible: include the doctype, html, head, styles and body. Relative CSS, image and font references must point to assets that Gotenberg can access or that you upload with the request.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match2. Convert the string to a binary file named index.html
Gotenberg’s HTML endpoint expects the uploaded HTML file to be named exactly index.html. In n8n, add a binary-preparation step (for example, the template’s “Convert to File” approach) and configure it as follows:
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- Use the
htmlJSON property as the source content. - Set the output filename to
index.html, regardless of the eventual PDF name. - Store the result in a binary property, such as
data.
Do not merely pass a filesystem path. A path visible in the n8n container is not automatically visible inside Gotenberg; upload the file as multipart form data.
3. Configure the HTTP Request node
Add an HTTP Request node after the binary step:
- Method:
POST. - URL:
http://gotenberg:3000/forms/chromium/convert/html. - Send body: enabled.
- Body content type: multipart form-data.
- Add one form-data field whose type is a binary file. Select the binary property containing
index.html. - Set the response format to File (binary), using a property such as
pdf.
Run the node. A successful response is the generated PDF in the pdf binary property. Connect that output to a storage node, email attachment, webhook response, or another step that accepts binary data.
4. Name the resulting PDF
The upload must remain index.html; rename the returned binary afterward. Use the original file_name value if it ends in .pdf, or append the extension in a Set/Edit Fields step. This keeps the renderer’s requirement separate from your user-facing filename.
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- Trigger: receive or generate
htmlandfile_name. - Prepare binary: write
htmlto binary propertydatawith filenameindex.html. - HTTP Request: POST multipart form data to
http://gotenberg:3000/forms/chromium/convert/html. - Receive file: configure the response as binary property
pdf. - Deliver: save, email, return from a webhook, or pass the PDF to the next node.
This is the same architecture documented by the n8n workflow example: JSON HTML input, binary preparation, multipart upload and a returned PDF binary.
Test Gotenberg outside n8n
Testing the renderer separately helps distinguish Docker networking problems from n8n configuration errors. Create a local file called index.html, then run:
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curl -X POST
http://localhost:3000/forms/chromium/convert/html
-F files=@index.html
-o output.pdfUse gotenberg:3000 rather than localhost:3000 when the request originates inside the n8n container. If you published the port only on loopback, the host-side curl command uses localhost.
Dynamic pages, JavaScript and assets
Wait for the page to be ready
Chromium can begin printing before charts, data or external content has finished rendering. Gotenberg supports a fixed waitDelay and a condition-based waitForExpression. A delay is simple but can be too short on a busy run or unnecessarily slow on a fast one. When you control the HTML, expose a readiness flag after rendering and wait for that condition; it is the more deliberate synchronization strategy.
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Make assets reachable
Relative CSS, images and fonts can be supplied as optional multipart assets and referenced by relative paths. External resources must be reachable from the Gotenberg container, not merely from your browser. Test fonts, image URLs, page breaks and print styles in the deployed environment.
HTML endpoint versus URL endpoint
The HTML endpoint accepts the uploaded index.html file. Gotenberg’s URL endpoint converts a reachable web address instead. The URL endpoint rejects file:// URLs, so local HTML should use the HTML or Markdown endpoint rather than a file URL.
Reliability, security and performance
- Keep traffic private: avoid a public renderer port unless a separate service genuinely needs it.
- Control input size: very large HTML, embedded images and web fonts increase render time and memory use.
- Use explicit timeouts: configure the n8n HTTP Request timeout long enough for Chromium to load assets and render, but finite enough to recover from a stuck page.
- Retry carefully: retries can duplicate downstream storage or email actions. Make delivery steps idempotent when possible.
- Observe the binary: verify that the response is a PDF before passing it onward; an HTML error response should not be saved with a
.pdfextension. - Pin and verify versions: endpoint options and n8n binary-field labels can change. Check the installed Gotenberg and n8n documentation when upgrading.
Troubleshooting
“Connection refused” or “getaddrinfo failed”
The containers are not on the same network, Gotenberg is stopped, or the hostname is wrong. Confirm the Compose service is named gotenberg, both services share a network, and use http://gotenberg:3000 from n8n. Do not use localhost from inside n8n.
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Gotenberg reports that index.html is missing
The request did not include a binary multipart field, or the filename was changed. Inspect the binary item in n8n and set its filename exactly to index.html. Ensure the HTTP Request field is configured as a file, not text.
The HTTP Request node returns unreadable output
Set the response format to File/binary and select a binary property. If the node is configured for JSON or text, n8n will not preserve the PDF correctly.
The PDF is blank or missing images
Check that the HTML has a body, that asset URLs resolve from the Gotenberg container, and that JavaScript has finished before capture. Replace a short blind delay with a readiness expression where possible.
Fonts or page breaks differ from the browser
The renderer may not have the same fonts, viewport or print CSS as your workstation. Include required fonts, define print styles and test with the actual container image. Review margins, page size, landscape mode and break rules in the generated PDF.
Using the public demo
Gotenberg documents a public demo with a limit of 2 requests per second per IP and a 5 MB request body. Those are demo-instance limits, not general limits on your self-hosted container. Do not base a production workflow on the public demo.
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Cloud n8n and hosted alternatives
n8n Cloud cannot normally resolve a private Docker hostname such as gotenberg. You would need a renderer reachable from the cloud instance, with appropriate authentication and network controls. A November 2025 community announcement described a verified PDFMunk HTML-to-PDF node for n8n Cloud that supports HTML/CSS conversion and website screenshots and returns a PDF URL. Availability and terms can change, and this option sends rendering to a hosted service, so it is a different privacy and deployment choice from self-hosted Gotenberg.
Choose between approaches by asking: where does rendering occur, can n8n reach it, are you converting an HTML string or a URL, how are dynamic assets synchronized, and do you need a PDF binary or a hosted URL?
Or skip the browser setup
If you only need a clean PDF or image of a public page, ScreenshotNeo provides a one-request route. It accepts cookie and consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. It also offers an MCP server for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.
For a PDF-capable screenshot request from a shell:
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import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);For output formats, PDF options, custom waits and all parameters, see the ScreenshotNeo documentation. The free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can n8n convert HTML to PDF without any HTTP request at all?
The documented workflow uses an HTTP request to a self-hosted Gotenberg service. The available material does not establish a fully in-process n8n converter with no API call.
Why must the uploaded file be called index.html?
Gotenberg’s Chromium HTML endpoint uses that filename as its expected entry document. Rename it back to your preferred PDF filename only after the response is returned.
Should I use Gotenberg’s URL endpoint for HTML generated in n8n?
Use the HTML endpoint for an HTML string. The URL endpoint is for a reachable web address and does not accept file:// URLs.
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