Add and configure the Generate document action

Note: The Generate Document action does not support Rich Text. This includes any variables and Rich Text fields created in a Start form. Rich Text data is displayed as plain text in the output of the Generate Document action.

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Add the Generate document action to a workflow (single template)

  1. Add an action that can retrieve the template you created, such as Google Drive - Get a file.
  2. Configure the action and specify the output.

  3. Add the Generate document action to the workflow and open the action configuration panel. For more information, see Add, rename, and copy actions.

  4. Select the Generation type of the document.

  5. Configure the Document templates section to edit the template and corresponding Output file name.

    1. Specify a File variable. Select a file variable from the workflow or add a file variable.
    2. Select the Generation order for the template. The generation order is the sequence in which to include this template in the generated output.
    3. Click Output.
    4. Specify the Output file name.
  6. To add repeating data, see Add and configure the Generate document action.
  7. In the Options section, specify the variable where the generated document is stored.
  8. Add an action to the workflow, depending on where you want to send the generated document or documents. For example, as a file attachment in the Send an email action or HubSpot CMS - Upload a file action.

For more information on the fields and buttons, see Generate document fields, buttons, and settings.

Add multiple templates for document generation

You can add multiple templates for document generation and configure the Generate document action to either combine all the templates into one generated document (single PDF) or output separate generated documents (either multiple PDFs or the original file types).

  1. Add an action that can retrieve the template you created, such as Google Drive - Get a file.
  2. Configure the action and specify the output.

  3. Add the Generate document action to the workflow and open the action configuration panel. For more information, see Add, rename, and copy actions.

  4. Select the Generation type of the document.
  5. If there are no existing templates, configure the Document templates section to edit the template and corresponding Output file name.
  6. For any template you want to add: 
    1. Click Add template.
    2. Specify a File variable. Select a file variable from the workflow or add a file variable.
    3. Select the Generation order for the template. The generation order is the sequence in which to include this template in the generated output.
    4. Select the Merge type to use for this template and the previous template.
    1. Click Output.
    2. Specify the Output file name.
  8. To add repeating data, see Add and configure the Generate document action.
  9. In the Options section, specify the variable where the generated document is stored.
  10. Add an action to the workflow, depending on where you want to send the generated document or documents. For example, as a file attachment in the Send an email action or HubSpot CMS - Upload a file action.

For more information on the fields and buttons, see Generate document fields, buttons, and settings.

Add conditions for template usage

You can conditionally include a template. For example, include a terms and conditions template only if the customer is based in a certain region and the start date is for the upcoming year.

  1. Click your Generate document action.
  2. Under Document templates, click a configured template.
  3. Under Include based on condition, click Add condition.

  4. Fill in the condition fields: 

    1. Select or Add variable for When.
    2. Select an Operator.
    3. Type a value or select or Add variable for Value.
  5. Click Add condition to save the new condition.
  6. For each additional condition you want to add: 
    1. Click Add condition.

    2. Fill in the condition fields: 

      1. Select or Add variable for When.
      2. Select an Operator.
      3. Type a value or select or Add variable for Value.
    3. Click Add condition to save the new condition.
    4. Select any or all to determine how to evaluate the set of conditions.

For more information on the fields and buttons, see Generate document fields, buttons, and settings.

Add images for document generation

You can add images to the Generate document action to add them to your documents, either in their original size, or resized. The images you add to the configuration become available as image tags for use with your document templates just like variable tags. See Add and configure the Generate document action for more information.

In the Designer page:

  1. Click a Generate documentaction.
  2. Click Images.
  3. Click Add image.
  4. Type the Image name.
    • File: select an image file in the Image location field.
    • File variable: select a file variable from the workflow or add a file variable in the File variable field.
    • URL: type a URL to the image in the Image URL field.

For more information on the fields and buttons, see Generate document fields, buttons, and settings.

Store licensing usage

You can choose whether or not to store usage of Document Generation licensing. If you store usage, you can record the usage in your workflow instance for visibility using the Log to instance details action, or use it later in workflow, such as in an email notification.

  1. Click your Generate document action.
  2. Select an option for Store usage message.

For more information on the fields and buttons, see Generate document fields, buttons, and settings.

Generate document fields, buttons, and settings

Section

Field/button

Description

Variables

(unlabeled)

 

 

 

 

 Open Nintex Document Tagger Launches the Nintex Document Tagger for inserting variable tags into document templates. See Get tags for document templates. (n/a)

Generation type

This is the option for the number and types of documents that will be generated. You can choose one of the following options:

  • Single PDF file: Generates a single PDF document combining all specified templates. With this option, configure up to 50 templates per action. 5MB is the maximum recommended file size for the output of a single PDF.

  • Separate PDF files: Generates one or more PDF documents using the specified templates and merge types. With this option, configure up to 5 templates per action.

  • Original file types: Generates one or more documents based on the file types of the specified templates and specified merge types. For example, the action generates two .docx documents for two .docx templates with no merge.

(n/a)

Document templates

(section labeling varies)

Fields in the Edit template section:

  • File variable: The file variable for your template. For example, select the file variable representing a new file that triggered the workflow if you want to use that new file as a template.

  • Generation order: The sequence in which to include this template in the generated output.

  • Merge type: The combination type to use when merging content from the previous template with content from the current template into a single generated document. Only available for consecutive templates of the same file type.

    • The first template in a given merge chain determines the styles for the generated document.

    The merge type impacts the number of outputs for the selected generation type.

    Value

    Description

    No merge

    (Default value.) Preserves the styles in this template and the previous template. For generation types Separate PDF files and Original file types, generates separate documents from this template and the previous template. For the generation type Single PDF file, generates a single document containing content from all templates; however, each template retains its own styles.

    Merge (PowerPoint or Excel only)

    Combines content from each template in the merge chain to form a single generated document (or a segment of the single generated PDF for the generation type Single PDF file). Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Excel only.

    Continuous section

    In the generated document, does not separate content from each template in the merge chain.

    Page break

    In the generated document, separates content from each template in the merge chain using a page break.

    Section page break

    In the generated document, separates content from each template in the merge chain using a next-page section break.

    Paragraph break

    In the generated document, separates content from each template in the merge chain using a line space (paragraph break).

    Line break

    In the generated document, separates content from each template in the merge chain using a line break.
  • Include based on condition: includes template when conditions are true.

    • Field

    Description

    When

    The first value for the condition. Must be a variable.

    Operator

    The operator for the condition. Select an operator from the drop-down list.

    Value

    The second value for the condition. Can be an entered value or an inserted variable.

    Add condition

    Saves the condition currently being edited. If no edits are taking place, displays fields for defining a new condition.

    all/any

    Separates conditions by "AND" (for all) or "OR" (for any). (Displayed when a condition is saved.)

    (Edit condition)

    Redisplays condition fields for editing.

    (Delete condition)

    Deletes the indicated condition.

Fields in the Output section:

  • Output file name: The file name of the document to be generated by this action, excluding the file extension. Example: mygeneratedcontract.

Add template: Displays configuration fields for a new template.

File variable: File.

Include based on condition:

When: Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime

Operator: (n/a)

Value: Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime

 
Repeating data Add repeating data

Adds repeating rows, table, or section of data from a collection into a document.

When you add repeating data, a corresponding tag for each variable or object in the collection appears in the Nintex Document Tagger.

 (n/a)
Collection Information, such as mailing addresses and phone numbers that are pulled from the file and displayed in the Nintex Document Tagger as a tag. Collection
Repeat by

Determines how data is displayed in the document.

You can choose one of the following options:

  • Row: Display repeated rows of data in a document.

  • Table:  Display repeated tables of data in a document.

  • Section: Display repeated sections of data in a document.

 (n/a)

Images

 

 

 Add image Opens the Edit image section with configuration fields for image tags. (n/a)
Image name Name of image tag as visible in the Nintex Document Tagger. (n/a)
Image source

Choose one of the following options.

  • File: Displays Image location, which allows you to browse folders in the selected connection using the path field icon to find and select the image file. You can optionally represent all or part of the folder path using one or more variables. For more information on inserting variables into configuration fields, see Insert variables fields in Create a variable.

  • File variable: Displays File variable, which allows you to select a file variable for the image. For example, a file variable in your workflow might reference a received file attachment.

  • URL: Displays Image URL, which allows you to enter a URL to a publicly accessible image. Example image URL for a company logo: https://www.yourcompany.com/logo.png

File: (n/a)

File variable: File

URL: Text

Options

 

 

 Store all files The variable where the generated documents are saved. Collection

Store usage message

The text variable to store the Document Generation quota usage at the time this action runs.

To log usage to instance details (displayed on the Instance details page when the workflow runs), use this variable in the action Log to instance details.

Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection