Automate your document processing by instantly converting any PDF uploaded to Google Drive into high-quality JPEG images. This workflow (affectionately known as the "Wood Chipper") watches a specific folder, processes the files, extracts the images, and neatly archives the original documents to keep your workspace clean.
How the workflow operates
When you drop a PDF into your designated folder, the system automatically picks it up, converts it, and organizes the results.
flowchart TD
A["New File Uploaded"] --> B{"Is it a .pdf?"}
B -- No --> C["Ignore File"]
B -- Yes --> D["Generate Secure Link"]
D --> E["Convert to JPG (100% Quality)"]
E --> F["Move Original PDF to Archive"]
E --> G{"How many pages?"}
G -- Single Page --> H["Save JPG to Drive"]
G -- Multiple Pages --> I["Save multiple JPGs to Drive"]Setting up your folders
Before activating the automation, you need to set up your Google Drive environment.
- 1
Create the source folder
Create a folder in Google Drive where you will upload your PDFs. For example, name it
PDF->JPG Tool. - 2
Create the archive folder
Create a second folder to hold the original files after they are processed. For example, name it
Old PDFs Already Converted. - 3
Configure the automation
Link your automation tool to watch the source folder. Ensure it has permissions to read, share, and move files within your Drive.
Keep your source folder strictly for files you want to convert. While the workflow has a filter to ignore non-PDFs, keeping the folder clean prevents unnecessary automation checks.
Workflow technical details
If you are building this automation yourself, here is the sequence of operations you need to configure:
| Step | Action Type | Configuration Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Trigger | Google Drive | Watch for a new file in the PDF->JPG Tool folder. |
| 2. Filter | Logic | Only continue if the filename icontains .pdf. |
| 3. Format | Text Split | Extract the core filename by splitting at .pdf. |
| 4. Permission | Google Drive | Update file sharing to public_link_view so the converter can read it. |
| 5. Convert | PDFco | Convert to JPG format with JPEGQuality set to 100. |
| 6. Archive | Google Drive | Move the original file ID to Old PDFs Already Converted. |
Handling multi-page PDFs
When a PDF contains multiple pages, the conversion tool generates multiple image URLs. The workflow handles this by counting the number of generated links.
The automation calculates the page count by measuring the text length of the returned URLs. If it detects more than one page (Path D), it loops through the results and saves each page as a separate JPG file. If it detects a single page (Path E), it processes it immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this delete my original PDF files?
No. The workflow is designed to be non-destructive. Once the JPEG conversion is complete, the original PDF is simply moved to your designated archive folder (e.g., Old PDFs Already Converted).
What happens if I accidentally upload a Word document or image?
The workflow includes a safety filter right after the trigger. If the uploaded file's name does not contain .pdf, the automation stops immediately and ignores the file.
Why does the file need a public link?
The PDF conversion service needs temporary access to read the file in your Google Drive. The workflow safely grants public_link_view access just long enough to perform the conversion.