Extract text from PDF and image using Vertex AI (Gemini) into CSV
Automate the extraction of valuable text from your PDF documents and image files stored in Google Drive, then effortlessly convert this extracted information into a structured CSV format using the power of Google's Vertex AI (Gemini) and upload it back to Google Drive. This workflow begins by triggering manually or by detecting new PDF or image files in a specified Google Drive folder using the Google Drive Trigger node, then intelligently routes the file for either PDF data extraction or image text extraction via Vertex AI. The extracted textual content is then processed, converted into a CSV file using the Convert to CSV node, and finally uploaded back to a designated Google Drive location, streamlining your data processing pipeline. This solution is ideal for businesses and individuals who regularly deal with large volumes of unstructured data in documents and images, such as researchers analyzing reports, legal professionals processing scanned contracts, or e-commerce businesses extracting product details from images. By automating the entire extraction and conversion process, this workflow significantly reduces manual data entry, eliminates human error, and frees up valuable time, allowing users to focus on analysis and decision-making rather than tedious data preparation.
Workflow JSON
{"id": "sUIPemKdKqmUQFt6", "meta": {"instanceId": "558d88703fb65b2d0e44613bc35916258b0f0bf983c5d4730c00c424b77ca36a", "templateCredsSetupCompleted": true}, "name": "Extract text from PDF and image using Vertex AI (Gemini) into CSV", "tags": [], "nodes": [{"id": "f60ef5f9-bc08-4cc9-804e-697ae6f88b9b", "name": "Google Gemini Chat Model", "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatGoogleGemini", "position": [980, 920], "parameters": {"options": {}, "modelName": "models/gemini-1.5-pro-latest"}, "credentials": {"googlePalmApi": {"id": "", "name": "[Your googlePalmApi]"}}, "typeVersion": 1}, {"id": "81d3f7b8-20cb-4aac-82a9-d4e8e6581105", "name": "Get PDF or Images", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDriveTrigger", "position": [220, 420], "parameters": {"event": "fileCreated", "options": {}, "pollTimes": {"item": [{"mode": "everyMinute"}]}, "triggerOn": "specificFolder", "folderToWatch": {"__rl": true, "mode": "list", "value": "1HOeRP5iwccg93UPUYmWYD7DyDmRREkhj", "cachedResultUrl": "https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HOeRP5iwccg93UPUYmWYD7DyDmRREkhj", "cachedResultName": "Actual Budget"}, "authentication": "serviceAccount"}, "credentials": {"googleApi": {"id": "", "name": "[Your googleApi]"}}, "typeVersion": 1}, {"id": "fe9a8228-7950-4e2c-8982-328e03725782", "name": "Route based on PDF or Image", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.switch", "position": [480, 420], "parameters": {"rules": {"rules": [{"value2": "application/pdf", "outputKey": "pdf"}, {"value2": "image/", "operation": "contains", "outputKey": "image"}]}, "value1": "={{$json.mimeType}}", "dataType": "string"}, "typeVersion": 2}, {"id": "f62b71e5-af17-4f85-abff-7cee5100affc", "name": "Download PDF", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive", "position": [740, 320], "parameters": {"fileId": {"__rl": true, "mode": "id", "value": "={{ $('Get PDF or Images').item.json.id }}"}, "options": {}, "operation": "download", "authentication": "serviceAccount"}, "credentials": {"googleApi": {"id": "", "name": "[Your googleApi]"}}, "executeOnce": true, "typeVersion": 3}, {"id": "fa99fbcf-1353-410d-a0db-48cea1178a76", "name": "Download Image", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive", "position": [740, 740], "parameters": {"fileId": {"__rl": true, "mode": "id", "value": "={{ $('Get PDF or Images').item.json.id }}"}, "options": {}, "operation": "download", "authentication": "serviceAccount"}, "credentials": {"googleApi": {"id": "", "name": "[Your googleApi]"}}, "executeOnce": true, "retryOnFail": false, "typeVersion": 3, "alwaysOutputData": true}, {"id": "e4979746-44bb-493e-b5eb-f9646b510888", "name": "Extract data from PDF", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.extractFromFile", "position": [980, 320], "parameters": {"options": {}, "operation": "pdf"}, "typeVersion": 1}, {"id": "6549c335-e749-4b95-b77d-096a5e77af5e", "name": "Send data to A.I.", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest", "position": [1180, 320], "parameters": {"url": "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions", "method": "POST", "options": {}, "jsonBody": "={\n \"model\": \"meta-llama/llama-3.1-70b-instruct:free\",\n \"messages\": [\n {\n \"role\": \"user\",\n \"content\": \"You are given a bank statement.{{encodeURIComponent($json.text)}}. Read the PDF and export all the transactions as CSV. Add a column called category and based on the information assign a category name. Return only the CSV data starting with the header row.\"\n }\n ]\n}", "sendBody": true, "specifyBody": "json", "authentication": "genericCredentialType", "genericAuthType": "httpHeaderAuth"}, "credentials": {"httpHeaderAuth": {"id": "", "name": "[Your httpHeaderAuth]"}}, "typeVersion": 4.2, "alwaysOutputData": false}, {"id": "42341f03-c9fc-4290-963e-1a723202a739", "name": "Convert to CSV", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.convertToFile", "position": [1400, 320], "parameters": {"options": {}}, "typeVersion": 1.1}, {"id": "bb446447-3f46-47e7-96a2-3fc720715828", "name": "Upload to Google Drive", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive", "position": [1640, 320], "parameters": {"name": "={{$today}}", "driveId": {"__rl": true, "mode": "list", "value": "My Drive", "cachedResultUrl": "https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive", "cachedResultName": "My Drive"}, "options": {}, "folderId": {"__rl": true, "mode": "list", "value": "1Zo4OFCv1qWRX1jo0VL_iqUBf4v0fZEXe", "cachedResultUrl": "https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Zo4OFCv1qWRX1jo0VL_iqUBf4v0fZEXe", "cachedResultName": "CSV Exports"}, "authentication": "serviceAccount"}, "credentials": {"googleApi": {"id": "", "name": "[Your googleApi]"}}, "typeVersion": 3}, {"id": "843bc9c1-79a6-4f42-b9ee-fbec5f30b18d", "name": "Convert to CSV2", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.convertToFile", "position": [1360, 740], "parameters": {"options": {}}, "typeVersion": 1.1}, {"id": "6404bf65-3a7e-4be9-9b7f-98a23dca2ffd", "name": "Upload to Google Drive1", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive", "position": [1640, 740], "parameters": {"name": "={{$today}}", "driveId": {"__rl": true, "mode": "list", "value": "My Drive", "cachedResultUrl": "https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive", "cachedResultName": "My Drive"}, "options": {}, "folderId": {"__rl": true, "mode": "list", "value": "1Zo4OFCv1qWRX1jo0VL_iqUBf4v0fZEXe", "cachedResultUrl": "https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Zo4OFCv1qWRX1jo0VL_iqUBf4v0fZEXe", "cachedResultName": "CSV Exports"}, "authentication": "serviceAccount"}, "credentials": {"googleApi": {"id": "", "name": "[Your googleApi]"}}, "typeVersion": 3}, {"id": "5dd5771f-6ccb-47ab-acbb-d6cbec60d22b", "name": "Sticky Note", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [220, -40], "parameters": {"width": 589.0376569037658, "height": 163.2468619246862, "content": "## How to extract PDF and image text into CSV using n8n (without manual data entry)\n\nThis workflow will extract text data from PDF and images, then store it as CSV.\n\n[\ud83d\udca1 You can read more about this workflow here](https://rumjahn.com/how-to-create-an-a-i-agent-to-analyze-matomo-analytics-using-n8n-for-free/)"}, "typeVersion": 1}, {"id": "37416630-9b52-4ce6-98d0-1bdd39ff0d6b", "name": "Sticky Note1", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [160, 160], "parameters": {"color": 4, "width": 248.11715481171547, "height": 432.7364016736402, "content": "## Get PDF or image\nYou need to create a new folder inside Google Drive for uploading your PDF and images.\n\nOnce you create a folder, you need to add your Google cloud user by going to Share -> Add user. The user email should be like: n8n-server@n8n-server-435232.iam.gserviceaccount.com"}, "typeVersion": 1}, {"id": "3ab10f17-de8f-4263-aef8-cc2fb090ffe5", "name": "Sticky Note2", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [1120, 52.864368048917754], "parameters": {"color": 5, "height": 446.3929762816575, "content": "## Send to Openrouter\nYou need to set up an Openrouter account to use this. It sends the data to openrouter to extract text.\n\nUse Header Auth. Name is \"Authorization\" and value is \"Bearer {API token}\"."}, "typeVersion": 1}, {"id": "e966f95c-c54e-4d11-895d-d5f75c53aca5", "name": "Sticky Note3", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote", "position": [920, 540], "parameters": {"color": 6, "width": 399.0962343096232, "height": 517.154811715481, "content": "## Vertex AI for image recogniztion\nWe send the photo to Vertex AI to extract text. You'll need to activate Vertex AI and add the correct rights to your Google cloud credentials. \n- Enable Vertex API\n- Add vertex to user account"}, "typeVersion": 1}, {"id": "daa3ab66-fa14-4792-96d0-3bcbeffd5d60", "name": "Vertex A.I. extract text", "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainLlm", "position": [980, 740], "parameters": {"text": "=Extract the transactions from the image", "messages": {"messageValues": [{"message": "=You are given a screenshot of payment transactions. Read the image and export all the transactions as CSV. Add a column called category and based on the information assign a category name. Return only the CSV data starting with the header row."}, {"type": "HumanMessagePromptTemplate", "messageType": "imageBinary"}]}, "promptType": "define", "hasOutputParser": true}, "typeVersion": 1.4}], "active": false, "pinData": {}, "settings": {"executionOrder": "v1"}, "versionId": "80635382-3d1c-4e46-a753-84b033cfc3a7", "connections": {"Download PDF": {"main": [[{"node": "Extract data from PDF", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Convert to CSV": {"main": [[{"node": "Upload to Google Drive", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Download Image": {"main": [[{"node": "Vertex A.I. extract text", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Convert to CSV2": {"main": [[{"node": "Upload to Google Drive1", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Get PDF or Images": {"main": [[{"node": "Route based on PDF or Image", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Send data to A.I.": {"main": [[{"node": "Convert to CSV", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Extract data from PDF": {"main": [[{"node": "Send data to A.I.", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Google Gemini Chat Model": {"ai_languageModel": [[{"node": "Vertex A.I. extract text", "type": "ai_languageModel", "index": 0}]]}, "Vertex A.I. extract text": {"main": [[{"node": "Convert to CSV2", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}, "Route based on PDF or Image": {"main": [[{"node": "Download PDF", "type": "main", "index": 0}], [{"node": "Download Image", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]}}}How to Import This Workflow
- 1Copy the workflow JSON above using the Copy Workflow JSON button.
- 2Open your n8n instance and go to Workflows.
- 3Click Import from JSON and paste the copied workflow.
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