#PowerPlatformTip 92: 'Free PDF Tools in PowerAutomate'

TL;DR: For simple PDF creation you don’t need a third-party tool: write the content as HTML (or use a Word file), save it with Create file in OneDrive for Business and run Convert file with target type PDF. Both are standard actions. For advanced PDF work (merge, split, OCR, forms), Encodian has a standard connector with a free tier, Adobe PDF Services, Nutrient (formerly Muhimbi) and Cloudmersive offer free accounts but need Power Automate Premium.

💡 Challenge

“Create a PDF” is one of the most common flow requirements: a report, a confirmation, an archive copy. The obvious action, Convert Word Document to PDF, belongs to the premium Word Online (Business) connector, and third-party PDF connectors come with their own accounts, limits and licence classes.

✅ Solution

Use the conversion built into OneDrive for Business for creating PDFs, and pick a third-party connector only for tasks OneDrive can’t do.

🔧 How It’s Done

1. Build the content as HTML.

🔸 Compose ReportHtml, for example:

<html><body style="font-family:Segoe UI, Arial">
<h1>Order @{triggerBody()?['OrderNumber']}</h1>
<p>Customer: @{triggerBody()?['Customer']}</p>
@{body('Create_HTML_table')}
</body></html>

🔸 Create HTML table (Data Operation) turns an array into a ready-made table for the body.

2. Save it as a temporary file.

🔸 Create file (OneDrive for Business): Folder Path /Temp, File Name @{guid()}.html, File Content outputs('ReportHtml').

3. Convert to PDF.

🔸 Convert file (OneDrive for Business): File = Id from Create file, Target type = PDF. The output is the PDF content.

🔸 If the conversion fails with “Bad gateway” or “The resource could not be found”, add a short Delay between Create file and Convert file.

4. Store or send the PDF and clean up.

🔸 Create file in SharePoint (File Content = body of Convert file, name ending in .pdf) or attach it to Send an email (V2).

🔸 Delete file (OneDrive for Business) removes the temporary HTML file.

5. Need more than creating PDFs?

Connector	Licence class in Power Automate	Free option
Encodian - PDF	Standard	After the 30-day trial the subscription moves to Encodian’s “Free” tier unless a paid plan is bought
Adobe PDF Services	Premium	Free Adobe account for PDF Services API credentials
Nutrient Document Converter (formerly Muhimbi PDF)	Premium	Free or trial account
Cloudmersive PDF	Premium	Cloudmersive account with API key, allowances per Cloudmersive plan

🔸 The free allowances of these services are set by the providers and change over time. Check the provider’s pricing page before you build a production flow on a free tier.

🎉 Result

Your flow creates PDFs with standard actions only. A third-party connector comes in only for features such as merging, splitting, OCR or form filling.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 No premium licence for HTML, Word, Excel or PowerPoint to PDF via OneDrive.

🔸 No extra account: the conversion runs in your own Microsoft 365 tenant.

🔸 Full layout control: HTML and inline CSS define the look of the PDF.

⚠️ Good to Know

🔸 Supported sources: PDF conversion accepts doc, docx, htm, html, md, msg, odt, ods, odp, ppt, pptx, pps, ppsx, rtf, xls, xlsx, xlsm, eml and some more. Plain XML and TXT are not on the list.

🔸 Size: format conversion is limited to files up to 2 MB.

🔸 Not supported: digitally signed, password-protected and IRM-restricted Word documents can’t be converted.

🔸 Images in HTML: embed images as base64 data URIs, so the HTML file carries everything the conversion needs.

🛠️ FAQ

1. Is the OneDrive conversion really free?

Yes. OneDrive for Business is a standard connector, so Create file and Convert file work with the Power Automate rights included in Microsoft 365.

2. Can I convert a file that is stored in SharePoint?

Convert file works on files in your OneDrive. Copy the file content to a temporary OneDrive file with Get file content (SharePoint) and Create file (OneDrive), convert it, then delete the temporary file.

3. Which connector should I pick for merging PDFs?

If you want to stay without a premium licence, Encodian - PDF is the only connector in this list with the standard licence class. Adobe PDF Services, Nutrient and Cloudmersive need Power Automate Premium even when their own account is free.

🔗 Related Tips

🔸 Fill and Sign a Word Document with Power Apps and Power Automate - fill a Word template without premium actions.

🔸 #PowerPlatformTip 94: ‘Extract Text from DOCX’ - read the text of a Word file with standard actions.