File Uploads

Generate and upload files (PDFs, images, videos) from workflows and return them as output to users

Overview

Workflows can generate files and upload them to Codika’s storage using the Codika Upload File node. The uploaded file gets a documentId that can be included in the workflow’s output as a file type field.

Pattern

Generate/Download File → Codika Upload File → Code Node (extract documentId) → Codika Submit Result

Step 1: Generate or download the file

Use any n8n node that produces binary data:

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
  "parameters": {
    "url": "https://api.example.com/generate-pdf",
    "responseFormat": "file"
  },
  "name": "Generate PDF"
}

Step 2: Upload with Codika Upload File

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-codika.codika",
  "typeVersion": 1,
  "parameters": {
    "resource": "fileManagement",
    "operation": "uploadFile"
  },
  "name": "Upload File"
}

The node uploads the binary data from the previous node and returns a documentId.

Step 3: Return the documentId in output

In a Code node before Codika Submit Result:

const documentId = $('Upload File').first().json.documentId;

return [{
  json: {
    results: {
      generated_report: documentId,
      summary: 'Report generated successfully',
    }
  }
}];

Step 4: Define file type in output schema

In config.ts:

function getOutputSchema(): FormOutputSchema {
  return [
    {
      key: 'generated_report',
      type: 'file',
      label: 'Generated Report',
      description: 'PDF report generated by the workflow',
    },
    {
      key: 'summary',
      type: 'string',
      label: 'Summary',
      description: 'Brief summary of the report',
    },
  ];
}

File uploads in sub-workflows

Sub-workflows do not have their own Codika Init node, so the Upload File node needs explicit execution metadata. The parent must forward executionId and executionSecret.

Parent workflow passes metadata

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeWorkflow",
  "parameters": {
    "workflowId": {
      "__rl": true,
      "mode": "id",
      "value": "{{SUBWKFL_pdf-generator_LFKWBUS}}"
    },
    "workflowInputs": {
      "mappingMode": "defineBelow",
      "value": {
        "markdownContent": "={{ $json.markdown }}",
        "fileName": "report.pdf",
        "executionId": "={{ $('Codika Init').first().json.executionId }}",
        "executionSecret": "={{ $('Codika Init').first().json.executionSecret }}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Sub-workflow uses overrides

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-codika.codika",
  "parameters": {
    "resource": "fileManagement",
    "operation": "uploadFile",
    "executionIdOverride": "={{ $('When Called by Parent').first().json.executionId }}",
    "executionSecretOverride": "={{ $('When Called by Parent').first().json.executionSecret }}"
  },
  "name": "Upload File"
}

Sub-workflow input schema in config.ts

{
  type: 'subworkflow' as const,
  inputSchema: [
    { name: 'markdownContent', type: 'string' },
    { name: 'fileName', type: 'string' },
    { name: 'executionId', type: 'string' },
    { name: 'executionSecret', type: 'string' },
  ],
  calledBy: ['main-workflow'],
}

File input (user uploads)

Users can upload files via the input schema:

{
  key: 'document',
  type: 'file',
  label: 'Upload Document',
  required: true,
  maxSize: 50 * 1024 * 1024,
  allowedMimeTypes: ['application/pdf', '.docx', '.doc', '.txt'],
}

The file data arrives in the webhook payload and can be accessed in workflow nodes.

Supported file types for upload

The Codika Upload File node supports:

Category	Types
Documents	PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), Text (.txt)
Images	PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, WEBP
Archives	ZIP, TAR, TAR.GZ
Media	Video (various formats)
Data	JSON, YAML, CSV