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File converter

Convert one file from one format to another inside your workflow.

File converter

What does it do?

The File converter node changes one file into another format inside your workflow. Think of it like an office assistant who takes a document in one format, saves it in a new format, and hands back a fresh download link.

It works well for common business conversions like PDF to PNG, XLSX to CSV, CSV to JSON, or HTML to PDF.

Smart features

  • Accepts direct files or earlier workflow outputs: use a file link directly or select a file from a previous step.

  • Checks the source format before converting: Diaflow confirms the file matches the format you selected in Original file format.

  • Returns ready-to-use file links: each converted file comes back as a downloadable link for the next step.

  • Can return more than one output file: some conversions, such as PDF to PNG, can create one file per page.

  • Can reuse recent conversion results: if caching is turned on, Diaflow can return a recent result instead of converting the same file again.

Real-World Business Value

  • Turn supplier spreadsheets into CSV before loading them into another system.

  • Convert signed PDF contracts into PNG pages for review, approval, or visual processing.

  • Change exported CSV or XLSX reports into JSON for downstream automation steps.

Step-by-Step Setup

  • Drag File converter onto the canvas.

  • In Original file, select the file you want to convert from a previous step or file input.

  • In Original file format, choose the current format of that file, such as pdf, xlsx, csv, docx, png, or json.

  • In Target file format, choose the format you want to create.

  • If your workflow uses repeated conversions of the same file, turn on Cache only if you want Diaflow to reuse recent results.

  • If Cache is on, set Caching time to a short period such as 60 seconds.

  • Run the workflow and use the returned file link in the next step or in an Output node.

The Transformation: Before & After

Before file and conversion settings entering the node

After converted file links returned by the node

In this example, one PDF becomes one PNG file per page.

Tips & Warnings for First-Timers

Best practices

  • Convert one file at a time.

  • Match Original file format to the real file extension exactly.

  • Start with a small test file before converting a very large document.

  • Use Loop if you need to convert many files in one workflow.

  • Keep Caching time short if you enable Cache.

Warnings

  • Do not pass more than one file into this node. It supports only one file per run.

  • Do not choose the wrong source format in Original file format. The conversion will fail.

  • Do not use incomplete or broken file links. The file must be reachable by the workflow.

  • Do not assume every source format can convert into every target format. Some format pairs are not supported.

  • Do not use very large files for your first test. Large files can take longer or fail during conversion.

  • Do not expect Base64 output to behave like a normal binary file download. It is returned as text content.

  • Do not rely on old cached file links for too long. Reused links can stop working after they expire.

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