n8n-nodes-smartdocs

An n8n community node for SmartDocs — automate document-signing workflows directly from n8n.

Installation

In a self-hosted n8n instance:

1. Open Settings → Community Nodes.
2. Click Install.
3. Enter n8n-nodes-smartdocs and confirm.
4. Restart n8n when prompted.

n8n Cloud is not supported for community nodes at the time of writing.

Credentials

1. Log in to your SmartDocs organization and navigate to Settings → API Keys.
2. Click Generate New Key (requires a PRO or higher plan).
3. Copy the key.
4. In n8n, create a new credential of type SmartDocs API and paste the key into the API Key field.

The base URL is fixed to https://api.smartdocs.de/api/v1 and cannot be changed from the credential UI. API keys are organization-scoped — no separate organization ID is required.

Operations

The SmartDocs action node exposes 8 resources:

Signing Process

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | Attach Identity Proof | Attach a signer identity proof to a signing process | | Create | Create an ad-hoc signing process from a stored PDF asset | | Extend | Extend the expiry date of a signing process | | Get | Retrieve a single signing process | | Get Files | Retrieve signed file and certificate links (optionally download binaries) | | Get Many | List signing processes with optional filters and pagination | | Kiosk Start Signer | Mint a kiosk token for a specific signer | | Regenerate Certificate | Regenerate the completion certificate for a finished process | | Resend Signer Invite | Re-send the signing invite to a specific signer | | Void | Void a signing process |

Template

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | Archive | Archive a template | | Create | Create a new template (PDF or HTML) | | Delete | Delete a template | | Get | Retrieve a single template | | Get Many | List templates with optional filters and pagination | | Kiosk Session | Start a kiosk signing session from a template | | Preview Draft | Render a preview of draft HTML content | | Preview Render | Render a preview of the published template | | Publish | Publish a new version of a template | | Start Signing | Start a signing process from a template | | Unarchive | Unarchive a template | | Update Draft | Update the draft of a template |

PDF Asset

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | Delete | Delete a PDF asset | | Get | Retrieve a single PDF asset | | Get Artifact URLs | Get presigned artifact URLs for a processed asset | | Get Many | List PDF assets with pagination | | Get Processing Status | Get the current processing status of an asset | | Get Source URL | Get a presigned URL for the original uploaded PDF (optionally download binary) | | Parse | Get parsed page/field info for the asset | | Retry Processing | Retry failed processing for an asset | | Upload | Upload a PDF file as a new asset |

Template Asset

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | Delete | Delete a template asset | | Get | Retrieve a single template asset | | Get Many | List template assets | | Get Source URL | Get a presigned URL for a single asset | | Get Source URLs | Get presigned URLs for multiple assets (comma-separated IDs) | | Upload | Upload an image as a template asset |

Template Category

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | Create | Create a category | | Delete | Delete a category | | Get Many | List all categories | | Update | Update a category |

Template Tag

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | Create | Create a tag | | Delete | Delete a tag | | Get Many | List all tags | | Update | Update a tag |

Webhook

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | Create | Create a webhook endpoint | | Delete | Delete a webhook endpoint | | Get | Retrieve a single webhook endpoint | | Get Delivery | Get a specific delivery record | | Get Many | List webhook endpoints | | List Deliveries | List delivery records for an endpoint | | Redeliver | Redeliver a previously delivered event | | Rotate Secret | Rotate the HMAC signing secret for an endpoint | | Update | Update a webhook endpoint |

PDF Engine

| Operation | Description | |---|---| | List Fonts | List all fonts available in the SmartDocs PDF engine |

Trigger

The SmartDocs Trigger node starts a workflow when a signing event fires. It supports 6 events:

| Event name | Wire name | When it fires | |---|---|---| | Signing Sent | signing.sent | A signing request was dispatched to signers | | Signer Completed | signer.completed | An individual signer has completed their step | | Signing Completed | signing.completed | All signers have completed the process | | Signing Declined | signing.declined | A signer declined to sign | | Signing Expired | signing.expired | The signing deadline passed before completion | | Signing Voided | signing.voided | The process was manually voided |

Paid plan required. The webhooks entitlement is only available on SmartDocs PRO and higher plans. The trigger will fail to activate on a free organization.

Auto-register / auto-deregister. When you activate a workflow containing this trigger, n8n calls the SmartDocs API to register a webhook endpoint pointed at the n8n webhook URL. When you deactivate the workflow, n8n deregisters the endpoint automatically. You do not need to manage webhook endpoints manually.

HMAC verification. Every incoming request is verified against the HMAC-SHA256 signature that SmartDocs sends in the x-smartdocs-signature header. Payloads that fail verification are rejected with HTTP 401 before the workflow executes.

Example Workflow

Goal: Start a signing process from a template, then automatically download the signed PDF when all signers complete.

1. Add an HTTP Request node (or any trigger) that collects the signer details — name, email, and the template ID to use.
2. Add a SmartDocs action node:
   • Resource: Template
   • Operation: Start Signing
   • Set the Template Name or ID, Signers (JSON array with roleKey, name, email), and Expires At.
   • The node returns the new signing process ID.
3. Add a SmartDocs Trigger node:
   • Event: Signing Completed
   • This node will receive the payload once all signers finish.
4. After the trigger, add another SmartDocs action node:
   • Resource: Signing Process
   • Operation: Get Files
   • Set Signing Process ID from {{ $json.data.signingProcess.id }} (the trigger payload nests the process under data.signingProcess).
   • Enable Download Files to receive the signed PDF and certificate as binary properties.
5. Use a Write Binary File or Send Email node to store or deliver the signed PDF.

Compatibility

• n8n: version 1.x and later (uses n8nNodesApiVersion: 1).
• Node.js: >= 20.

License

MIT