PDF Export Block: Automatically Save Form PDFs to Project or Global Folders
📄 PDF Export Block: Automatically Save Submitted Forms to Ontraccr File Storage
The PDF Export Block allows you to automatically save submitted form PDFs into project folders or a global folder in Ontraccr’s file storage. This is perfect for archiving, document retrieval, audits, and centralized file management.
📦 What Is the PDF Export Block?
This block saves the PDF version of a submitted form to:
- A specific global folder
- A project’s folder (based on selected project in the form)
- A subfolder within that project (e.g., Safety, Reports)
It triggers automatically, with no user action required.
🛠 How to Add and Configure It
- Go to Step 3: Workflow
- Drag the PDF Export Block into your workflow canvas
- Connect it to a preceding block (e.g., Submit, Approve, Trigger)
- Click Set Export Location
📁 Export Location Options
🔹 Option 1: Global Folder
Save the PDF to any static folder in your Ontraccr file storage.
✅ Example: Save all inspection forms to a “Master Safety Logs” folder.
🔹 Option 2: Project Folder (Dynamic)
Check the box: Use Form Project Folder(s)?:
- Automatically saves to the project selected in the form
- You can specify a subfolder within the project (e.g., “Safety”, “Invoices”)
- To select a specific subfolder, navigate to Documents → Files
- Locate the specific subfolder → Copy Subfolder’s path → Paste it beside ‘Project Subfolder:’ in PDF Export customization block
📥 How This Helps
| Need | Solution |
|---|---|
| Centralized backups | Save all completed forms to a dedicated folder |
| Easy access for office staff | Store forms in project folders for quick lookup |
| Compliance record-keeping | Save to labeled folders by type (Safety, QA/QC) |
| Trigger-based archiving | Pair with approval or final edit step to archive only finished forms |
⚠️ Notes & Limitations
- The block does not create folders—the subfolder name must already exist
- The form must have a project selected to use project-folder saving
- PDFs are saved after the form reaches this block in the workflow
🧠 Use Case Examples
| Scenario | Folder Setup |
|---|---|
| Safety forms go to global Safety folder | Use static export location: “Safety” |
| Daily reports saved per project | Use project folders → subfolder: “Reports” |
| Invoices filed in job-specific folders | Use form project folder + subfolder: “Invoices” |
| Archive final approved forms only | Add PDF export block after Approval block |
📌 Best Practices
- 🔒 Use project-folder export when forms vary by job
- 📁 Use consistent subfolder naming (e.g., “Safety”, “Admin”, “Billing”)
- ✅ Add this block at the end of the workflow to ensure final version is saved