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Archive HR and legal documents with UploadToURL, Google Drive and Airtable

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Created by: Jitesh Dugar || jiteshdugar

Jitesh Dugar

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Last update a day ago

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Eliminate the manual chaos of HR and legal document management. This workflow automates the transition from a raw document upload to a structured, audit-ready archive by combining UploadToURL for instant CDN hosting, Google Drive for long-term storage, and Airtable for status tracking and database management.

🎯 What This Workflow Does

Transforms loose document scans into a structured corporate filing system:

  1. 📝 Captures Legal Assets - Receives signed contracts or IDs via mobile scan (binary) or remote URL.
  2. 🛡️ Duplicate Prevention - Checks Airtable first to ensure a contract isn't already filed for that specific Employee ID.
  3. ☁️ Instant CDN Hosting - UploadToURL hosts the document to provide a high-speed link for immediate HR review.
  4. 📁 Smart Folder Logic - Automatically navigates or creates a structured Google Drive path: HR/Contracts/{Year}/{Department}/{EmployeeName}/.
  5. 🗃️ Database Synchronization - Updates (or creates) an Airtable record to tick "Contract Received," logging both the Drive URL and the CDN backup.
  6. 📧 Automated Confirmation - Sends a professional HTML email to HR and the employee with access links and filing metadata.

✨ Key Features

  • UploadToURL Integration: Provides a redundant, accessible CDN link stored alongside your primary Drive storage for total data reliability.
  • Auto-Nomenclature: Renames files using a strict audit-ready format: {EmployeeID}_{LastName}_{Type}_{Date}.pdf.
  • Intelligent Folder Creation: Never manually create a folder again; the workflow builds the entire hierarchy on the fly.
  • Audit Trail Generation: Captures "Filed By," "Filed At," and unique "Upload IDs" for every document.
  • Conflict Handling: Built-in 409 Conflict logic prevents accidental overwrites or double-filing of critical legal papers.

💼 Perfect For

  • HR Teams: Managing onboarding documents and employment contracts at scale.
  • Legal Departments: Archiving NDAs, vendor agreements, and compliance certifications.
  • Small Businesses: Moving away from "loose files in folders" to a searchable, automated database.
  • Remote Teams: Enabling employees to "upload and forget" their paperwork via a simple link.

🔧 What You'll Need

Required Integrations

  • UploadToURL - To host documents and provide public CDN backup links.
  • n8n Community Node - n8n-nodes-uploadtourl must be installed.
  • Google Drive - OAuth2 credentials for secure document storage.
  • Airtable - Personal Access Token to manage your employee/document database.
  • Gmail / SMTP - To send automated filing confirmations.

Configuration Variables

  • GDRIVE_ROOT_FOLDER_ID: The ID of your main HR folder in Google Drive.
  • AIRTABLE_BASE_ID: Your specific Airtable base for HR/Legal tracking.

🚀 Quick Start

  1. Import Template - Copy the JSON and import it into your n8n workspace.
  2. Install Node - Ensure the UploadToURL community node is active.
  3. Set Credentials - Link your UploadToURL, Google Drive, Airtable, and Gmail accounts.
  4. Define Variables - Set your Root Folder ID and Airtable Base details in n8n variables.
  5. Test the Pipeline - Send a test POST with a sample PDF to the Webhook URL.
  6. Activate - Enable the workflow to begin hands-free archiving.

🎨 Customization Options

  • Expiration Alerts: Add a node to calculate 1-year expiry dates and set an automated reminder in Slack.
  • OCR Processing: Integrate an OCR step to read the content of scans and verify names automatically.
  • Watermarking: Add a "Confidential" or "Draft" watermark to documents before they are uploaded to the CDN.
  • Multi-Base Routing: Route documents to different Airtable bases depending on the "Department" field.

📈 Expected Results

  • 100% Consistency in file naming and folder structures across the entire organization.
  • Zero manual data entry—employee records and checkboxes update automatically.
  • Audit-ready in minutes: Every file has a timestamped trail and redundant storage links.
  • Instant Accessibility: HR can view documents via the CDN link before Drive permissions even propagate.

🏆 Use Cases

High-Growth Onboarding

A startup hiring 20 people a month can automate all contract filings, ensuring the "Contract Received" flag is always accurate for payroll.

Compliance Audits

When auditors ask for specific contracts, use the Airtable "Structured Filename" column to find and share the relevant Drive or CDN links in seconds.

Field Service Scans

Technicians in the field can upload signed site reports via a mobile app; the workflow handles the filing and notifies the office immediately.

💡 Pro Tips

  • Folder IDs: You can find your GDRIVE_ROOT_FOLDER_ID by looking at the last string in the URL when you are inside that folder in your browser.
  • Structured JSON: Use the returned auditTrail object to build a log of all uploads in a separate "Master Audit" spreadsheet.
  • Employee IDs: If no ID is provided, the workflow generates a temporary one using a timestamp to ensure the archive never breaks.

Ready to secure your document pipeline? Import this template and connect UploadToURL to build a world-class archiving system in under 20 minutes.

Need help with Airtable field mapping? The workflow includes detailed sticky notes explaining the exact field names required for the automation to run.