Automate Document Creation with Make.com

If you were using WebMerge before its shutdown, make.com offers a modern way to keep your document workflows automated without starting from scratch. By combining make.com with PDF.co and Zapier, you can quickly rebuild and even improve your previous document generation and delivery processes.

Why move your document workflows to Make.com?

WebMerge provided powerful features for automated document creation, but it is no longer available as a standalone product. Instead, it has been merged into Formstack Documents, which may not fit every team’s budget or technical needs. With make.com, you can design similar or more advanced scenarios that connect your data sources, templates, and delivery channels in a visual, modular way.

Using make.com together with tools like PDF.co and Zapier allows you to:

• Generate PDF documents from templates.
• Insert data from web forms, CRMs, and other apps.
• Deliver files via email, storage, or other services.
• Create flexible workflows that are easy to adjust over time.

What you need before building in Make.com

Before you start reproducing your WebMerge flows, gather a few essentials so that your new setup in make.com remains organized and easy to maintain.

Accounts and tools to prepare

• A make.com account with access to the scenario editor.
• A PDF.co account to generate and process PDF files.
• A Zapier account if you want to reuse or trigger existing Zaps.
• Your existing document templates (DOCX, HTML, or PDF forms).
• Access to the apps that will provide your data (for example, your CRM, form app, or internal database).

Information to collect from your old WebMerge setup

To avoid missing important details when you move to make.com, review your former WebMerge configuration and note:

• Which documents you were generating (contracts, invoices, proposals, reports).
• Where the data came from (web forms, CRM records, internal tools).
• Which fields were merged into each template.
• How documents were delivered (email, cloud storage, e‑signature platform, or others).
• Any special logic, such as conditional sections or different outputs per client type.

Step 1: Map your old WebMerge workflow

Start by translating your previous WebMerge flow into a simple diagram before building anything in make.com. This helps you understand each component you must recreate.

1. List all triggers that launched document generation, such as a form submission or a new deal in your CRM.
2. List all actions that followed: template selection, field mapping, output format, and final delivery.
3. Note every app used along the way to ensure you can connect them in make.com or via Zapier.

This mapping will act as your blueprint while you design the new process in make.com.

Step 2: Rebuild the trigger using Make.com

Once you have your blueprint, rebuild your trigger in make.com so that the new workflow starts exactly when you need it to.

Typical trigger options in Make.com

• Form submissions: Trigger from your existing form tool or webhooks.
• CRM events: Trigger when a new record is created or updated.
• Database changes: Trigger when a row is inserted or updated in your data store.
• Scheduler: Run document creation at a specific time or interval.

In the scenario editor in make.com:

1. Add the app that should start the process.
2. Configure the trigger event (for example, “New form entry”).
3. Test the trigger to make sure make.com receives the correct sample data.

Step 3: Prepare your templates for Make.com and PDF.co

Next, set up your document templates in a way that works well with PDF.co so make.com can pass data into them.

Template formats supported by PDF.co

• DOCX templates: Standard word processing templates with placeholders.
• HTML templates: Documents built as HTML pages, suitable for complex layouts.
• Fillable PDFs: Form fields that can be filled programmatically.

Clean up your templates so that field names match the data fields you intend to send from make.com. Consistent naming will save time when you map fields later in the process.

Step 4: Connect Make.com to PDF.co for document generation

With your template prepared, connect your scenario in make.com to PDF.co so you can automatically generate documents.

1. In the scenario editor, add a PDF.co module after your trigger.
2. Select the correct PDF.co action, such as generating a PDF from HTML or filling a PDF form.
3. Authenticate the PDF.co connection using your API key.
4. Map your template file or template ID.
5. Map data fields from the trigger step to the placeholders defined in your template.

After configuration, run a test execution in make.com to confirm that PDF.co returns a correctly generated document file or URL.

Step 5: Deliver the document from Make.com

After generating the file, decide how make.com should deliver or store the result. This step replaces the delivery options you previously configured in WebMerge.

Common delivery options using Make.com

• Email delivery: Use an email module to send the file as an attachment or link.
• Cloud storage: Upload the file to Google Drive, Dropbox, or another storage app.
• CRM or project tools: Attach the file or link to a contact, deal, ticket, or task.
• Internal notification: Send alerts to your team via Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar tools.

In each case, add the corresponding module in make.com, then pass the output file or URL from the PDF.co step to that module. Configure recipients, folder paths, or record IDs as needed.

Step 6: Bridge Make.com and Zapier when needed

If your organization already relies heavily on Zapier, you do not have to rebuild every automation. Instead, make.com can pass data or files into existing Zaps so that you preserve your current systems.

You can do this in two main ways:

• Use webhooks in Zapier as the endpoint and send data from make.com.
• Store generated files in storage apps that Zapier already monitors.

This hybrid approach lets you keep stable Zaps in place while using make.com for complex or multi-step document scenarios.

Testing and optimizing your Make.com workflow

After you complete the basic setup, thoroughly test your new automation in make.com so it can reliably replace your former WebMerge configuration.

Checklist for testing

• Run the scenario with multiple data samples.
• Check that all placeholders in the document are filled correctly.
• Confirm that special characters and formatting are preserved.
• Verify that delivery modules send the document to the right destination.
• Review logs and execution history in make.com to catch any mapping errors.

Once testing is complete, enable the scenario and monitor initial runs to ensure the system performs as expected in production.

Where to learn more about Make.com document workflows

For a deeper look at automating document creation and to compare with the original tutorial, review the official guide on the make.com WebMerge replacement process. It illustrates how PDF.co and automation platforms can replicate and enhance the capabilities you previously had.

If you need hands-on help designing scalable automations or integrating make.com with your broader tech stack, you can find consulting and implementation support at Consultevo.

By following these steps and carefully mapping your former WebMerge flows, you can smoothly transition to a reliable, scalable document automation system powered by make.com, PDF.co, and optional Zapier integrations.

Need Help With Make.com?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Make scenarios, work with ConsultEvo — certified workflow and automation specialists.

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