Auto-Rename Swiss QR Payment Slip PDFs in Make (via Dropbox + PDF4me)

Got a Dropbox full of invoices and payment slips? Instead of renaming them by hand, build a five-module Make scenario that reads the Swiss QR code on each PDF and renames the file using the data inside it — creditor name, IBAN, reference, whatever you need.

The flow: Watch Files → Download a File → Read SwissQR Code → Parse JSON → Upload a File

What You’ll Need

• A Make account with the PDF4me app added via Make.com
• A **PDF4me API key** (free to start) — follow the “Connect PDF4me to Make” guide for first-time setup
• Dropbox (or swap in Google Drive / OneDrive — the logic stays identical)

Step 1: Watch Files (Dropbox)

This is your trigger. The scenario runs whenever a new file lands in the watched folder.

• Add Dropbox → Watch Files
• Connection → select your Dropbox account
• Folder Search Method → Select from List
• Folder Path → e.g. /Blog Data/
• Watch also subfolders → No (or Yes if needed)
• Limit → how many files to process per run (e.g. 2)
• Save. Any new or updated file in that folder will kick off the scenario.

Step 2: Download a File (Dropbox)

Pulls the actual PDF so it can be sent to PDF4me and re-uploaded later.

• Add Dropbox → Download a File
• Connection → same Dropbox account as Step 1
• Way of selecting files → Map a file path
• File Path → map the path output from Step 1 (e.g. 1. Path display)
• Save. This module outputs Data (file bytes), File Name, and File Size. You’ll use Data in both Step 3 and Step 5.

Step 3: Read SwissQR Code (PDF4me)

Sends the PDF to PDF4me and gets back all the Swiss QR-bill data — creditor name (cr_Name), IBAN, amount, currency, reference, and more — as a JSON string called Barcode Text.

• Add PDF4me → Read SwissQR Code (listed under Barcode)
• Connection → your PDF4me connection (add your API key if creating for the first time)
• File → select Dropbox - Download a File to pull from Step 2
• Save and run. The output fields from this module are what you’ll use to build the new filename.

Step 4: Parse JSON

The Barcode Text from Step 3 is a raw JSON string. This module breaks it into individual, mappable fields like cr_Name, IBAN, and reference.

• Add JSON → Parse JSON
• JSON string → map to 3. Barcode Text from the Read SwissQR Code module
• Data structure → optional; leave empty and Make will infer it on the first run
• Save. After this, individual fields are available to use in the next step.

Step 5: Upload a File (Dropbox)

Takes the same PDF from Step 2 and saves it with a brand new name built from the Swiss QR data.

• Add Dropbox → Upload a File
• Connection → same Dropbox account
• Folder → target folder path, e.g. /Blog Data/
• File → select Map
• File Name → build using the add() function, e.g.: add(3.'Barcode Text'.cr_Name, 3.'Barcode Text'.IBAN, '.pdf') You can swap in other fields (reference, amount) or add separators like '_' inside the expression.
• Data → map to 2. Data from the Download step — this is the actual PDF content. Don't map from Step 3 or 4 here.
• Overwrite existing file → No to auto-rename on conflict; Yes to replace
• Save and run. Your PDF will appear in the folder under its new name (e.g. CompanyName_CH93....pdf).

Quick Answers

Which field should I use for the filename? Whatever suits your workflow — cr_Name, IBAN, reference, or a mix using add().

What if no QR code is found? Read SwissQR Code will return empty or error. Add a router so only valid QR files reach the Upload step, or set a fallback filename.

Can I use Google Drive instead of Dropbox? Yes — swap the Dropbox modules for Drive equivalents. The core flow (Watch → Download → Read SwissQR → Parse JSON → Upload) doesn’t change.

Next Steps

1. Get an API key — Open the PDF4me API key dashboard (free to start). Use it in Make after you add the PDF4me module.
2. New to Make + PDF4me? — Connect PDF4me to Make shows how to create the connection and add your first PDF4me module. To add the app in Make, open the PDF4me integration on Make.com.
3. Build the scenario — Add the five modules (Dropbox Watch Files → Dropbox Download a File → PDF4me Read SwissQR Code → JSON Parse JSON → Dropbox Upload a File) and map the fields as in Steps 1–5. In Upload, set Data to 2. Data and File Name to your add() expression with 3. Barcode Text fields.
4. Full module reference — Read SwissQR Code — Make for all parameters and options.