SharePoint workflow actions to convert documents and document libraries

The SharePoint workflow activities below are 'must have' for any company uses SharePoint to store documents and perform operations with them. Actions from this category allow conversion for individual documents and for document libraries as well as supporting a variety of input and output formats. One of the indispensable features is SharePoint PDF conversion which provides an ability to convert SharePoint documents in PDF format from various input formats. The automation of document conversion is one of the most frequent tasks performed by workflows in SharePoint.

Document Conversion activities

• Convert Document ^*
  This workflow action converts a specified document to different format and stores the output file in the same document library. This action processes files only of supported formats, files of other formats will be skipped. The list of supported input formats is:
  • Open XML Document (.docx, .docm, .dotx, .dotm)
  • Word 97-2003 Document (.doc, .dot)
  • Rich Text Format (.rtf)
  • Web Page (.htm, .html, .mht, .mhtml)
  • Word 2003 XML Document (.xml)

  The list of supported output formats includes all input formats and two additional ones:

  • Portable Document Format (.pdf)
  • XML Paper Specification (.xps)
• Convert Folder at Url ^*
  This workflow action is used to convert all documents from a document library specified by URL. Output files maybe stored in the same or in a different document library.
• Convert Image to PDF
  This workflow action is used to convert an image to PDF file.
• Convert InfoPath Form and Save to Document Library
  This workflow action converts a completed InfoPath form in a specified Form Library item to PDF and saves to a specifed Document Library.
• Convert Library ^*
  This workflow action is used to convert all documents from the document library. Output files maybe stored in the same or at another document library.
• Get Conversion Job Status
  This workflow action is used to get a string with status of conversion job, one from three values is possible: Completed, Failed or Running. For completed job, it also returns array with URLs of new documents.
• Wait Conversion Job
  This workflow action is used to wait while specified conversion job is running.

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* Note: These actions require "Word Automation Services" running on server. To check this service, open Central Administration, go to System Settings and open "Manage services on server" page. Unfortunately, this service is not available on SharePoint Foundation. Learn more about using HarePoint Workflow Extensions in SharePoint Foundation.

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Other SharePoint Workflow actions categories

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