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CloudConvert

Getting Started with CloudConvert

The CloudConvert modules allow you to monitor and manage jobs, tasks, and import&export files in your CloudConvert account.

Prerequisites

  • A CloudConvert account

In order to use CloudConvert with Make, it is necessary to have a CloudConvert account. If you do not have one, you can create a CloudConvert account at cloudconvert.com/register.

Caution

The module dialog fields that are displayed in bold (in the Make scenario, not in this documentation article) are mandatory!

Connecting CloudConvert to Make

To connect your CloudConvert account to Make you need to obtain the API Key from your CloudConvert account and insert it in the Create a connection dialog in the Make module.

1. Log in to your CloudConvert account and open your Dashboard.

2. Open the Authorization > API Keys section.

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3. Click on the Create New API key button.

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4. Enter the name for the API key, enable the scopes you want to use, and click the Create button.

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5. Copy the provided token and store it in a safe place.

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6. Go to Make and open the CloudConvert module's Create a connection dialog.

7. Enter the token you have created in step 5 and click the Continue button to establish the connection.

Common Tasks

Convert a File

Converts a specified file to the selected file format.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Input File

Select whether you want to upload a file using Make or provide the URL the file will be uploaded from.

Upload a File

Enter the source file by adding the file name and file data manually or by mapping the file from a previous module. E.g. Dropbox > Get a File.

Data

Enter or map the file data.

File Name

Enter the file name including the file extension. E.g. test.txt

Import a File from URL

URL

Enter the URL of the file you want to convert.

Headers

Define request headers (optional). Useful, for example, when the specified URL requires the authorization.

Format

Select whether you want to specify the input format of the file you want to convert. If not specified, the extension of the input file is used as the input format.

Input Format

Select the current format of the file.

Output Format

Select the target file format you want to convert the file to.

File Name

Choose a filename (including extension) for the target output file.

Conversion and engine specific options

Specify conversion and engine specific options. To view available options, please visit their API documentation and select the input_format and output_format.

Download a file

Enable this option to include also file data in the module's output.

Capture a Website

Captures a specified website and saves it in PDF, JPG, or PNG format.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

URL

Enter the URL of the website you want to capture.

Output Format

Select whether you want to save the captured website in PNG, JPG, or PDF format.

File Name

Enter a filename (including extension) for the target output file.

Headers

Define request headers (optional). Useful, for example, when the specified URL requires the authorization.

Conversion and engine specific options

Specify conversion and engine specific options. To view available options, please visit their API documentation and select the input_format and output_format.

Download a file

Enable this option to include also file data in the module's output.

Optimize a File

Optimizes and compresses a file. Currently supported formats are PDF, PNG and JPG.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Input File

Select whether you want to upload a file using Make or provide the URL the file will be uploaded from.

Upload a File

Enter the source file by adding the file name and file data manually or by mapping the file from a previous module. E.g. Dropbox > Get a File.

Data

Enter or map the file data.

File Name

Enter the file name including the file extension. E.g. test.txt

Import a file from URL

URL

Enter the URL of the file you want to optimize.

Headers

Define request headers (optional). Useful, for example, when the specified URL requires the authorization.

Optimization for

Select the optimization profile for specific target needs.

web Optimization for the web (Default)

  • Remove redundant and unnecessary data for the web

  • Down-sample, clip, and intelligently compress images

  • Merge and subset fonts

  • Convert colors to RGB

print Optimization for print

  • Remove redundant and unnecessary data for printing

  • Down-sample, clip, and intelligently compress images

  • Merge and subset fonts

  • Convert colors to CMYK

archive Optimization for archiving purposes

  • Remove redundant and unnecessary data for archiving

  • Intelligently compress images

  • Merge and subset fonts

scanned images Optimization for scanned images

  • Profile optimized for PDFs that mainly consist of raster images

  • Compress the images without significantly reducing the visual quality

maximal size reduction Optimization for maximal size reduction

  • Use the maximal possible compression

  • Might reduce the visual quality

Input format

Select the format of the input file you want to optimize.

File name

Enter the file name (including extension) for the target output file.

Conversion and engine specific options

Specify conversion and engine specific options. To view available options, please visit their API documentation and select the output_format.

Download a file

Enable this option to include also file data in the module's output.

Create an Archive

Enables you to add one or multiple files to the ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, TAR.GZ or TAR.BZ2 archive.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Input Files

Specify files you want to add to the archive.

Upload a File

Enter the source file by adding the file name and file data manually or by mapping the file from a previous module. E.g. Dropbox > Get a File.

Data

Enter or map the file data.

File Name

Enter the file name including the file extension. E.g. test.txt

Import a file from URL

URL

Enter the URL of the file you want to archive.

Headers

Define request headers (optional). Useful, for example, when the specified URL requires the authorization.

Output Format

Select the target format of the archived file.

File name

Enter the file name (including extension) for the target output file.

Conversion and engine specific options

Specify conversion and engine specific options. To view available options, please visit their API documentation and select the output_format.

Download a File

Enable this option to include also file data in the module's output.

Merge Files

Merges at least two files into one PDF. If input files are not PDFs yet, they are automatically converted to PDF.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Input Files

Specify files you want to merge.

Upload a File

Enter the source file by adding the file name and file data manually or by mapping the file from a previous module. E.g. Dropbox > Get a File.

Data

Enter or map the file data.

File Name

Enter the file name including the file extension. E.g. test.txt

Import a file from URL

URL

Enter the URL of the file you want to merge.

Headers

Define request headers (optional). Useful, for example, when the specified URL requires the authorization.

Output Format

Select the target format.

File name

Enter the file name (including extension) for the target output file.

Conversion and engine specific options

Specify conversion and engine specific options. To view available options, please visit their API documentation and select the output_format.

Download a File

Enable this option to include also file data in the module's output.

Jobs

New Job Event

Triggers when the job or task is created, has finished, or has failed in your account.

Note

The job created by the Create a Job (advanced) module consists of several tasks.

Caution

The New Job Event trigger is also triggered when an individual task is created, has finished, or has failed.

Webhhook name

Enter the webhook name. E.g. Document Conversion Finished

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Event

Select whether the module is triggered when the job/task is created, has finished, or has failed.

Create a Job (advanced)

This module performs a job (a job can be one or multiple tasks that are identified in the Name field and linked between each other using the Input field).

Caution

For further processing of the finished job created with the Create a Job module, please use the New Job Event (job.finished) module in another scenario.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Input Files

Add the files you want to use within the job.

Upload a File

Enter the source file by adding the file name and file data manually or by mapping the file from a previous module. E.g. Dropbox > Get a File.

Data

Enter or map the file data.

File Name

Enter the file name including the file extension. E.g. test.txt

Import a file from URL

URL

Enter the URL of the file you want to process.

Headers

Define request headers (optional). Useful, for example, when the specified URL requires the authorization.

Tasks

Add tasks that will be performed within the job.

Please find the descriptions of the operations' fields in the corresponding section.

Tag

An arbitrary string to identify the job. Does not have any effect and can be used to associate the job with an ID.

If working with the Array Aggregator (e.g. you have many files in different formats to convert), use the I don't know the input format option in the Add a task dialog. Otherwise the error is returned.

Linking tasks within the job (name > input, name > input,...):

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List Jobs

Retrieves all jobs that have been run in your account.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Status

Select the job status to filter returned jobs by.

Limit

Set the number of returned jobs Make will return during one execution cycle.

Get a Job

Retrieves job details.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Job ID

Enter (map) the ID of the job you want to retrieve details about.

Delete a Job

Deletes a job, including all tasks and data.

Jobs are deleted automatically 24 hours after they have ended.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Job ID

Enter (map) the ID of the job you want to delete.

Tasks

Get a Task

Retrieves task details.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Task ID

Enter (map) the ID of the task you want to retrieve details about.

Download a File

Retrieves file name and file data from the specified task.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Task ID

Enter (map) the ID of the task you want to download the file from.

List Tasks

Retrieves all tasks in your account based on filter settings.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Status

Select the task status to filter returned tasks by.

Job ID

Enter (map) the Job ID to return only tasks within the specified job.

Operation

Enter the operation type to return only tasks with the specified operation. Use the List Possible Operations module to retrieve operations.

Limit

Set the number of returned tasks Make will return during one execution cycle.

Retry a Task

Creates a new task, based on the settings (payload) of another task.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Task ID

Enter (map) the ID of the task you want to create a new task from.

Cancel Task

Cancels a task that has a status of waiting or processing.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Task ID

Enter (map) the ID of the task you want to cancel.

Delete a Task

Delete a task, including all data.

Tasks are deleted automatically 24 hours after they have ended.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

Task ID

Enter (map) the ID of the task you want to delete.

Other

Get My Info

Retrieves authenticated account details (including credits - remaining conversion minutes).

Make an API Call

Allows you to perform a custom API call.

Connection

Establish a connection to your CloudConvert account.

URL

Enter a path relative to https://api.cloudconvert.com/. For example: /v2/tasks

For the list of available endpoints, refer to the CloudConvert API v2 Documentation.

Method

Select the HTTP method you want to use:

  • GET - to retrieve information for an entry.

  • POST - to create a new entry.

  • PUT - to update/replace an existing entry.

  • PATCH - to make a partial entry update.

  • DELETE - to delete an entry.

Headers

Enter the desired request headers. You don't have to add authorization headers; we already did that for you.

Query String

Enter the request query string.

Body

Enter the body content for your API call.

Example of Use - List Tasks

The following API call returns all tasks from your CloudFront account:

URL:

/v2/tasks

Method:

GET

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Matches of the search can be found in the module's Output under Bundle > Body > data.

In our example, 6 tasks were returned:

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Troubleshooting

The CloudConvert > Convert a File throws one of the following errors:

Error

The output file size exceeds the limit allowed for your scenario.

Please refer to file size limits in Working with files.

Error

You have exceeded the maximum conversion time.

The free CloudConvert plan offers 25 conversion minutes daily. If your usage exceeds the limit of the free plan, you may switch to a (prepaid) package or subscription.

Error

Failed to read frame size: Could not seek to 1508. �/output/JLIADSA00137P0.mp3: Invalid argument.

This error is thrown e.g. when converting files from MP3 to WAV. Make sure that you have selected the correct region because it will find references to files but not only just the correct file.

RuntimeError

Maximum number of repeats exceeded.

Locate the corresponding CloudConvert job in your CloudConvert dashboard's list of jobs and check the job's duration:

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The CloudConvert > Convert a File module's timeout is set to 3 minutes. If the job's duration exceeds 3 minutes (possibly due to a temporary overload of the CloudConvert service), the module throws the above mentioned error.

In this case consider one of these options:

  • Enable the Allow storing of Incomplete Executions option in the scenario settings to store the incomplete executions for later manual resolution. Optionally you may attach an error handling route to the CloudConvert module with the Break directive to resolve the incomplete executions automatically.Introduction to Error Handling

  • Disable the Download a file option in the CloudConvert > Convert a file module. In this case the module will not wait for the conversion result. To obtain the conversion result, create a new scenario and use the CloudConvert > New Job Event trigger.

Example: Converting a video from MOV to MP4 format

  1. Visit https://cloudconvert.com/video-converter

  2. Click on the "Select File" button and choose your sample MOV file.

  3. Click on the dropdown, next to "Convert to" and choose MP4.

  4. Click on the wrench icon.

  5. Configure the MP4 compression settings as you see fit.

  6. Click on the Convert button.

  7. Once the conversion has been finished, click on the Download button.

  8. Review the converted video.

  9. Repeat steps 1 to 8 until you have found the optimal conversion settings in step 5.

  10. Visit https://cloudconvert.com/api/v2/convert#convert-tasks

  11. Choose 'mov' for the input_format field.

  12. Choose 'mp4' for the output_format field.

  13. A list of all possible parameters like video_codec, crf, etc. will appear.

  14. In Make, insert the CloudConvert > Convert a File module in your scenario.

  15. Open the module's settings.

  16. Configure the module as shown below:

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  17. Make sure to include all the settings in the Conversion and engine specific options field: for each setting from step 5, locate the corresponding parameter from step 13 and its corresponding value.

In this section: