Generate school report card PDFs and email them to parents with Gmail

This n8n workflow automates the complete lifecycle of student report card generation — from fetching raw marks data to delivering polished PDF reports directly to parents via email.

It is designed to be scalable, idempotent, and production-ready, making it suitable for schools, coaching institutes, and EdTech platforms.

🔄 Workflow Overview

The workflow follows a structured pipeline:

Fetch student data
Filter and loop through records
Calculate results and generate report
Convert to PDF
Send email
Update database

🧠 Node-by-Node Explanation

1. ▶️ Run Workflow Manually (Manual Trigger)
   This is the starting point of the workflow.
   Used for testing and manual execution
   Can be replaced with: Cron (scheduled runs) Webhook (trigger via form submission)

2. 📥 Get row(s) (Data Table)
   Fetches student records from the n8n Data Table.
   Filters only rows where Status is empty
   Ensures only students who haven't received reports are processed
   Acts as the primary data source

3. 🔁 Loop Over Students (Split In Batches)
   Processes students one at a time.
   Prevents overload and improves stability
   Useful for handling large datasets
   Enables controlled execution flow

4. 🚫 Skip Already Sent (IF Node)
   Checks if a report has already been sent.
   Condition: Status != "Sent"
   If already sent → skips the record
   Prevents duplicate emails and reprocessing

5. 📊 Calculate Grade and Remarks (Code Node)
   Core logic of the workflow.

What it does: Extracts subject marks
Calculates: Total marks
Maximum marks
Percentage
Assigns grade based on percentage: A+, A, B, C, D
Generates: Dynamic teacher remarks
Subject-wise pass/fail status
Attendance evaluation

Why it's powerful:
Fully dynamic logic
Easy to customize grading system
Adds intelligence to raw data

6. 🧾 Build HTML Report Card (Code Node)
   Generates a complete report card UI using HTML + CSS.

Includes: School header
Student details
Subject-wise table
Total marks & grade
Attendance stats
Teacher remarks
Signature section

Output: Clean HTML string
Styled for A4 PDF export

7. 📄 Convert HTML to PDF (HTML to PDF Node)
   Converts the generated HTML into a downloadable PDF.

Uses external API (e.g., HTML to PDF) Returns a public PDF URL
Ensures consistent formatting across devices

8. 📧 Send a Message to Parents (Gmail Node)
   Sends the report card to parents via email.

Email includes: Personalized greeting
Student name & exam details
Quick performance summary
Link to download/view PDF

9. ⏱️ Wait 3 Seconds (Wait Node)
   Introduces a delay between emails.

Prevents API rate limits
Improves deliverability
Important when sending bulk emails

10. ✅ Update row(s) (Data Table)
    Updates the student record after successful delivery.

Updates: Report_URL → PDF link
Sent_At → timestamp
Status → "Sent"

Purpose: Ensures tracking
Prevents duplicate processing
Maintains clean workflow state

💡 Key Features

🎯 Fully automated end-to-end workflow
🧠 Smart grading and remark generation
🧾 Professional PDF report card design
🔁 Duplicate-safe processing
📦 Scalable for bulk operations
🛠️ Easily customizable

🧩 Requirements

n8n Data Table (or Google Sheets alternative)
Gmail OAuth2 credentials
HTML → PDF API (HTML to PDF)

🛠️ Customization Ideas

Add WhatsApp delivery (Twilio / Exotel)
Add school branding (logo, colors)
Include rank, topper list, or analytics
Replace manual trigger with webhook/form

🎯 Use Cases

Schools & educational institutions
Coaching centers
EdTech platforms
Automated reporting systems

🔥 Pro Tip

You can turn this into a SaaS product by:
Adding a frontend form for schools
Connecting a database (Supabase / Airtable)
Charging per student/report generated