# How to download PDF files in make without working with binary data

**URL:** <https://community.make.com/t/how-to-download-pdf-files-in-make-without-working-with-binary-data/57963>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** airtable\
**Created:** [October 15, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.make.com/t/how-to-download-pdf-files-in-make-without-working-with-binary-data/57963 "2024-10-15T19:10:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TLB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@TLB](https://community.make.com/u/TLB)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.make.com/t/how-to-download-pdf-files-in-make-without-working-with-binary-data/57963/1 "2024-10-15T19:10:42Z")

</div>

Hi,  
I am trying to download a PDF file from AIRTABLE to MAKE to then upload to GPT. However, the HTTP module downloads the file as binary. I can’t see how I can send the PDF file to GPT for analysis.

I think that I am missing something fundamental in how to manage files in Make but I can’t seem to find document to explain this or how to solve.

Any guidance would be amazing. Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samliew](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.make.com/samliew/32/13327_2.png) [@samliew](https://community.make.com/u/samliew)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 1:31am UTC](https://community.make.com/t/how-to-download-pdf-files-in-make-without-working-with-binary-data/57963/2 "2024-10-16T01:31:57Z")

</div>

You can use the “Message an Assistant” module. If you want to use “Create a Chat Completion”, then you need to use another module to convert the PDF to text first.

Hope this helps! Let me know if there are any further questions or issues.

— @samliew

P.S.: Investing some effort into the [Make Academy](https://academy.make.com) will save you lots of time and frustration using Make.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TLB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@TLB](https://community.make.com/u/TLB)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2024, 9:09am UTC](https://community.make.com/t/how-to-download-pdf-files-in-make-without-working-with-binary-data/57963/4 "2024-10-17T09:09:25Z")

</div>

HI @samliew , that is great - all fixed. It has been discussed in more detail in other posts, but the basic scenario for anybody wanting to download Airtable file and send to GPT for analysis is:

1. Download the file from Airtable using HTTP
2. Upload the file to GPT using OpenAI UPload A File
3. Create Vector Store in OpenAI
4. Move file to created Vector Store using OpenAI Add Files To A Vector Store
5. Have Agent process file using Message an Assistant

Hope this helps people hitting the same issue in the future.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Make\_Bot](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.make.com/make_bot/32/14661_2.png) [@Make\_Bot](https://community.make.com/u/Make_Bot)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.make.com/t/how-to-download-pdf-files-in-make-without-working-with-binary-data/57963/5 "2024-10-31T14:27:09Z")

</div>