Default Data Loader Error - pdf-parse v1 only

Questions
1

Describe the problem/error/question

Failed to load pdf-parse. This loader currently supports pdf-parse v1 only. Please install v1, e.g. npm install pdf-parse@^1 (v2 is not yet supported).
Failed to load pdf-parse. This loader currently supports pdf-parse v1 only. Please install v1, e.g. npm install pdf-parse@^1 (v2 is not yet supported).

I’m getting the above error when using the “Default Data Loader” node to read a pdf document into a simple vector database. I’m an n8n subscriber using their cloud browser-based solution. So I don’t have control over the runtime environment.

What is the error message (if any)?

Failed to load pdf-parse. This loader currently supports pdf-parse v1 only. Please install v1, e.g. npm install pdf-parse@^1 (v2 is not yet supported).Failed to load pdf-parse. This loader currently supports pdf-parse v1 only. Please install v1, e.g. npm install pdf-parse@^1 (v2 is not yet supported).

Please share your workflow

(Select the nodes on your canvas and use the keyboard shortcuts CMD+C/CTRL+C and CMD+V/CTRL+V to copy and paste the workflow.)

Share the output returned by the last node

Information on your n8n setup

  • n8n version:
  • Database (default: SQLite):
  • n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
  • Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app):
  • Operating system:
2

This is a known bug that was recently introduced in a core n8n platform update. Multiple users on the n8n community forums and GitHub have reported the exact same pdf-parse dependency conflict over the last few weeks.

Alternative or a workaround:

  • Delete or disconnect the PDF binary input from your current Default Data Loader node.
  • Add a new Extract From File node immediately after your PDF source.
  • Set the operation to “Read Text from File”.
  • In your Default Data Loader node, change the Type of Data from Binary to JSON or Text.
  • Map the extracted text output string from the Extract From File node into the loader.

I hope that helps

3

Since you’re on n8n cloud, you don’t need to worry about installing packages manually — the workaround @SE-automations described (Extract From File → pass text as JSON/Text into Default Data Loader) is your best path for now.

One more thing: I’d recommend opening a support ticket at https://support.n8n.io and mentioning this pdf-parse v2 incompatibility. n8n cloud is a managed environment, so the engineering team can track it and prioritize the fix in their next cloud release. Self-reporting helps them know how many users are affected.

4

@atawfic , If you would like PDF API Hub provides PDF parse backed by text or scanned pdf using tesseract.

Here is the workflow:

n8n- Approved official node:

5

This actually solved my issue indeed. Thanks for the prompt reply.

6

The suggested work around did work. I also reported the issue to the support team.

Thank you!

7

Upgrading should resolve this if you are still seeing an issue.

8

Good Day, Since you’re on n8n Cloud, you’re right that you can’t install packages manually,so that error message is a bit misleading in your case. The good news is there’s a workaround that doesn’t require touching the runtime at all.

Try switching the PDF loader inside the node:

In your Default Data Loader node, instead of using the PDF loader directly, try this approach:

  1. Before the Default Data Loader, add a Read/Write Files from Disk node (or if you’re getting the PDF via HTTP/webhook, make sure it’s passed as binary data)

  2. In the Default Data Loader, check if you can switch the “Data Type” to use a different loader some users have had success using the “Binary” option instead of the dedicated PDF loader, which sidesteps the pdf-parse dependency entirely

If that doesn’t work, another path:

Route your PDF through a HTTP Request node or the Extract from File node first to pull out the raw text, then feed that plain text into your vector store using the “Text” data type in the loader. It’s an extra step but it completely avoids the pdf-parse issue.

This is an n8n cloud environment cloud, their cloud runtime seems to have picked up pdf-parse v2 which broke the node. Worth raising a support ticket directly with n8n so they can patch it on their end, since other cloud users are likely hitting the same thing.