TESTED WORKFLOW · MAKE ROUTER · AUTO RENAME

How to Automatically Rename Gmail PDF Attachments Before Saving Them to Google Drive with Make

Add a document-type prefix to Gmail PDF filenames while routing invoice and report attachments into separate Google Drive folders.

Hands-on tested · Updated August 16, 2026 · By Automation Lab Guide

Hands-on test resultBoth routes worked. The original test.pdf was saved as invoice_test.pdf in Invoices and report_test.pdf in Reports.

What we are building

Gmail — Watch emails
↓
Gmail — List email attachments and media
↓
PDF + specified sender
↓
Router
├─ invoice → Invoices → invoice_originalfilename.pdf
└─ report  → Reports  → report_originalfilename.pdf

Rename invoice PDFs automatically

Open the Google Drive upload module on the Invoice PDFs route. Keep the destination folder as Make_Gmail_Attachments / Invoices. In File Name, type invoice_ and then insert 3. Filename. Keep Data mapped to 3. Data.

File Name: invoice_ + 3. Filename
Data: 3. Data

Rename report PDFs automatically

Repeat the same setup on the Report PDFs route, but use the prefix report_ and save to the Reports folder.

Folder: Make_Gmail_Attachments / Reports
File Name: report_ + 3. Filename
Data: 3. Data
Google Drive Upload a File settings with report prefix added before Gmail attachment filename
The Report route adds report_ before the original Gmail attachment filename while preserving the attachment data.

Run the scenario

Run the scenario once and send test PDF emails matching each Router condition. The Make execution showed successful processing through both routes.

Make scenario showing successful invoice and report Router execution
Both Router branches reached their Google Drive upload modules successfully during testing.

Test result: Invoice

The original file test.pdf was saved with the Invoice prefix.

Google Drive showing invoice_test.pdf
PASS: test.pdf became invoice_test.pdf.

Test result: Report

The same original filename was processed through the Report route and received the Report prefix.

Google Drive showing report_test.pdf
PASS: test.pdf became report_test.pdf.

What we verified

  • Invoice and report PDFs can share the same Gmail attachment workflow.
  • Router filters can send each document type to a separate Google Drive folder.
  • Fixed text can be combined with the original Gmail attachment filename.
  • The original PDF extension is preserved because 3. Filename includes it.
  • The attachment content remains mapped from 3. Data.
  • Both renamed files were confirmed in Google Drive.

A useful next naming pattern

The simple prefixes make the behavior easy to verify. A later workflow could also add a date, for example 2026-08-16_invoice_test.pdf, for long-term archiving.

Build the workflow

Start with the Router workflow, then add the prefix directly in each Google Drive module's File Name field.

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