PDFBetter works with Dropbox through its Zapier and Make apps, with no code. Use a Dropbox folder as an inbox: each new PDF can be compressed, made searchable, converted or read for data, and the results saved to another folder. Signed PDFs can be filed automatically too. Each run of a PDFBetter step counts as one agent & automation run on your plan.
What you can automate with Dropbox
Searchable scans: A scanned PDF is added to a Dropbox folder → Make PDF Searchable (OCR) → the searchable copy is saved to a Processed folder.
Signed contracts filed: Document Fully Signed → Download Signed PDF → the file is uploaded to Dropbox/Contracts.
Smaller files for sharing: A new PDF in a folder → Compress PDF → the smaller copy is saved alongside it.
Word copies for editing: A PDF in a folder → Convert PDF to Word → the .docx file is saved for editing.
Set it up
Set it up
You need a PDFBetter account and a Zapier or Make account connected to Dropbox. There is nothing to install.
Connect PDFBetter
In PDFBetter, go to Settings → Integrations and click Set up in Zapier or Set up in Make, then click Allow and connect when PDFBetter asks.
Add Dropbox
In the same Zap or scenario, add a Dropbox step and connect your Dropbox account in Zapier or Make.
Map and test
Map files and fields between the steps, run a test with a real document, then turn the Zap or scenario on.
The PDFBetter steps to use
The PDFBetter steps to use
Make PDF Searchable (OCR), Compress PDF, Convert PDF, Download Signed PDF, Extract Data From PDF.
In Make the same steps appear in sentence case. Make also offers Watch recipient signatures and Watch new form responses, which aren't in the Zapier app.
Pricing
Pricing
This works on every PDFBetter account plan, including Free. Each PDFBetter step that runs counts as one agent & automation run; triggers and failed steps don't count.
Agent & automation runs per month: 200 on Free, 5,000 on Pro, unlimited (fair use) on Business.
Zapier's tasks or Make's operations, and your Dropbox plan, are counted by those services as usual.
Plans
What each plan includes
| Free | Pro | Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connect AI agents (MCP) | Included | Included | Included |
| Agent & automation runs per month | 200 | 5,000 | Unlimited |
What it doesn't do
- PDFBetter doesn't connect to Dropbox directly: Zapier or Make runs the steps between them, so you need an account with one of them.
- Download links in a step's output expire after about 10 minutes, so pass files on within the same run.
- AI steps read a PDF's text layer; run Make PDF Searchable (OCR) first on scanned documents.
Dropbox + PDFBetter: questions people ask
Are my Dropbox files copied into PDFBetter?
Each file a step works on is imported into your PDFBetter account so the step can process it, and appears in your documents. Delete it there if you don't need to keep it.
Do I need Zapier or Make to connect Dropbox?
Yes, one of them. Both connect to Dropbox and to PDFBetter; pick the one you already use. Make also has triggers for each recipient's signature and new form responses.
Does it cost extra in PDFBetter?
No. It's included on every plan, including Free; each PDFBetter step that runs uses one of your plan's monthly agent & automation runs.
Are my documents stored in PDFBetter?
Files a step works on are imported into your PDFBetter account so the step can process them, and appear in your documents, where you can delete them.