# Supplier price changes in n8n

Compare supported supplier PDF revisions through Supplier Catalog Comparison on Apify, then collect COMPARISON.csv and diagnostics. This template reuses the existing paid tool; it is not a new hosted service.

## Validation status — September 22, 2026

18 offline graph scenarios passed, including one-start-only behavior, accepted-budget checks, recovery, partial results and malformed inputs. The exact template imported through the n8n 2.40.5 CLI. Both resume and explicit-start paths executed successfully in that native runtime using a local fictional HTTP server; CSV and diagnostics outputs were verified. Browser-editor import and authenticated live Apify execution are not verified. No live Apify request or customer charge was made during these tests. The template is inactive and not yet submitted to the n8n gallery.

## Collect a run you already have

1. Import `Supplier-Price-Changes.n8n.json` into n8n using Import from File.
2. Create a protected Header Auth credential: header `Authorization`, value `Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN`. Select it on all five HTTP Request nodes, including the optional start node. Never paste a token into code, URLs or a shared export.
3. In **Comparison settings**, keep `mode: 'resume'` and replace `PASTE_EXISTING_RUN_ID` with your existing 17-character comparison run ID. An extractor run ID is not compatible.
4. Execute manually. Download the `products` binary from **Validated export** as `COMPARISON.csv`, and the `diagnostics` binary as `DIAGNOSTICS.json`.
5. Retain your run ID and outputs outside n8n execution history. Configure retention for confidential data.

Resume mode only reads existing results. API/storage usage and n8n execution limits still apply. Collection waits at most 18 checks; a collection timeout does not stop a cloud run. Resume with the same ID later.

## Deliberately start ONE new revision

Only after confirming this pair has not already been processed:

- Set `mode` to `start`, clear `runId`, and give `revision` a recognizable supplier/revision label.
- Supply two different, direct public HTTPS URLs that you are authorized to process. Keep confidential documents out of publicly accessible links.
- Select `currency`, `numberFormat` and `maxPages` (1–20). This starter uses ruled, selectable-text tables only. It does not use the comparison Actor's optional borderless mode.
- Set `maxTotalChargeUsd` deliberately. This starter accepts $0.005–$1, default $0.25. At the September 22 listed rate of $0.005 per delivered comparison, $0.25 allows at most 50 paid comparisons. Unchanged and one-sided observations also count. Check the listing and account limits first.
- Set `confirmation` to `START_ONE_COMPARISON`, then execute once. The request has automatic retry disabled.
- Save the ID from **Save returned run ID**. Change settings back to resume and use that ID for recovery.

**A revision label is not a deduplication lock.** Do not attach a schedule or automatic trigger until you have an external durable reservation keyed by supplier and document revision. Manually executing start mode twice can charge twice. No durable lock, spreadsheet write or automatic schedule is included.

If the start request times out, the connection fails, or its response cannot be saved, its outcome is unknown. Reconcile in Apify Console before doing anything else. Do not retry the start node, retry the whole execution or create a replacement run. An accepted-budget mismatch stops collection but cannot undo a run already accepted by Apify; inspect the reported ID immediately.

## Use the result

The CSV byte content is preserved. Delivered-row agreement checks consistency, not document completeness or extraction accuracy. SUMMARY and REVIEW remain alongside the export. `destinationWriteApproved` remains false. Hold partial outputs and ambiguous records automatically before any destination import.

Keep SKU columns as text. One-sided observations do not establish product discontinuation. Match currency, unit and list/net price basis. No purchasing action or store/ERP write is performed. Add your own validated destination mapping separately; deduplicate writes by run ID and output key.

## References and distribution

- Product: https://apify.com/cory8484/my-actor-1
- Guide: https://supplier-pdf-to-csv.maag8484.chatgpt.site/price-changes
- n8n import: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n-docs/blob/main/docs/build/manage-workflows/export-and-import.md
- Apify start API: https://docs.apify.com/api/v2/actors-runs-post

Creators can link to the guide with `?utm_source=n8n&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=price_changes` (or source `creator`). Tracking counts aggregate page views and clicks only, not unique people, completed runs or sales. No commission agreement is implied.