n8n-workflow

Getting Started

1. Install the skill using the command above
2. Open your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or Cursor)
3. Reference the skill in your prompt
4. The AI will use the skill's capabilities automatically

Example Prompts

• "Process all PDFs in the uploads folder and extract invoice data"
• "Set up a workflow that converts uploaded spreadsheets to formatted reports"

Overview

Create, configure, and deploy n8n workflows for document and data automation. n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool with 400+ integrations. This skill helps you design workflows, configure nodes, use community templates, and self-host n8n instances.

Instructions

When a user asks for help with n8n workflows, determine which task they need:

Task A: Set up n8n locally

Install n8n to start building workflows:

# Quick start with npm (requires Node.js 18+)
npm install -g n8n
n8n start

# Or with Docker
docker run -d --name n8n -p 5678:5678 -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n

Access the editor at http://localhost:5678. For production Docker Compose setups with PostgreSQL, scaling, and backups, see the n8n-self-host skill.

Task B: Design a workflow from scratch

1. Identify the trigger (webhook, schedule, event, manual)
2. Map out the data flow: source -> transform -> destination
3. Create the workflow JSON structure:

{
  "name": "Document Processing Pipeline",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "Webhook Trigger",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
      "position": [250, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "path": "process-doc",
        "httpMethod": "POST"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Extract Data",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
      "position": [450, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "jsCode": "const items = $input.all();\nreturn items.map(item => ({ json: { text: item.json.body.content } }));"
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Webhook Trigger": {
      "main": [[ { "node": "Extract Data", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ]]
    }
  }
}

4. Import the JSON into n8n via the editor or CLI:

# Import via CLI
n8n import:workflow --input=workflow.json

Task C: Use community templates

1. Browse templates at https://n8n.io/workflows/ (7800+ available)
2. Search by use case, integration, or keyword
3. Download and import the template:

# Download a template
curl -o template.json "https://api.n8n.io/api/templates/workflows/TEMPLATE_ID"

# Import into your n8n instance
n8n import:workflow --input=template.json

4. Customize the template by updating credentials and parameters

Task D: Configure common nodes

HTTP Request node for API calls:

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
  "parameters": {
    "method": "POST",
    "url": "https://api.example.com/process",
    "sendBody": true,
    "bodyParameters": {
      "parameters": [
        { "name": "document", "value": "={{ $json.fileContent }}" }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Schedule Trigger for recurring workflows:

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
  "parameters": {
    "rule": { "interval": [{ "field": "hours", "hoursInterval": 1 }] }
  }
}

Code node for custom transformations:

// Process each item
const results = [];
for (const item of $input.all()) {
  results.push({
    json: {
      processed: item.json.content.toUpperCase(),
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
    }
  });
}
return results;

Examples

Example 1: Automated invoice processing pipeline

User request: "Create an n8n workflow that watches a folder for new invoices, extracts data, and saves to a spreadsheet"

Workflow design:

1. Trigger: Local File Trigger watching /invoices/ directory
2. Read File: Read the uploaded PDF/image
3. HTTP Request: Send to an OCR API for text extraction
4. Code Node: Parse extracted text into structured fields (vendor, amount, date)
5. Google Sheets: Append the row to an invoice tracking spreadsheet
6. Email: Send confirmation with the extracted data

Example 2: Slack-to-Notion document sync

User request: "When someone posts a document link in Slack, automatically save it to Notion"

Workflow design:

1. Slack Trigger: Listen for messages containing URLs in a specific channel
2. Code Node: Extract and validate the URL from the message
3. HTTP Request: Fetch document metadata from the URL
4. Notion Node: Create a new page in the target database with title, URL, and metadata
5. Slack Node: Reply in thread confirming the document was saved

Example 3: Scheduled report generation

User request: "Every Monday at 9 AM, pull data from our API and email a summary"

Workflow design:

1. Schedule Trigger: Cron expression 0 9 * * 1
2. HTTP Request: Fetch weekly metrics from the internal API
3. Code Node: Aggregate and format data into an HTML table
4. Send Email: Deliver the formatted report to the distribution list

Guidelines

• Always set up error handling with the Error Trigger node for production workflows.
• Use environment variables for credentials and API keys, never hardcode them.
• Test workflows with small datasets before enabling automated triggers.
• Use the n8n CLI for version-controlled workflow management: export with n8n export:workflow --all --output=workflows/.
• Set execution timeouts to prevent runaway workflows.
• For high-volume workflows, self-host n8n with a PostgreSQL backend instead of the default SQLite.
• Pin node versions in production to avoid breaking changes on updates.
• Use sub-workflows to keep complex automations modular and reusable.