N8n Workflows

Overview

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation tool. It provides 400+ integrations, visual workflow design, self-hosting options, and code flexibility with JavaScript/Python nodes.

Capabilities

• Build workflows with 400+ pre-built nodes
• Use triggers: webhook, cron, email, file changes, database
• Write custom code in JavaScript/Python nodes
• Handle errors with error workflows
• Use expressions for dynamic data mapping
• Self-host or use n8n cloud
• Manage credentials securely

When to Use

Trigger phrases:

• "n8n workflows"
• "Automating business processes across multiple SaaS tools"
• "Building API integrations without coding"
• "Needing self-hosted automation (data sovereignty)"

• Automating business processes across multiple SaaS tools
• Building API integrations without coding
• Needing self-hosted automation (data sovereignty)
• Complex workflows with branching, loops, error handling
• Replacing Zapier/Make with more flexibility

When NOT to Use

• Task is simple enough for Zapier (use Zapier for no-code)
• You need complex code execution (use Pipedream)
• Task is about data storage, not workflow automation
• You don't have n8n instance running
• Task requires real-time processing (use streaming tools)
• You need to build a custom application (use development tools)

Pseudo Code

Implementation patterns for common use cases with this skill.

Workflow Structure

Trigger → Set Variables → HTTP Request → IF Condition → Send Email / Slack
                                            ↓
                                      Code Node → Database

Expressions

// Access previous node data
{{ $json.fieldName }}
{{ $json.data.items[0].name }}

// Access trigger data
{{ $json.body.query }}

// Transform data
{{ $json.name.toUpperCase() }}
{{ $json.items.filter(i => i.active) }}

// Date
{{ $now.format('yyyy-MM-dd') }}
{{ $now.minus({ days: 7 }).toISO() }}

// Environment variables
{{ $env.API_KEY }}

Webhook Trigger

{
  "nodes": [{
    "type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
    "parameters": {
      "httpMethod": "POST",
      "path": "my-webhook",
      "responseMode": "lastNode",
      "options": {}
    }
  }]
}

Code Node (JavaScript)

// Process items
const items = $input.all();
const results = items.map(item => ({
  json: {
    ...item.json,
    processed: true,
    timestamp: Date.now(),
  }
}));
return results;

Code Node (Python)

# Access input data
items = _input.all()

# Process
results = []
for item in items:
    results.append({
        "json": {
            **item["json"],
            "processed": True,
        }
    })

return results

Error Handling

{
  "settings": {
    "errorWorkflow": "workflow-id-for-error-handler"
  }
}

// Error workflow receives:
// - error.message
// - error.node.name
// - workflow.name
// - execution.id

Credentials

{
  "credentials": {
    "httpHeaderAuth": {
      "id": "1",
      "name": "My API",
      "type": "httpHeaderAuth",
      "data": {
        "name": "Authorization",
        "value": "Bearer {{ $env.API_TOKEN }}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Sub-Workflow

// Execute Workflow node
{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeWorkflow",
  "parameters": {
    "workflowId": "sub-workflow-id",
    "inputDataFieldName": "items"
  }
}

Common Patterns

| Pattern | When to Use | |---------|------------| | Webhook → Process → Response | API endpoint | | Cron → Fetch → Transform → Store | Scheduled ETL | | Email Trigger → Parse → Database | Email processing | | IF → Branch A / Branch B | Conditional logic | | SplitInBatches → Loop | Process large datasets | | Error Trigger → Notify | Error alerting | | Execute Workflow | Modular sub-workflows |

Error Handling

| Error | Cause | Fix | |-------|-------|-----| | Node execution failed | API error or timeout | Add retry on failure, increase timeout | | Expression error | Invalid expression syntax | Check expression in editor | | Credential expired | Token/key expired | Update credential | | Workflow timeout | Long-running node | Increase execution timeout in settings |

Red Flags

• Not testing workflows before deployment
• Ignoring error handling in workflows
• Missing logging and monitoring
• Not documenting workflow logic
• Ignoring rate limits and quotas

Verification

• [ ] Workflows are tested end-to-end
• [ ] Error handling is in place
• [ ] Logging and monitoring are configured
• [ ] Workflow logic is documented
• [ ] Rate limits are respected

Process

1. Analyze the task requirements
2. Apply domain expertise
3. Verify output quality

Anti-Rationalization

| Rationalization | Reality | |---|---| | "Manual is faster for one-off tasks" | One-off tasks become recurring. Automate early, save time later. | | "I will add error handling later" | You never do. Handle errors from day one. | | "Automation is overkill" | If you do it twice, automate it. If you do it daily, it is critical infrastructure. |

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: oyi77
• Source: oyi77/1ai-skills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://oyi77.github.io/1ai-skills

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.