n8n Workflow Automation Skill

This skill enables creating and managing n8n workflows for automation tasks.

Prerequisites

n8n instance running with API access:

N8N_HOST=localhost
N8N_PORT=5678
N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key

Core Concepts

Workflow Structure

Every n8n workflow is JSON with this structure:

{
  "name": "Workflow Name",
  "nodes": [],
  "connections": {},
  "settings": {
    "executionOrder": "v1"
  }
}

Node Structure

Each node has:

{
  "id": "unique-id",
  "name": "Display Name",
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.nodetype",
  "typeVersion": 1,
  "position": [x, y],
  "parameters": {},
  "credentials": {}
}

Connection Structure

Connections define data flow between nodes:

{
  "Source Node": {
    "main": [
      [{"node": "Target Node", "type": "main", "index": 0}]
    ]
  }
}

Common Workflow Patterns

1. Webhook-Triggered Workflow

Creates an HTTP endpoint that triggers workflow execution:

{
  "name": "Webhook Handler",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "webhook",
      "name": "Webhook",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "position": [250, 300],
      "webhookId": "my-webhook",
      "parameters": {
        "path": "my-endpoint",
        "httpMethod": "POST",
        "responseMode": "responseNode"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "respond",
      "name": "Respond",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook",
      "typeVersion": 1.1,
      "position": [450, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "respondWith": "json",
        "responseBody": "={{ $json }}"
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Webhook": {
      "main": [[{"node": "Respond", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]
    }
  }
}

Access at: http://localhost:5678/webhook/my-endpoint

2. HTTP Request Pattern

Make external API calls:

{
  "id": "http",
  "name": "HTTP Request",
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
  "typeVersion": 4.2,
  "position": [450, 300],
  "parameters": {
    "method": "POST",
    "url": "https://api.example.com/endpoint",
    "authentication": "predefinedCredentialType",
    "nodeCredentialType": "myApiCredential",
    "sendBody": true,
    "specifyBody": "json",
    "jsonBody": "={{ JSON.stringify($json) }}"
  },
  "credentials": {
    "myApiCredential": {"id": "cred-id", "name": "My Credential"}
  }
}

3. Conditional Branching (IF Node)

Route data based on conditions:

{
  "id": "if",
  "name": "IF",
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
  "typeVersion": 2,
  "position": [450, 300],
  "parameters": {
    "conditions": {
      "options": {
        "caseSensitive": true,
        "leftValue": "",
        "typeValidation": "strict"
      },
      "conditions": [
        {
          "leftValue": "={{ $json.status }}",
          "rightValue": "success",
          "operator": {
            "type": "string",
            "operation": "equals"
          }
        }
      ],
      "combinator": "and"
    }
  }
}

4. Loop Over Items (SplitInBatches)

Process items in batches:

{
  "id": "batch",
  "name": "Loop Over Items",
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches",
  "typeVersion": 3,
  "position": [450, 300],
  "parameters": {
    "batchSize": 10,
    "options": {}
  }
}

n8n REST API

List Workflows

curl -s "http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY"

Get Workflow

curl -s "http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY"

Create Workflow

curl -s -X POST "http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "New Workflow", "nodes": [...], "connections": {...}}'

Update Workflow

curl -s -X PUT "http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "Updated", "nodes": [...], "connections": {...}}'

Activate/Deactivate

curl -s -X POST "http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}/activate" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY"

curl -s -X POST "http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}/deactivate" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY"

Get Executions

curl -s "http://localhost:5678/api/v1/executions?workflowId={id}&limit=10&includeData=true" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY"

Expression Syntax

n8n uses expressions for dynamic values:

Syntax	Description
={{ $json.field }}	Access current item field
={{ $json.body.param }}	Access nested field
={{ $('Node Name').item.json.field }}	Access output from specific node
={{ $input.first().json }}	First input item
={{ $input.all() }}	All input items
={{ JSON.stringify($json) }}	Convert to JSON string

Common Node Types

Node	Type	Purpose
Webhook	n8n-nodes-base.webhook	HTTP trigger
HTTP Request	n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest	API calls
Respond to Webhook	n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook	Return HTTP response
IF	n8n-nodes-base.if	Conditional branching
Switch	n8n-nodes-base.switch	Multi-way branching
Set	n8n-nodes-base.set	Transform data
Code	n8n-nodes-base.code	Custom JavaScript
Split In Batches	n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches	Loop processing
Merge	n8n-nodes-base.merge	Combine branches

MCP Integration

n8n can expose workflows as MCP tools via the built-in MCP server:

1. Enable MCP in workflow settings: "availableInMCP": true
2. Access MCP endpoint: http://localhost:5678/mcp-server/http
3. Use supergateway for Claude Code integration

Tips

1. Webhook Response: Use responseMode: "responseNode" with Respond node for control
2. Credentials: Store API keys in n8n credentials, reference by ID
3. Error Handling: Add Error Trigger node for failure notifications
4. Testing: Use /webhook-test/ path during development
5. ADF Format: Jira/Confluence require Atlassian Document Format for rich text