N8n workflow generator

n8n Workflow Generator

Generate complete, importable n8n workflow JSON from a natural language description of what you want to automate.

Steps

1. Understand the Automation Goal

Ask the user (if not clear from context):

• What should trigger the workflow? (schedule, webhook, manual, event from another app)
• What data needs to be processed? (API responses, form submissions, database records, files)
• What's the desired output? (send email, update database, post to Slack, create document, trigger another workflow)
• Error handling preference? (retry, notify, skip, stop)

If the user gives a brief description (e.g., "send me a Slack message when a new Shopify order comes in"), infer the full pipeline and state assumptions.

2. Design the Workflow Architecture

Before generating JSON, outline the workflow in plain language:

## Workflow Design

**Name**: [descriptive name]
**Trigger**: [trigger type and config]

### Node Pipeline
1. [Trigger Node] → Starts the workflow
2. [Node 2] → [what it does]
3. [Node 3] → [what it does]
   ├── Success → [Node 4a]
   └── Failure → [Error Handler]
4. [Node 4] → [final output]

### Data Flow
- Trigger outputs: { field1, field2, ... }
- Node 2 transforms: { ... } → { ... }
- Node 3 sends to: [destination]

### Credentials Required
- [Service]: [credential type] (e.g., Shopify: API Key, Slack: OAuth2)

Get user confirmation before generating JSON. If the user says "just build it", proceed directly.

3. Generate n8n Workflow JSON

Generate a complete, valid n8n workflow JSON that can be imported via n8n → Workflows → Import from File.

Required JSON structure:

{
  "name": "Workflow Name",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {},
      "id": "unique-uuid",
      "name": "Node Name",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.nodeType",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [x, y]
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Node Name": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Next Node Name",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "active": false,
  "settings": {
    "executionOrder": "v1"
  },
  "tags": []
}

Rules for valid n8n JSON:

1. Node IDs: Use UUID format (e.g., "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890")
2. Position: Space nodes vertically by 200px and horizontally by 300px. Start at [250, 300].
3. Connections: Reference nodes by name, not id. Connection index 0 = main output, index 1 = error output (if applicable).
4. Credential placeholders: Use "credentials": { "serviceApi": { "id": "REPLACE_WITH_CREDENTIAL_ID", "name": "REPLACE_WITH_CREDENTIAL_NAME" } }
5. Settings: Always include "executionOrder": "v1" for modern n8n.
6. Active: Always set to false — user activates after testing.

Common Node Types Reference

Triggers:

• n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger — Cron/interval schedule
• n8n-nodes-base.webhook — HTTP webhook endpoint
• n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger — Manual execution

Data Processing:

• n8n-nodes-base.set — Set/transform fields
• n8n-nodes-base.if — Conditional branching
• n8n-nodes-base.switch — Multi-way branching
• n8n-nodes-base.merge — Merge multiple inputs
• n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches — Process items in batches
• n8n-nodes-base.code — Custom JavaScript/Python code
• n8n-nodes-base.filter — Filter items by condition

Communication:

• n8n-nodes-base.slack — Slack messages
• n8n-nodes-base.emailSend — SMTP email
• n8n-nodes-base.telegram — Telegram messages

HTTP/API:

• n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest — Generic HTTP requests
• n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook — Respond to webhook trigger

Data Storage:

• n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets — Google Sheets read/write
• n8n-nodes-base.postgres — PostgreSQL queries
• n8n-nodes-base.mySql — MySQL queries

AI (n8n 1.x+):

• @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent — AI Agent with tools
• @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainLlm — LLM Chain
• @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.openAi — OpenAI API call

E-commerce:

• n8n-nodes-base.shopify — Shopify API
• n8n-nodes-base.wooCommerce — WooCommerce API

Error Handling:

• n8n-nodes-base.stopAndError — Stop with error message
• n8n-nodes-base.noOp — No operation (placeholder)

4. Add Error Handling

Every production workflow should include:

1. Try/Catch pattern: Use the Error Trigger node or per-node error output
2. Notification on failure: Send Slack/email when workflow fails
3. Retry logic: For API calls, add retry on 429/5xx with exponential backoff via the node's retry settings

Add an error notification branch:

{
  "parameters": {
    "channel": "#alerts",
    "text": "Workflow '{{ $workflow.name }}' failed at node '{{ $execution.error.node.name }}': {{ $execution.error.message }}"
  },
  "name": "Error Notification",
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.slack",
  "typeVersion": 2
}

5. Write the JSON to File

Save the generated JSON to a file using the Write tool:

• Filename: workflow-[descriptive-name].json
• Location: Current working directory or user-specified path
• Validate: Ensure the JSON is valid and parseable

6. Provide Import Instructions

## Import Instructions

1. Open your n8n instance
2. Go to Workflows → Import from File
3. Select the generated JSON file
4. Update credential placeholders:
   - Look for nodes with "REPLACE_WITH_CREDENTIAL_ID"
   - Set up actual credentials in n8n Settings → Credentials
   - Assign credentials to each node
5. Test with manual execution first
6. Activate the workflow when ready

### Credentials to Set Up
- [Service 1]: [how to get API key/OAuth]
- [Service 2]: [how to get API key/OAuth]

Edge Cases

• Complex branching (>5 paths): Use Switch node instead of nested IF nodes. Keep the workflow visually clean.
• Large data volumes: Add SplitInBatches node with batch size of 10-50. Include rate limiting delays.
• Multiple triggers: Create separate workflows per trigger type. Use sub-workflows for shared logic.
• User asks for a workflow that's impossible: Explain the limitation and suggest the closest feasible alternative.
• Sensitive data: Never hardcode API keys, tokens, or passwords in the JSON. Always use credential placeholders.
• n8n Cloud vs self-hosted: Note if any nodes require self-hosted features (e.g., custom code execution, local file access).