n8n-examples

# n8n Workflow Examples Step-by-step scenario walkthroughs showing complete workflow development from planning to deployment. --- ## Available Scenarios ### 1. [Webhook to Slack Notification](references/scenarios/webhook-to-slack.md) **Pattern**: Webhook Processing **Complexity**: Simple (4 nodes) **What you learn**: - Create a webhook-triggered workflow - Access webhook body data correctly (`$json.body.*`) - Configure Slack node for message posting - Add response to webhook caller - Publish the workflow once it is verified ### 2. [Scheduled Report Generator](references/scenarios/scheduled-report.md) **Pattern**: Scheduled Task + HTTP API Integration **Complexity**: Medium (6 nodes) **What you learn**: - Set up cron-based scheduling - Fetch data from external APIs - Transform data with Code node (JavaScript) - Send formatted email reports - Add error handling with Error Trigger ### 3. [AI Agent Chatbot](references/scenarios/ai-agent-chatbot.md) > This is an **AI Agent node inside a workflow**. A first-class n8n **Agent** (its own artifact with draft, publish and version history) is built with the native MCP agent tools — see the **n8n-native-mcp** skill — and designed with **n8n-agents**. **Pattern**: AI Agent Workflow **Complexity**: Complex (7+ nodes) **What you learn**: - Configure AI Agent (Tools Agent) with language model - Add tools (HTTP Request, database) - Set up memory for conversation context - Handle chat input/output via webhook - AI connection types (ai_languageModel, ai_tool, ai_memory) ### 4. [Record-Driven Background Workflows](references/background-processing-patterns.md) **Pattern**: Scheduled sync, webhook-triggered processing, error recovery (sketches) **Complexity**: Medium **What you learn**: - Process records from another system and write a status back - Branch a webhook by event type and keep processing idempotent - Wire an error workflow with a bounded retry - Keep tokens in credentials now that n8n 2.x blocks `$env` --- ## Workflow Development Process Every scenario follows the same process: ### 1. Plan - Identify the workflow pattern (see n8n-workflow-patterns skill) - List required nodes - Map the data flow ### 2. Discover Nodes ``` search_nodes({query: "node-name"}) get_node({nodeType: "nodes-base.nodeName", detail: "standard"}) ``` ### 3. Create Workflow Use external MCP for JSON-based creation: ``` n8n_create_workflow({name, nodes, connections}) ``` Or native MCP for SDK-based creation: ``` get_workflow_sdk_reference → get_workflow_best_practices → search_nodes → get_node_types → validate_workflow(code) → create_workflow_from_code(code, versionName) ``` ### 4. Validate ``` n8n_validate_workflow({id: "workflow-id"}) ``` ### 5. Iterate ``` n8n_update_partial_workflow({id, operations: [...]}) ``` ### 6. Publish ``` n8n_update_partial_workflow({id, operations: [{type: "activateWorkflow"}]}) ``` In n8n 2.x the workflow body is a *draft*; this operation **publishes** it (the name is unchanged for compatibility, the editor calls it Publish). Publish only when the owner wants the triggers live. With the native MCP use `publish_workflow(workflowId)`. --- ## Quick Reference: Node Types Common nodes used across scenarios: | Node | Type (search/validate) | Type (workflow) | Purpose | |------|----------------------|-----------------|---------| | Webhook | `nodes-base.webhook` | `n8n-nodes-base.webhook` | HTTP trigger | | Schedule | `nodes-base.scheduleTrigger` | `n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger` | Cron trigger | | HTTP Request | `nodes-base.httpRequest` | `n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest` | API calls | | Code | `nodes-base.code` | `n8n-nodes-base.code` | Custom JS/Python | | Set | `nodes-base.set` | `n8n-nodes-base.set` | Transform fields | | IF | `nodes-base.if` | `n8n-nodes-base.if` | Conditional routing | | Slack | `nodes-base.slack` | `n8n-nodes-base.slack` | Slack messages | | AI Agent | `nodes-langchain.agent` | `@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent` | AI agent | **Remember**: Two different nodeType formats — `nodes-base.*` for search/validate tools, `n8n-nodes-base.*` for workflow creation tools. --- ## Related Skills - **n8n-workflow-patterns** — Architectural patterns for all workflow types - **n8n-mcp-tools-expert** — External MCP tool usage details - **n8n-native-mcp** — Native MCP (SDK-based) workflow creation, tests, publishing, first-class Agents - **n8n-expression-syntax** — Expression patterns for data mapping - **n8n-node-configuration** — Node-specific configuration guidance - **n8n-agents** — AI Agent node design: tools, memory, structured output - **n8n-error-handling** — Error outputs, error workflows and response shapes for the scenarios above