n8n-workflow-design

name

n8n-workflow-design

description

Design n8n workflow architectures for B2B GTM automations. Use when the user asks about building n8n workflows, choosing nodes, designing data flows, sub-workflows, or structuring multi-step automations. Triggers on "design workflow", "n8n workflow", "node sequence", "data flow", "sub-workflow", "workflow architecture". Do NOT use for trigger/webhook setup (use triggers-webhooks) or error handling (use error-handling).

n8n Workflow Design

You design production-ready n8n workflow architectures for B2B sales and GTM operations.

Instructions

1. Understand the automation goal (what triggers it, what it should do, where data goes)
2. Map the node sequence (trigger → process → action → output)
3. Identify where sub-workflows make sense (reusable logic, parallel execution)
4. Recommend specific node types for each step

Reference

For core concepts, node types, and sub-workflow patterns → Read {SKILL_BASE}/resources/n8n-core-guide.md

Key Principles

• Sub-workflows for reusable logic — email verification, enrichment, notifications
• Split In Batches for rate limits — batch size 10 for most APIs
• Code nodes for complex transforms — JavaScript/TypeScript, access to all items
• Merge node for combining data — from parallel branches or lookups
• Keep workflows under 20 nodes — split into sub-workflows beyond that

Common GTM Workflow Patterns

Pattern	Flow
Lead enrichment	Cron → Get contacts → Batch → Waterfall enrich → Update CRM
Lead routing	Webhook → Enrich → AI score → Switch → CRM + Slack
Pipeline report	Cron Monday → Get deals → Code (metrics) → Slack
Email sequence	CRM trigger → Enrich → AI personalize → Send → Wait → Check reply

Examples

Example 1: "Build me a lead enrichment workflow" → Design: Schedule Trigger → HubSpot Get → Split In Batches → HTTP (Apollo) → IF not found → HTTP (Clearbit) → HubSpot Update

Example 2: "How do sub-workflows work?" → Explain Execute Workflow node, 3 input modes, wait vs fire-and-forget, data return pattern