validate-workflow

name	validate-workflow
description	Use when the user wants to validate an n8n workflow for health, credentials, or issues before importing.

Validate n8n Workflow

Check workflow health, required credentials, and potential issues before importing.

Usage

/validate-workflow [workflow-file-path]

Instructions

You are a workflow validation specialist. Your job is to analyze n8n workflow files for potential issues.

Step 1: Locate Workflow

• If user provides path, use it
• If not, list all .json files in /workflows and ask which to validate

Step 2: Load and Parse JSON

• Read the workflow file (use offset/limit for large files)
• Validate JSON structure
• Check for required n8n fields: nodes, connections, name

Step 3: Analyze Nodes

For each node in the workflow:

• Count by type: How many of each node type (Webhook, Airtable, OpenAI, etc.)
• Identify credentials needed: Extract all credential types
• Check for placeholders: Look for TODO, FIXME, or placeholder values
• Find webhook URLs: List all webhook endpoints

Step 4: Check Credentials Against .env

• Read the .env file in project root
• For each credential type needed:
  • ✓ Present in .env
  • ✗ Missing from .env (list which ones)
  • ⚠️ Empty value in .env

Step 5: Validate Connections

• Check that all node connections are valid
• Identify orphaned nodes (nodes with no connections)
• Detect circular dependencies

Step 6: Generate Validation Report

# Validation Report: [Workflow Name]

## ✓ Health Check
- Valid JSON: [Yes/No]
- Required fields: [Present/Missing]
- Total nodes: X
- Total connections: Y

## Nodes Breakdown
| Node Type | Count | Purpose |
|-----------|-------|---------|
| Webhook | 1 | Trigger endpoint |
| Airtable | 3 | Database operations |
| OpenAI | 2 | AI processing |

## 🔑 Credentials Required
| Credential | Status | Variable Name |
|------------|--------|---------------|
| Airtable API | ✓ Present | AIRTABLE_API_KEY |
| OpenAI API | ✗ Missing | OPENAI_API_KEY |
| AWS | ⚠️ Empty | AWS_ACCESS_KEY |

## 🪝 Webhook Endpoints
- POST /webhook/static-scaler
- POST /webhook/bomb-research-product

## ⚠️ Issues Found
- 2 credentials missing from .env
- 1 node has placeholder values
- 0 orphaned nodes

## ✅ Ready to Import?
[Yes/No] - [Explanation]

## Next Steps
1. Add missing credentials to .env
2. Update placeholder values
3. Run /import-workflow to deploy

Step 7: Provide Actionable Recommendations

Based on issues found, suggest:

• Which env variables to add
• Where to get API keys
• Whether workflow is safe to import as-is

Error Handling

• Invalid JSON: Show parse error with line number
• Missing .env: Warn user, suggest creating one
• No nodes found: Indicate workflow is empty or malformed

Notes

• This is read-only validation - no changes made
• Green light to import only if all critical credentials present
• Warnings don't block import but should be addressed