n8n Workflow Builder
Setup
Requires two environment variables:
N8N_URL — n8n instance URL (e.g. https://your-n8n.example.com)
N8N_API_KEY — n8n API key (Settings → API → Create API Key)
Workflow
Understand the automation — Clarify trigger (webhook/schedule/manual), data sources, processing logic, outputs, and error handling needs.
Design the workflow JSON — Build valid n8n workflow JSON following the schema in references/workflow-schema.md. Use patterns from references/workflow-patterns.md as templates.
Deploy via API — Use scripts/n8n-api.sh create <file> or pipe JSON to scripts/n8n-api.sh create-stdin.
Activate — Use scripts/n8n-api.sh activate <workflow_id> for trigger-based workflows.
Verify — List workflows to confirm deployment: scripts/n8n-api.sh list.
API Script Reference
# List all workflows
scripts/n8n-api.sh list
# Create workflow from JSON file
scripts/n8n-api.sh create /tmp/workflow.json
# Create from stdin
echo '{"name":"Test",...}' | scripts/n8n-api.sh create-stdin
# Get, activate, deactivate, delete, execute
scripts/n8n-api.sh get <id>
scripts/n8n-api.sh activate <id>
scripts/n8n-api.sh deactivate <id>
scripts/n8n-api.sh delete <id>
scripts/n8n-api.sh execute <id>
# List credentials and tags
scripts/n8n-api.sh credentials
scripts/n8n-api.sh tags
Building Workflow JSON
Every workflow needs: name, nodes[], connections{}, settings{}.
Every node needs: id, name, type, typeVersion, position, parameters.
Connections use source node display name as key, mapping outputs to target nodes.
For full schema, node types, and expression syntax → read references/workflow-schema.md
For complete workflow examples (webhook, schedule, AI agent, DB sync, error handling) → read references/workflow-patterns.md
Key Rules
- Always set
"executionOrder": "v1" in settings
- Node names must be unique within a workflow
- Node IDs must be unique — use descriptive slugs like
webhook1, code1
- Position nodes starting at
[250, 300], spacing ~200px horizontally
- IF nodes have two outputs: index 0 = true, index 1 = false
- Webhook workflows need
respondToWebhook node if responseMode is responseNode
- Credentials must exist in n8n before activation — check with
scripts/n8n-api.sh credentials
- Test before activating — use
scripts/n8n-api.sh execute <id> for manual trigger workflows
- Use
continueOnFail: true on risky HTTP/API nodes, then check for errors downstream
Common Real Estate Workflows
- Lead intake: Webhook → validate → dedupe → insert DB → notify Slack/SMS
- Call follow-up: Schedule → query DB for completed calls → send SMS/email based on outcome
- Drip campaign: Schedule → query leads by stage → send stage-appropriate email/SMS
- CRM sync: Webhook → transform → update HubSpot/Salesforce + internal DB
- Property alerts: Schedule → scrape/API listings → filter new → notify leads
- AI qualification: Webhook → AI Agent (classify lead intent) → route to appropriate pipeline
1---2name: n8n-builder-23description: Expert n8n workflow builder that creates, deploys, and manages n8n workflows programmatically via the n8n REST API. Use when asked to create n8n workflows, automate n8n tasks, build automations, design workflow pipelines, connect services via n8n, or manage existing n8n workflows. Handles webhook flows, scheduled tasks, AI agents, database syncs, conditional logic, error handling, and any n8n node configuration.4---56# n8n Workflow Builder78## Setup910Requires two environment variables:11- `N8N_URL` — n8n instance URL (e.g. `https://your-n8n.example.com`)12- `N8N_API_KEY` — n8n API key (Settings → API → Create API Key)1314## Workflow15161. **Understand the automation** — Clarify trigger (webhook/schedule/manual), data sources, processing logic, outputs, and error handling needs.17182. **Design the workflow JSON** — Build valid n8n workflow JSON following the schema in `references/workflow-schema.md`. Use patterns from `references/workflow-patterns.md` as templates.19203. **Deploy via API** — Use `scripts/n8n-api.sh create <file>` or pipe JSON to `scripts/n8n-api.sh create-stdin`.21224. **Activate** — Use `scripts/n8n-api.sh activate <workflow_id>` for trigger-based workflows.23245. **Verify** — List workflows to confirm deployment: `scripts/n8n-api.sh list`.2526## API Script Reference2728```bash29# List all workflows30scripts/n8n-api.sh list3132# Create workflow from JSON file33scripts/n8n-api.sh create /tmp/workflow.json3435# Create from stdin36echo '{"name":"Test",...}' | scripts/n8n-api.sh create-stdin3738# Get, activate, deactivate, delete, execute39scripts/n8n-api.sh get <id>40scripts/n8n-api.sh activate <id>41scripts/n8n-api.sh deactivate <id>42scripts/n8n-api.sh delete <id>43scripts/n8n-api.sh execute <id>4445# List credentials and tags46scripts/n8n-api.sh credentials47scripts/n8n-api.sh tags48```4950## Building Workflow JSON5152Every workflow needs: `name`, `nodes[]`, `connections{}`, `settings{}`.5354Every node needs: `id`, `name`, `type`, `typeVersion`, `position`, `parameters`.5556Connections use **source node display name** as key, mapping outputs to target nodes.5758For full schema, node types, and expression syntax → read `references/workflow-schema.md`59For complete workflow examples (webhook, schedule, AI agent, DB sync, error handling) → read `references/workflow-patterns.md`6061## Key Rules6263- **Always set `"executionOrder": "v1"`** in settings64- **Node names must be unique** within a workflow65- **Node IDs must be unique** — use descriptive slugs like `webhook1`, `code1`66- **Position nodes** starting at `[250, 300]`, spacing ~200px horizontally67- **IF nodes** have two outputs: index 0 = true, index 1 = false68- **Webhook workflows** need `respondToWebhook` node if `responseMode` is `responseNode`69- **Credentials** must exist in n8n before activation — check with `scripts/n8n-api.sh credentials`70- **Test before activating** — use `scripts/n8n-api.sh execute <id>` for manual trigger workflows71- **Use `continueOnFail: true`** on risky HTTP/API nodes, then check for errors downstream7273## Common Real Estate Workflows7475- **Lead intake**: Webhook → validate → dedupe → insert DB → notify Slack/SMS76- **Call follow-up**: Schedule → query DB for completed calls → send SMS/email based on outcome77- **Drip campaign**: Schedule → query leads by stage → send stage-appropriate email/SMS78- **CRM sync**: Webhook → transform → update HubSpot/Salesforce + internal DB79- **Property alerts**: Schedule → scrape/API listings → filter new → notify leads80- **AI qualification**: Webhook → AI Agent (classify lead intent) → route to appropriate pipeline