Permission Setup Review
python scripts/_init_dirs.py is an optional setup helper for the n8n Workflow Builder skill. It may apply broad filesystem permissions for compatibility. Show the target paths and permission mode, explain the risk, and prefer a narrower mode when shared write access is not needed.
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-builder3description: 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---5
6
7
8
9### Permission Setup Review
10
11`python scripts/_init_dirs.py` is an optional setup helper for the `n8n Workflow Builder` skill. It may apply broad filesystem permissions for compatibility. Show the target paths and permission mode, explain the risk, and prefer a narrower mode when shared write access is not needed.
12
13# n8n Workflow Builder
14
15## Setup
16
17Requires two environment variables:
18- `N8N_URL` — n8n instance URL (e.g. `https://your-n8n.example.com`)
19- `N8N_API_KEY` — n8n API key (Settings → API → Create API Key)
20
21## Workflow
22
231. **Understand the automation** — Clarify trigger (webhook/schedule/manual), data sources, processing logic, outputs, and error handling needs.
24
252. **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.
26
273. **Deploy via API** — Use `scripts/n8n-api.sh create <file>` or pipe JSON to `scripts/n8n-api.sh create-stdin`.
28
294. **Activate** — Use `scripts/n8n-api.sh activate <workflow_id>` for trigger-based workflows.
30
315. **Verify** — List workflows to confirm deployment: `scripts/n8n-api.sh list`.
32
33## API Script Reference
34
35```bash
36# List all workflows
37scripts/n8n-api.sh list
38
39# Create workflow from JSON file
40scripts/n8n-api.sh create /tmp/workflow.json
41
42# Create from stdin
43echo '{"name":"Test",...}' | scripts/n8n-api.sh create-stdin
44
45# Get, activate, deactivate, delete, execute
46scripts/n8n-api.sh get <id>
47scripts/n8n-api.sh activate <id>
48scripts/n8n-api.sh deactivate <id>
49scripts/n8n-api.sh delete <id>
50scripts/n8n-api.sh execute <id>
51
52# List credentials and tags
53scripts/n8n-api.sh credentials
54scripts/n8n-api.sh tags
55```
56
57## Building Workflow JSON
58
59Every workflow needs: `name`, `nodes[]`, `connections{}`, `settings{}`.
60
61Every node needs: `id`, `name`, `type`, `typeVersion`, `position`, `parameters`.
62
63Connections use **source node display name** as key, mapping outputs to target nodes.
64
65For full schema, node types, and expression syntax → read `references/workflow-schema.md`
66For complete workflow examples (webhook, schedule, AI agent, DB sync, error handling) → read `references/workflow-patterns.md`
67
68## Key Rules
69
70- **Always set `"executionOrder": "v1"`** in settings
71- **Node names must be unique** within a workflow
72- **Node IDs must be unique** — use descriptive slugs like `webhook1`, `code1`
73- **Position nodes** starting at `[250, 300]`, spacing ~200px horizontally
74- **IF nodes** have two outputs: index 0 = true, index 1 = false
75- **Webhook workflows** need `respondToWebhook` node if `responseMode` is `responseNode`
76- **Credentials** must exist in n8n before activation — check with `scripts/n8n-api.sh credentials`
77- **Test before activating** — use `scripts/n8n-api.sh execute <id>` for manual trigger workflows
78- **Use `continueOnFail: true`** on risky HTTP/API nodes, then check for errors downstream
79
80## Common Real Estate Workflows
81
82- **Lead intake**: Webhook → validate → dedupe → insert DB → notify Slack/SMS
83- **Call follow-up**: Schedule → query DB for completed calls → send SMS/email based on outcome
84- **Drip campaign**: Schedule → query leads by stage → send stage-appropriate email/SMS
85- **CRM sync**: Webhook → transform → update HubSpot/Salesforce + internal DB
86- **Property alerts**: Schedule → scrape/API listings → filter new → notify leads
87- **AI qualification**: Webhook → AI Agent (classify lead intent) → route to appropriate pipeline
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