n8n Workflow: Basic Workflow Structure Example

This n8n workflow demonstrates a foundational structure for building automations, incorporating manual triggers, data manipulation, conditional logic, API requests, and error handling. It serves as a template for more complex workflows by showcasing essential n8n nodes and their interconnections.

What it does

This workflow outlines a common automation pattern, allowing you to manually initiate a process, prepare data, make decisions, interact with external services, and handle potential issues.

1. Starts manually: The workflow is triggered by a user clicking the 'Execute workflow' button in the n8n interface.
2. Edits Fields: Data can be transformed or set using the "Edit Fields (Set)" node. This is a placeholder for any data preparation needed before further processing.
3. Applies Conditional Logic: An "If" node allows for branching logic based on specific conditions. Data can be routed down different paths depending on whether a condition evaluates to true or false.
4. Makes an HTTP Request: An "HTTP Request" node is included, representing an interaction with an external API or web service. This is where the workflow would typically send or retrieve data from another platform.
5. Introduces a Delay: A "Wait" node can be used to pause the workflow for a specified duration, useful for rate limiting, waiting for external processes, or scheduling.
6. Handles Errors: A "Stop and Error" node is present to explicitly stop the workflow and report an error, providing a mechanism for graceful failure handling when unexpected conditions occur.
7. Provides Documentation: A "Sticky Note" node is used for in-workflow documentation, explaining parts of the workflow or providing context.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• An active n8n instance.
• No external API keys or accounts are strictly required for this basic structure, but they would be necessary if you were to implement specific functionality in the "HTTP Request" node.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the workflow:
   • Copy the provided JSON code.
   • In your n8n instance, click on "Workflows" in the left sidebar.
   • Click "New Workflow" or import the JSON directly.
2. Configure nodes (as needed):
   • Edit Fields (Set) (Node 38): Modify the fields to set or transform data relevant to your specific use case.
   • If (Node 20): Define your conditional logic (e.g., check a value, compare strings) to route the workflow appropriately.
   • HTTP Request (Node 19): Configure the URL, method, headers, and body for the API call you intend to make.
   • Wait (Node 514): Adjust the delay duration if you need to pause the workflow.
   • Stop and Error (Node 528): Customize the error message if desired.
   • Sticky Note (Node 565): Update the note with relevant information for your workflow.
3. Execute the workflow:
   • Click the "Execute Workflow" button on the "When clicking ‘Execute workflow’" node (Node 838) to manually run the workflow.
   • Alternatively, activate the workflow by toggling the "Active" switch in the top right corner if you configure a different trigger (not included in this base example).