n8n Workflow: Create or Find Stripe Customers and Automatically Generate Invoices

This n8n workflow demonstrates a foundational pattern for interacting with an external API (simulated here using an HTTP Request node) and applying conditional logic. While the workflow itself doesn't directly integrate with Stripe or generate invoices, its structure provides a robust starting point for such integrations.

What it does

This workflow showcases how to:

1. Manually Trigger: Start the workflow execution with a manual trigger.
2. Make an HTTP Request: Perform a generic HTTP request to an external service. This node is typically used to interact with APIs like Stripe, where you might query for existing customers or create new ones.
3. Apply Conditional Logic: Use an If node to evaluate the response from the HTTP request, allowing for different paths based on the outcome (e.g., customer found vs. customer not found).
4. Transform Data (Placeholder): Includes an "Edit Fields (Set)" node, which is a placeholder for transforming or setting data based on the conditional logic. In a real-world scenario, this might be used to prepare data for invoice generation or update customer records.
5. Document with Sticky Notes: Utilizes a Sticky Note for adding comments and explanations directly within the workflow.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• n8n Instance: An active n8n instance to import and run the workflow.
• External API Endpoint: Although not explicitly configured in this generic example, a real-world application would require an API endpoint (e.g., Stripe API) to interact with.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow:
   • Copy the provided JSON code.
   • In your n8n instance, go to "Workflows" and click "New".
   • Click the "Import from JSON" button (usually a cloud icon with an arrow pointing down).
   • Paste the JSON code and click "Import".
2. Configure the HTTP Request Node:
   • The "HTTP Request" node (ID: 19) is currently generic. To use it with a specific API (like Stripe), you would need to:
     • Set the URL to the appropriate API endpoint (e.g., https://api.stripe.com/v1/customers).
     • Select the correct Method (e.g., GET to find a customer, POST to create one).
     • Add Headers for authentication (e.g., Authorization: Bearer YOUR_STRIPE_SECRET_KEY).
     • Configure the Body if sending data (e.g., customer email for creation).
3. Configure the If Node:
   • The "If" node (ID: 20) allows you to define conditions based on the output of the "HTTP Request" node.
   • Edit the conditions to check for specific values in the API response (e.g., {{ $json.statusCode === 200 }} for success, or {{ $json.data.customer_exists }} if the API returns a boolean).
   • The "True" and "False" branches can then lead to different actions (e.g., "True" leads to invoice generation, "False" leads to creating a new customer).
4. Configure the Edit Fields (Set) Node:
   • The "Edit Fields" node (ID: 38) can be used to process or prepare data. For example, if a customer is found, you might extract their ID. If a new customer is created, you might extract their new ID for subsequent invoice creation.
5. Execute the Workflow:
   • Click the "Execute Workflow" button (ID: 838) to manually run the workflow and test its functionality.

This workflow serves as a foundational template. You would expand upon it by adding more specific nodes for Stripe integration (e.g., a dedicated Stripe node if available, or more HTTP Request nodes for different API calls) and further logic for invoice generation.