Store Data Received from Webhook in JSON

This n8n workflow demonstrates a simple yet effective way to capture data from an incoming webhook, process it, and then store it as a JSON file. It's ideal for scenarios where you need to log or persist data received from external services for later analysis or use.

What it does

This workflow automates the following steps:

1. Triggers Manually: The workflow is initiated manually (or can be adapted to listen for a webhook).
2. Makes an HTTP Request: It performs an HTTP GET request to a specified URL (e.g., https://n8n.io). This node acts as a placeholder for receiving or generating data that you would typically get from a webhook.
3. Converts to Binary Data: The response from the HTTP request (which is usually JSON or text) is converted into binary data. This is a crucial step for preparing the data to be written as a file.
4. Writes Binary File: The binary data is then written to a file. By default, it will save the content as a .bin file, but you can configure it to save as .json or any other format by specifying the file name.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• n8n Instance: An active n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted) to run this workflow.
• HTTP Endpoint (Optional): If you modify the "HTTP Request" node to fetch data from a specific API or webhook, you'll need access to that endpoint.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow:
   • Copy the JSON content provided.
   • In your n8n instance, click "New" in the workflows section.
   • Click the "Import from JSON" button and paste the copied JSON.
   • Click "Import".
2. Configure Nodes:
   • Start Node: This node is currently set to "Manual" execution. If you intend to use this workflow with an actual webhook, you would replace this with a "Webhook" trigger node and configure its URL.
   • HTTP Request Node:
     • By default, it fetches https://n8n.io. You will likely want to change this.
     • If you're using this to store data from a previous webhook, you would remove this node and connect the "Webhook" trigger node directly to the "Convert to/from binary data" node. The webhook's incoming data would then be processed.
     • Ensure the "Response Format" is set appropriately (e.g., "JSON" if the API returns JSON).
   • Convert to/from binary data Node: No specific configuration is typically needed here unless you want to change how the data is handled before writing.
   • Write Binary File Node:
     • File Name: By default, it might generate a generic name. To save as a JSON file, you should set the "File Name" to something like {{ $json.fileName || 'webhook_data' }}.json or a static name like my_data.json.
     • File Path: Configure the directory where you want the file to be saved on the n8n host system.
     • File Content: Ensure this is set to use the binary data from the previous node.
3. Activate the Workflow: Once configured, click the "Active" toggle in the top right corner to enable the workflow.
4. Execute:
   • If using the "Start" node, click "Execute Workflow" to run it manually.
   • If you've replaced the "Start" node with a "Webhook" node, trigger the webhook from your external service.

This workflow provides a solid foundation for capturing and storing data. Remember to adjust the "HTTP Request" or "Start" node based on how your data originates.