n8n Workflow: Basic Webhook Responder

This n8n workflow demonstrates a fundamental pattern for receiving data via a webhook, performing a simple transformation, and then responding to the original webhook request. It serves as a basic template for building more complex webhook-triggered automations.

What it does

This workflow simplifies the process of receiving and responding to external HTTP requests:

1. Listens for incoming requests: It starts by exposing a webhook URL that can receive HTTP POST requests.
2. Edits incoming data: It then uses a "Set" node to potentially modify or add data to the incoming payload. In its current state, it's configured to add a static field.
3. Responds to the webhook: Finally, it sends a response back to the service that initiated the webhook call, typically acknowledging receipt or providing processed data.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• An n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted) to run the workflow.
• A service or application capable of sending HTTP POST requests to a webhook URL.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the workflow:
   • Copy the provided JSON code.
   • In your n8n instance, go to "Workflows" and click "New".
   • Click the three dots in the top right corner and select "Import from JSON".
   • Paste the JSON and click "Import".
2. Activate the Webhook:
   • The "Webhook" node will automatically generate a unique URL when the workflow is activated.
   • Copy this URL.
3. Configure the "Edit Fields (Set)" node:
   • By default, this node adds a field named newField with the value newValue.
   • You can customize this node to transform, add, or remove any data fields as needed for your specific use case.
4. Configure the "Respond to Webhook" node:
   • This node is set to return the data from the previous "Edit Fields (Set)" node. You can modify its settings to return a specific status code, headers, or a different JSON structure.
5. Activate the workflow: Click the "Activate" toggle in the top right corner of the n8n editor.
6. Send a test request: Use a tool like Postman, cURL, or your application to send an HTTP POST request to the webhook URL obtained in step 2.
   • Example cURL command:

     curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"message": "Hello from external service!"}' YOUR_WEBHOOK_URL
     

7. Observe the execution: You can see the workflow execution history and the data flowing through each node in n8n's execution view. The external service should receive the configured response.