Automated recipe finder with an API - n8n API tutorial material
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Workflow Overview
This workflow creates a recipe finder web application that connects to the API Ninjas Recipe API using n8n's HTTP Request node. Users submit search queries through a public web form, which triggers an API call to fetch matching recipes. The results—including recipe title, ingredients, and cooking instructions—are displayed in a formatted completion page.
Why This Workflow Is Valuable
This template demonstrates API-to-API integration, a crucial skill for connecting services that don't have pre-built n8n nodes. By using direct API calls, you gain access to the full functionality of external services. This pattern can be adapted to integrate virtually any tool with an API into your n8n workflows.
Common Use Cases
- Create public-facing forms that query external databases
- Build custom search tools for specialized APIs
- Integrate niche services without dedicated n8n nodes
- Learn header authentication for secure API connections
Setup & Configuration
- Register for API Ninjas: Sign up at API Ninjas to access their Recipe API
- Get your API Key: Locate your API key in the API Ninjas dashboard
- Configure Credentials: In n8n, create a new Header Auth credential
- Set the header name to match the API requirement (e.g., 'X-Api-Key')
- Paste your API key as the value
- Apply this credential to the HTTP Request node
The Form Trigger generates a public URL for users to submit queries. Customize the form title, field labels, and completion message HTML to match your needs.
Automated Recipe Finder with an API
This n8n workflow provides a simple way to create a web form that, upon submission, triggers an API request. This example is particularly useful for demonstrating how to build interactive forms and integrate them with external APIs using n8n.
What it does
This workflow automates the following steps:
- Listens for Form Submissions: It starts by presenting a web form to the user.
- Captures Input: When the user fills out and submits the form, the workflow captures the provided data.
- Makes an HTTP Request: It then uses the submitted data to construct and send an HTTP request to an external API.
- Displays Results (Implicit): Although not explicitly shown in the provided JSON, the typical next step after an HTTP Request in such a workflow would be to process the API response and display it back to the user via the form or another output node.
Prerequisites/Requirements
- n8n Instance: You need a running n8n instance to import and execute this workflow.
- External API: An API endpoint that can receive the data from the form submission and return a relevant response. (The specific API is not defined in the JSON, but the
HTTP Requestnode is ready to be configured).
Setup/Usage
- Import the Workflow:
- Copy the provided JSON code.
- In your n8n instance, click "New" in the workflows section.
- Click the three-dot menu (...) and select "Import from JSON".
- Paste the JSON code and click "Import".
- Configure the Form Trigger:
- Locate the "On form submission" node (ID: 1225).
- Click on it to open its settings.
- Define the fields you want in your form. For a recipe finder, you might add a text field for "Ingredient" or "Cuisine".
- Activate the workflow to generate the public URL for your form.
- Configure the HTTP Request Node:
- Locate the "HTTP Request" node (ID: 19).
- Click on it to open its settings.
- Set the URL to your desired recipe API endpoint (e.g., a Spoonacular, Edamam, or TheMealDB API).
- Set the Method (e.g., GET or POST) as required by your API.
- Under Query Parameters or Body Parameters, use expressions (e.g.,
{{ $json.ingredient }}) to dynamically insert the data submitted from the "On form submission" node into your API request. - Add any necessary Headers (e.g.,
Authorizationwith an API key) or Authentication as required by your API.
- Add Output (Optional but Recommended):
- After the "HTTP Request" node, you would typically add another node (e.g., a "Respond to Webhook" node, a "Set" node to format data, or a "Form" node to display results) to present the API's response back to the user or to another service.
- Save and Activate: Save the workflow and activate it to make your form and API integration live.
Once configured and active, you can share the form URL generated by the "On form submission" node. When users submit the form, the workflow will automatically fetch data from your chosen API based on their input.
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