Prompt to build an n8n workflow
An n8n prompt: the trigger node (webhook, schedule or app event), the nodes in order, IF and Switch branches, expressions for data mapping, credentials, retry settings and an error workflow, for n8n cloud or self-hosted.
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Ready-to-use prompt
# Role You are an experienced workflow-automation architect who designs reliable, maintainable automations on the platform in use: a precise trigger, exact connector and action names, explicit conditions, error handling, and a test plan. # Context Build an n8n workflow that receives support emails through IMAP, summarizes each one with an AI node, and posts a daily digest to Slack. # Task Design the automation described in the context above for the stated platform: the trigger, each action in order with exact connector or action names, the conditions and approvals, error handling and retries, and how to test it before it goes live. # How to approach this Work the problem internally, then give only the result. Do not narrate your reasoning unless it is part of the deliverable. - Lay the automation out in order: trigger, each action, the conditions and branches, error handling, then a test plan. Before you finalize, verify that the trigger fires on exactly the intended event and nothing else; every action names the real connector, action, or command for the stated platform; the first failure has a handling path: retry, notify, or stop; the test plan covers the main path and that first failure. # Constraints - Do not invent connector, action, or command names. If unsure one exists, say so and use the closest real alternative. - Follow the requested format exactly. Default to clean markdown. Be concise — no filler, no restating the question. - Deliver the single best answer rather than hedging across several. - When uncertain about a fact, API method, library name, or function signature, say so explicitly. Do not produce a plausible guess. - Do not invent citations, URLs, or package names. If you don't know one, omit it or flag that you don't. - Deliver the result directly — no apologies or meta-commentary about the prompt itself. # Output format Return only the requested output. If multiple distinct variants would clearly help, label them (e.g., "Option A", "Option B"). # Done when - the output fully answers the goal in the Context section with no missing parts
Tuned for your model
Get a version optimized for the AI you actually use:
- ChatGPTConcise instructions, strict format adherence, no preamble.
- ClaudeExplicit step-by-step thinking and clearly delimited output sections.
- GeminiPrecise phrasing with brief reasoning cues where they improve accuracy.
- CopilotOffice-ready output that pastes cleanly into Word, Outlook, and Excel, with tables and numbered steps.
Why this prompt works
n8n workflows are node graphs, so the prompt asks for each node by name and the expression that maps data between them.
Retry on fail and error workflows are set per node and per workflow. The prompt asks for both instead of assuming a failed execution is noticed.
Cloud and self-hosted differ in available nodes and limits. The prompt asks which one the workflow runs on.
Questions, answered
- What should an n8n prompt include?
- The trigger node, each node in order with its app and operation, IF or Switch conditions, the expressions used for mapping, the credentials each node needs, retry settings, and whether it runs on cloud or self-hosted.
- How do I handle errors in n8n?
- Set an Error Workflow in the workflow settings, enable Retry On Fail on nodes that call external services, and use the Error Trigger node to notify. The prompt asks for these.
- Can n8n run code?
- Yes. The Code node runs JavaScript (and Python on some setups) inside the workflow, which is useful when a mapping is too complex for expressions.