Maybe someone has already tried or done this.
I’m used ask GTP to help me building process. So what if could implement them directly instead of tellming me how to do ?
I asked him to use N8N API to create and configure the nodes directly, and here is what he told me. No idea if it would work (i’m just starting on N8N, and have very few coding skills). But it could be a great way to create mockup of process, reducing time and costs.
What do you think ?
Configure Nodes
In this tutorial, you will learn how to leverage GPT (via the OpenAI API) and the N8N API to automatically create, configure, and test workflows. GPT will analyze user input to determine which nodes are needed for the workflow, configure those nodes with appropriate parameters, and interact with N8N’s API to build and manage workflows dynamically.
What You Will Learn:
- How to use GPT to dynamically choose nodes based on user input.
- How to send configuration parameters for those nodes.
- How to create, update, test, and debug workflows in N8N using its API.
Prerequisites:
- N8N Server: A running instance of N8N (either self-hosted or cloud-based).
- N8N API Key: Ensure that the API is enabled, and you have your API key ready.
- OpenAI API Key: Access to GPT (via OpenAI API).
- Basic understanding of N8N: Know how workflows and nodes work conceptually.
Step 1: Enable N8N API Access
Before using GPT to interact with N8N, make sure your N8N instance has the API enabled. You’ll need your API key to authenticate requests.
- Find the API URL:
- The base API URL for N8N is usually:
https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1
- Generate an API Key:
- Go to Settings in your N8N instance and generate an API key for secure access.
- Note the API Key and Base URL:
- You will use these details to authenticate requests.
Step 2: Collect User Input via a Webhook
You need to create a Webhook in N8N that will trigger the process and capture the user’s input regarding what they want the workflow to do.
- Create a Webhook in N8N:
- Open N8N, click on + New Node, and search for the Webhook node.
- Set the HTTP method to
POSTand create a unique webhook URL. - Example Webhook URL:
https://your-n8n-instance.com/webhook/generate-workflow - This Webhook will receive data from a form or API request, containing the user’s specifications.
- Configure the Webhook:
- You can capture details like:
- Application: The app the user wants to automate (e.g., Google Sheets, Gmail, etc.).
- Action: What action they want to perform (e.g., create a row, send an email).
- Trigger: What event should trigger the workflow (e.g., form submission).
- Output: Where the results should be sent (e.g., save data, send confirmation).
- Store the Input:
- Once the Webhook receives the input, store it in variables using a Set Node. This data will be passed to GPT to decide which nodes to create.
Step 3: Send Data to GPT to Choose and Configure Nodes
Next, GPT will analyze the user’s input and decide which nodes are needed to create the workflow. GPT will also generate the necessary parameters for those nodes.
- Create an HTTP Request Node:
- Use an HTTP Request node in N8N to send the user’s input to GPT.
- Set the method to
POSTand the URL tohttps://api.openai.com/v1/completions.
- Configure the GPT Request:
- Headers:
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEYContent-Type: application/json
- Body:
- Send a JSON payload that includes the user input:
{
“model”: “gpt-4”,
“prompt”: “Create an N8N workflow that does the following:\n\n- Application: {{$json.application}}\n- Action: {{$json.action}}\n- Trigger: {{$json.trigger}}\n- Output: {{$json.output}}\n\nPlease provide the node configuration in JSON format.”,
“max_tokens”: 400,
“temperature”: 0.7
}
Step 4: Use the N8N API to Create and Configure the Workflow
Once GPT provides the node configurations, you can use the N8N API to dynamically create the workflow based on those configurations.
- Create an HTTP Request Node for N8N:
- After receiving the node configurations from GPT, use the N8N API to create the workflow.API Request:
- Method:
POST - Endpoint:
/workflows - URL:
https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows - Headers:
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_N8N_API_KEYContent-Type: application/json
- Body:
- The body should include the workflow name and the node configuration that GPT generated:
{
“name”: “Generated Workflow”,
“nodes”: [
{
“name”: “Webhook Trigger”,
“type”: “n8n-nodes-base.webhook”,
“parameters”: {
“path”: “form_submission”,
“method”: “POST”
}
},
{
“name”: “Google Sheets”,
“type”: “n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets”,
“parameters”: {
“sheetId”: “your-google-sheet-id”,
“columns”: [
{“columnName”: “Name”, “value”: “={{$json["name"]}}”},
{“columnName”: “Email”, “value”: “={{$json["email"]}}”}
]
}
},
{
“name”: “Send Email”,
“type”: “n8n-nodes-base.gmail”,
“parameters”: {
“to”: “={{$json["email"]}}”,
“subject”: “Thank you for your submission”,
“body”: “We have received your form submission.”
}
}
]
}
* This JSON contains the **Webhook Trigger** for listening to form submissions, a **Google Sheets** node to store data, and a **Gmail** node to send confirmation emails.
2. **Execute the Request**:
* Once this request is sent, N8N will create the workflow with the nodes and parameters GPT provided.
### Step 5: Test the Workflow Nodes Individually
Now that the workflow is created, you can use the N8N API to test each node individually and ensure they function correctly.
1. **Test Nodes Using the N8N API**:
* You can test each node by sending a request to the **/workflows/{workflowId}/test/{nodeName}** endpoint.**API Request**:
* **Method**: `POST`
* **Endpoint**: `/workflows/{workflowId}/test/{nodeName}`
* **URL**: `https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows/{workflowId}/test/{nodeName}`
* **Headers**:
* `Authorization: Bearer YOUR_N8N_API_KEY`
2. **Handle Node Failures**:
* If a node fails, capture the error and pass it back to GPT for debugging.**Prompt Example**:
> {
> "model": "gpt-4",
> "prompt": "The Google Sheets node failed with the following error: {{$json.error}}. Please suggest a solution.",
> "max_tokens": 100
> }
GPT will analyze the error and suggest potential fixes. You can then re-apply these changes and re-test the node.
### Step 6: Test the Entire Workflow
After testing each node individually, you can trigger the full workflow execution to ensure all nodes work together seamlessly.
1. **Trigger Full Workflow Execution**:
* Use the N8N API to trigger the entire workflow.**API Request**:
* **Method**: `POST`
* **Endpoint**: `/workflows/{workflowId}/execute`
* **URL**: `https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows/{workflowId}/execute`This request will execute the workflow and return the results for analysis.
2. **Review Results**:
* After execution, review the output to ensure everything is working as expected (e.g., data is saved correctly in Google Sheets, emails are sent).
---
### Step 7: User Confirmation and Modifications
Once the workflow is executed, send a summary of the results to the user and ask for confirmation or further modifications.
1. **Send Confirmation to User**:
* Use the **Email** node to send a summary of the results to the user and ask if the workflow performed correctly.
2. **Apply User Feedback**:
* If the user requests changes, send the updated parameters back to GPT to regenerate the node configuration, and update the workflow using the **N8N API**.