Should I use AI or not? (Discourse get/update poste link with API system)

Help me Build my Workflow
1

I am not that much experienced (yet) with n8n. But I am following Max on youtube and some other n8n flowgrammers.

I am confused. With the introduction of so many features, I lost oversight on how to build something. Would I need AI? Or MCP? Or just plain nodes?

I’d need to link a specific Discourse category with a ticket system.

For example, I’d like to create a flow that

  • get me new posts from a specific Discourse category (I have seen the Discourse node, have the API key and I can create a webhook)
  • via HTTP request, use a ticket system’s API to open a new ticket using the Discourse post information (user, title, content, pictures, etc.)
  • comments on the ticket should be copied to the respective Discource post
  • comments on Discource should be copied to the respective ticket
  • some admin functions, i.e. if the ticket is closed, lock the Discource post.

What is the best approach to do achieve the above?
I use a self-hosted environment and can add the community nodes.

Dan

2

Find a approach that involves minimum number of nodes to get the work done, in general there is no right or wrong approach, I believe you need to be creative even working with these ever evolving tools and options

Regards

3

Not everything needs AI thrown at it. Break down each step of the problems you are trying to solve and then flow it out step by step.

Many times you’ll realize that AI was not required AND is usually much faster and more cost effective (As you’re not paying AI fees).

The point is, use AI when AI is needed not just because it’s the cool thing now and all hype. Also MCP doesn’t mean that AI will figure everything out. MCP is just another way of doing things, you still need to understand the problem you are trying to solve.

I discussed a bit more about what MCP is about and why it’s important here in my latest video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqCIB1fBSn8

That being said, break the problems down first and then flow out from there :slight_smile: (Just my opinion on it)

1 Like
4

You will most likely not need AI for this.

If it is as straight forward as you list here a couple of normal workflows will do the trick.
Maybe AI can add some extra stuff in there later on things like determining the category of the ticket, but the main thing should not need AI. And if you don’t need it, just don’t use it.

Of course AI can be exciting and cool, but it is overused by a lot of people at the moment.