n8n Workflow Generator

Generate n8n workflows from natural language using Claude AI.

This custom n8n node leverages Claude Sonnet 4.5's structured outputs to transform plain English descriptions into fully functional n8n workflows. Simply describe what you want your workflow to do, and the AI will generate the complete workflow JSON with proper nodes, connections, and parameters.

Features

• Natural Language to Workflow: Describe workflows in plain English
• Claude Sonnet 4.5 Integration: Uses structured outputs for reliable JSON generation
• Automatic Validation: Validates generated workflows before creation
• Smart Node Selection: Uses a curated library of common n8n nodes
• Error Handling: Clear error messages and automatic retry logic
• Flexible Configuration: Control temperature, tokens, and other AI parameters

Supported Nodes

The node currently supports these common n8n node types:

• Webhook: HTTP webhook triggers
• HTTP Request: API calls and HTTP requests
• IF: Conditional logic and branching
• Code: Custom JavaScript execution
• Set: Data transformation and field mapping
• Slack: Slack message integration
• Merge: Combine data from multiple branches
• Split In Batches: Process items in batches
• Wait: Pause workflow execution
• Respond to Webhook: Return responses to webhook callers

Prerequisites

• n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud) with API access enabled
• Anthropic API key (Claude access)
• Node.js 18+ (for development)

Installation

Option 1: Install from npm (when published)

npm install n8n-nodes-workflow-generator

Option 2: Install from source

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/n8n-nodes-workflow-generator.git
cd n8n-nodes-workflow-generator

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Build the node:

npm run build

4. Link to your n8n installation:

npm link
cd ~/.n8n/custom
npm link n8n-nodes-workflow-generator

5. Restart n8n:

n8n start

Setup

1. Enable n8n API

For self-hosted n8n:

# Add to your environment variables
export N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

Or in your n8n settings (Settings > n8n API), generate an API key.

For n8n Cloud:

• Go to Settings > n8n API
• Generate a new API key

2. Get Claude API Key

1. Sign up at console.anthropic.com
2. Generate an API key from the API Keys section
3. Copy the key (starts with sk-ant-api03-)

3. Configure Credentials in n8n

1. In n8n, go to Settings > Credentials

2. Add Claude API credentials:

   • Click "Add Credential"
   • Search for "Claude API"
   • Enter your Anthropic API key
   • Test and save

3. Add n8n API credentials:

   • Click "Add Credential"
   • Search for "n8n API"
   • Enter your n8n API key
   • Test and save

Usage

Basic Example

1. Create a new workflow in n8n
2. Add the Workflow Generator node
3. Connect it to a trigger (e.g., Manual Trigger)
4. Select your Claude and n8n API credentials
5. Enter a workflow description:

Create a workflow that:
1. Triggers on webhook POST to /order-notification
2. Fetches customer data from https://api.example.com/customers
3. Checks if order total is greater than 100
4. If yes, sends notification to #premium-orders Slack channel
5. If no, sends to #standard-orders channel
6. Returns success response to webhook

6. Set your n8n instance URL (e.g., https://your-n8n.com or http://localhost:5678)
7. Execute the workflow
8. The generated workflow will be created in your n8n instance

Advanced Options

• Include Comments: Add explanatory comments in Code nodes (default: true)
• Auto Activate: Automatically activate the workflow after creation (default: false)
• Max Tokens: Control Claude response length (default: 4096)
• Temperature: Adjust creativity vs determinism (default: 0.3, range: 0-1)

Examples

Example 1: Simple Webhook to Slack

Input:

Webhook that receives POST requests and sends the data to #notifications Slack channel

Generated Workflow:

• Webhook node (POST endpoint)
• Slack node (sends to #notifications)
• Proper connection between nodes

Example 2: API Integration with Conditional Logic

Input:

1. Webhook trigger
2. Fetch user data from https://api.myapp.com/users/{{$json.userId}}
3. If user.status is "premium", send to #premium-support
4. Otherwise send to #standard-support
5. Respond to webhook with success message

Generated Workflow:

• Webhook trigger node
• HTTP Request node to fetch user data
• IF node checking status field
• Two Slack nodes for different channels
• Respond to Webhook node

Example 3: Data Processing Pipeline

Input:

Process incoming orders:
1. Webhook receives order data
2. Transform data to add timestamp and order_id
3. Split into batches of 10
4. For each batch, send to https://api.warehouse.com/orders
5. Wait 2 seconds between batches

Generated Workflow:

• Webhook node
• Set node for data transformation
• Split In Batches node
• HTTP Request node
• Wait node
• Proper loop connections

Validation

The node performs multi-level validation:

1. Schema Validation: Ensures JSON matches n8n workflow structure (Zod)
2. Node Validation: Checks node types, names, and IDs are valid
3. Connection Validation: Verifies all connections reference existing nodes
4. Parameter Validation: Confirms required parameters are present
5. Structure Validation: Warns about missing triggers or disconnected nodes

Error Handling

The node provides clear error messages for common issues:

• Invalid API Key: Check your Claude or n8n credentials
• Rate Limit Exceeded: Wait and retry (429 error)
• Invalid Request: Simplify or clarify your workflow description
• Validation Errors: Lists specific issues with generated workflow
• Connection Failed: Verify n8n instance URL and API access

Development

Project Structure

n8n-nodes-workflow-generator/
├── credentials/
│   ├── ClaudeApi.credentials.ts
│   └── N8nApi.credentials.ts
├── nodes/
│   └── WorkflowGenerator/
│       ├── WorkflowGenerator.node.ts
│       ├── schemas/
│       │   ├── workflow-schema.ts
│       │   └── validation.ts
│       ├── services/
│       │   ├── claude-service.ts
│       │   ├── n8n-service.ts
│       │   └── schema-library.ts
│       └── utils/
│           └── error-handler.ts
├── test/
│   └── unit/
│       └── schema-library.test.ts
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Running Tests

npm test

Running Tests with Coverage

npm run test:coverage

Linting

npm run lint
npm run lint:fix

Building

npm run build

Development Mode (watch)

npm run dev

Limitations

• Currently supports 10 common node types (extensible)
• No RAG-based schema retrieval (MVP uses curated library)
• No real-time canvas visualization (workflows created via API)
• Credentials must be manually configured in n8n
• Complex workflows may require multiple iterations

Roadmap

• [ ] Add support for 50+ additional node types
• [ ] Implement RAG-based schema retrieval for all n8n nodes
• [ ] Add workflow template library
• [ ] Support for workflow updates (not just creation)
• [ ] Real-time streaming generation with progress updates
• [ ] Automatic credential detection and setup guidance
• [ ] Workflow optimization suggestions
• [ ] Support for sub-workflows
• [ ] Integration with n8n's AI Workflow Builder

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes
4. Run tests (npm test)
5. Run linter (npm run lint:fix)
6. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
7. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
8. Open a Pull Request

Troubleshooting

Node doesn't appear in n8n

• Ensure the node is properly built (npm run build)
• Check that n8n can find the node package
• Restart n8n after installation
• Check n8n logs for errors

Claude API errors

• Verify your API key is correct
• Check you have sufficient credits
• Ensure you're using the correct model name
• Try reducing max_tokens if hitting limits

n8n API errors

• Confirm API is enabled in n8n settings
• Verify your n8n API key is valid
• Check the instance URL is correct (include protocol)
• Ensure your n8n user has permission to create workflows

Generated workflows are invalid

• Try simplifying your description
• Be more specific about node parameters
• Check the validation errors in the output
• Report issues with example descriptions

License

MIT

Credits

Built with:

• n8n - Workflow automation platform
• Claude (Anthropic) - AI language model
• Zod - TypeScript schema validation

Support

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• n8n Community: n8n Community Forum
• Documentation: n8n Documentation

Author

Your Name - @yourtwitter

Project Link: https://github.com/yourusername/n8n-nodes-workflow-generator