How do I authenticate with n8n?

Set N8N_API_KEY in your environment (export N8N_API_KEY=...); verify by listing with the CLI or checking in the n8n UI.

How can I trigger a workflow programmatically?

Use the provided CLI command execute for a workflow ID or use the Python API (N8nClient) to call execute_workflow with data.

What if I get a connection error?

Check that N8N_BASE_URL is correct, and that the API key is valid; ensure network access to your n8n instance.

N8n 1.0.2

Scanned

@pntrivedy

npx machina-cli add skill @pntrivedy/n8n-1-0-2 --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

3.1 KB

n8n Workflow Management

Interact with n8n automation platform via REST API.

Setup

First-time setup:

Install dependencies (virtual environment):

cd skills/n8n-1.0.2
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Configure environment variables in ~/.zshrc (or ~/.bashrc):

export N8N_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
export N8N_BASE_URL="https://your-n8n-instance.com"

Reload shell and verify connection:

source ~/.zshrc
./skills/n8n-1.0.2/scripts/n8n.sh list-workflows --pretty

Tip: Get your API key from n8n UI: Settings → API

Quick Reference

List Workflows

./scripts/n8n.sh list-workflows --pretty
./scripts/n8n.sh list-workflows --active true --pretty

Get Workflow Details

./scripts/n8n.sh get-workflow --id <workflow-id> --pretty

Activate/Deactivate

./scripts/n8n.sh activate --id <workflow-id>
./scripts/n8n.sh deactivate --id <workflow-id>

Executions

# List recent executions
./scripts/n8n.sh list-executions --limit 10 --pretty

# Get execution details
./scripts/n8n.sh get-execution --id <execution-id> --pretty

# Filter by workflow
./scripts/n8n.sh list-executions --id <workflow-id> --limit 20 --pretty

Manual Execution

# Trigger workflow
./scripts/n8n.sh execute --id <workflow-id>

# With data
./scripts/n8n.sh execute --id <workflow-id> --data '{"key": "value"}'

Python API

For programmatic access:

from scripts.n8n_api import N8nClient

client = N8nClient()

# List workflows
workflows = client.list_workflows(active=True)

# Get workflow
workflow = client.get_workflow('workflow-id')

# Activate/deactivate
client.activate_workflow('workflow-id')
client.deactivate_workflow('workflow-id')

# Executions
executions = client.list_executions(workflow_id='workflow-id', limit=10)
execution = client.get_execution('execution-id')

# Execute workflow
result = client.execute_workflow('workflow-id', data={'key': 'value'})

Common Tasks

Debug Failed Workflows

List recent executions with failures
Get execution details to see error
Check workflow configuration
Deactivate if needed

Monitor Workflow Health

List active workflows
Check recent execution status
Review error patterns

Workflow Management

List all workflows
Review active/inactive status
Activate/deactivate as needed
Delete old workflows

API Reference

For detailed API documentation, see references/api.md.

Troubleshooting

Authentication error:

Verify N8N_API_KEY is set: echo $N8N_API_KEY
Check API key is valid in n8n UI

Connection error:

Check N8N_BASE_URL if using custom URL

Command errors:

Use --pretty flag for readable output
Check --id is provided when required
Validate JSON format for --data parameter

Source

git clone https://clawhub.ai/pntrivedy/n8n-1-0-2View on GitHub

Overview

This skill lets you control n8n automation workflows and their executions through REST API. It covers listing workflows, activating/deactivating, inspecting executions, triggering runs manually, and debugging automation issues.

How This Skill Works

The skill uses the n8n REST endpoints via a Python client (N8nClient) or shell scripts. You can list workflows, fetch workflow details, activate/deactivate workflows, view executions, and execute workflows with optional data.

When to Use It

Need to list, inspect, or monitor workflows and executions from an external app
Automate workflow activation/deactivation or status checks as part of a runbook
Manually trigger a workflow or pass JSON data to a run for testing
Debug failed workflows by retrieving recent executions and error details
Prepare automated health checks by regularly listing workflows and executions

Quick Start

Step 1: Install dependencies, create a virtual environment, and set N8N_API_KEY and N8N_BASE_URL
Step 2: Use CLI to list workflows and inspect IDs (e.g., list-workflows, get-workflow)
Step 3: Trigger or schedule runs via CLI or Python API (execute or N8nClient.execute_workflow)

Best Practices

Secure API access: store N8N_API_KEY safely and rotate as needed
Configure N8N_BASE_URL correctly and verify the connection before calls
Prefer --pretty output and --id when filtering results for clarity
Validate and serialize JSON payload passed to execute --data
Test changes in a staging environment before applying to production workflows

Example Use Cases

List active workflows and fetch details to plan updates
Trigger a workflow with data: {'key':'value'} and verify execution
Get execution details for a failed run to identify the error
Activate a workflow after updating its configuration
Deactivate outdated workflows to reduce runtime noise

Frequently Asked Questions

Add this skill to your agents