n8n Workflow Management

Interact with n8n automation platform via REST API.

Setup

First-time setup:

1. API key must be stored in environment:

bash
export N8N_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

1. Verify connection:

bash
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py list-workflows --pretty

For persistent storage, add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

bash
echo 'export N8N_API_KEY="your-key"' >> ~/.bashrc

Quick Reference

List Workflows

bash
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py list-workflows --pretty
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py list-workflows --active true --pretty

Get Workflow Details

bash
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py get-workflow --id <workflow-id> --pretty

Activate/Deactivate

bash
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py activate --id <workflow-id>
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py deactivate --id <workflow-id>

Executions

bash
# List recent executions
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py list-executions --limit 10 --pretty

# Get execution details
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py get-execution --id <execution-id> --pretty

# Filter by workflow
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py list-executions --id <workflow-id> --limit 20 --pretty

Manual Execution

bash
# Trigger workflow
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py execute --id <workflow-id>

# With data
python3 scripts/n8n_api.py execute --id <workflow-id> --data '{"key": "value"}'

Python API

For programmatic access:

python
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

1. List recent executions with failures
2. Get execution details to see error
3. Check workflow configuration
4. Deactivate if needed

Monitor Workflow Health

1. List active workflows
2. Check recent execution status
3. Review error patterns

Workflow Management

1. List all workflows
2. Review active/inactive status
3. Activate/deactivate as needed
4. 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