Reef n8n Automation

Build, customize, and deliver n8n workflows fast using a 2,061-template library for triggers, actions, error handling, and multi-step automation.

n8n Automation — Build & Deliver Workflows Fast

Build, customize, and deliver n8n workflows using our 2,061-template library. Reference: ~/projects/n8n-workflows/ — browse by integration folder. Our n8n instance: localhost:5678 (requires fnm use 22 before starting). All outputs go to workspace/artifacts/.

Use when

• Building an n8n workflow for a client (Upwork, Alfred, direct)
• Customizing a template from our library for a specific use case
• Debugging or optimizing an existing n8n workflow
• Designing a workflow architecture before building
• Estimating delivery time for a workflow project
• Importing/exporting workflow JSON

Don't use when

• Finding Upwork jobs (use upwork-hunting skill)
• Writing the client proposal (use proposal-writing skill)
• General coding tasks not involving n8n
• Zapier/Make.com builds (different platforms, different nodes)

Negative examples

• "Find me automation jobs on Upwork" → No. Use upwork-hunting.
• "Build me a Python script" → No. This is n8n-specific.
• "Set up my n8n server" → Borderline. Infrastructure setup is ops, not workflow building. But credential configuration fits here.

Edge cases

• Workflow uses custom JavaScript (Code node) → YES. n8n supports inline JS.
• Client wants Zapier→n8n migration → YES. Map Zapier triggers/actions to n8n equivalents.
• Workflow needs external API with no n8n node → YES. Use HTTP Request node.
• Multi-workflow orchestration → YES. Use Execute Workflow node.

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Template Library Quick Reference

Location: ~/projects/n8n-workflows/workflows/ Structure: workflows/[IntegrationName]/[id]_[integration]_[action]_[trigger].json

Finding the Right Template

bash

# List all templates for an integration
ls ~/projects/n8n-workflows/workflows/Twilio/

# Search across all workflows
find ~/projects/n8n-workflows/workflows/ -name "*.json" | grep -i "shopify"

# Count templates per integration
ls ~/projects/n8n-workflows/workflows/ | while read d; do echo "$(ls ~/projects/n8n-workflows/workflows/$d/ | wc -l) $d"; done | sort -rn | head -20

Top Integration Folders (by Upwork demand)

Integration	Path	Common Jobs
Gmail	workflows/Gmail/	Auto-responders, lead capture, notifications
Google Sheets	workflows/Googlesheets/	Data logging, reporting, sync
Slack	workflows/Slack/	Notifications, bots, CRM sync
Twilio	workflows/Twilio/	SMS automation, call routing, alerts
Telegram	workflows/Telegram/	Chatbots, notifications, AI assistants
WhatsApp	workflows/Whatsapp/	Business messaging, chatbots
Shopify	workflows/Shopify/	Order notifications, inventory sync
HubSpot	workflows/Hubspot/	CRM automation, lead routing
Calendly	workflows/Calendly/	Booking confirmations, follow-ups
OpenAI	workflows/Openai/	AI chatbots, content generation
Webhook	workflows/Webhook/	Custom triggers, API integrations
Airtable	workflows/Airtable/	Database sync, form processing

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Workflow Building Process

Step 1: Assess Requirements

From client discovery, answer:

• What triggers the workflow? (webhook, schedule, form, app event)
• What actions need to happen? (send email, update CRM, create record)
• What data needs to flow? (fields, formats, transformations)
• What error handling is needed? (retries, fallback, alerts)
• What credentials are required? (API keys, OAuth, etc.)

Step 2: Find Matching Templates

bash

# Search for relevant templates
find ~/projects/n8n-workflows/workflows/ -name "*.json" | xargs grep -l "keyword" 2>/dev/null

Or browse by integration folder. Most jobs need 2-3 templates stitched together.

Step 3: Import & Customize

1. Copy template JSON
2. In n8n: Menu → Import from File (or paste JSON)
3. Update credentials (Client's API keys)
4. Update field mappings (their data structure)
5. Adjust trigger settings (their webhook URL, schedule, etc.)
6. Add error handling nodes (Error Trigger → notification)

Step 4: Test

• Use n8n's Manual Execution to test each node step-by-step
• Verify data flows correctly between nodes
• Test error paths (what happens when an API is down?)
• Check rate limits (especially for bulk operations)

Step 5: Document & Deliver

Every delivered workflow includes:

text

## Workflow: [Name]
**Trigger:** [What starts it]
**Steps:** [1. → 2. → 3.]
**Credentials needed:** [List]
**Testing:** [How to verify it works]
**Maintenance:** [What might break and how to fix it]

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Common Workflow Patterns

Pattern 1: Trigger → Transform → Action

The simplest and most common. Event happens → process data → do something.

text

[Webhook/Form/Schedule] → [Set/Code node: transform data] → [Send Email/Update CRM/Create Record]

Pattern 2: Trigger → Branch → Multiple Actions

Different outcomes based on conditions.

text

[Trigger] → [IF node: check condition] → True: [Action A] / False: [Action B]

Pattern 3: Scheduled Batch Processing

Periodic bulk operations.

text

[Cron/Schedule] → [Get data from Sheet/DB] → [Loop: process each item] → [Action per item]

Pattern 4: Webhook API Endpoint

n8n acts as an API that other services call.

text

[Webhook: receive request] → [Process] → [Respond to Webhook: return data]

Pattern 5: Multi-Step Pipeline

Complex workflows with multiple stages.

text

[Trigger] → [Enrich data] → [Route/Split] → [Multiple actions] → [Aggregate] → [Final action]

Pattern 6: Error-Resilient Workflow

Production-grade with error handling.

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[Trigger] → [Try: main flow] → [Catch: Error Trigger] → [Alert via Slack/Email]

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Node Cheat Sheet

Need	Node	Notes
Custom logic	Code	JavaScript, access to all data
API call (no native node)	HTTP Request	Works with any REST API
Conditional routing	IF / Switch	Branch based on data
Loop over items	Split In Batches	Process items one at a time
Wait/delay	Wait	Pause between steps
Merge data	Merge	Combine data from branches
Transform data	Set	Rename/restructure fields
Schedule	Schedule Trigger	Cron expressions
Webhook	Webhook	Receive external HTTP calls
Respond	Respond to Webhook	Return data to caller
Error handling	Error Trigger	Catch workflow errors
Sub-workflow	Execute Workflow	Call another workflow

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Credential Setup Checklist

Before delivering to a client, ensure:

• All credentials use THEIR API keys (never ours)
• OAuth tokens are connected to THEIR accounts
• Webhook URLs point to THEIR n8n instance (or ours if managed)
• Sensitive data isn't hardcoded in nodes (use credentials store)
• Test credentials work in production (not just sandbox)

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Delivery Checklist

• Workflow tested end-to-end with real data
• Error handling nodes in place
• Documentation written (trigger, steps, credentials, maintenance)
• Workflow JSON exported as backup
• Client can import and run independently
• Edge cases tested (empty data, API errors, rate limits)
• Screenshot of working workflow included in delivery

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Estimation Guide

Complexity	Description	Time	Price Range
Simple	2-3 nodes, single trigger→action	1-2 hrs	$100-300
Standard	4-8 nodes, branching, transforms	2-4 hrs	$300-600
Complex	10+ nodes, multiple APIs, error handling	4-8 hrs	$600-1,200
Enterprise	Multi-workflow, database, custom code	8-20 hrs	$1,200-3,000

Our speed advantage: Templates cut these times by 40-60%.

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n8n Instance Management

Start n8n:

bash

eval "$(fnm env)" && fnm use 22 && nohup n8n start > /tmp/n8n.log 2>&1 &

Access: http://localhost:5678

Import workflow via API:

bash

curl -X POST http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: $N8N_API_KEY" \
  -d @workflow.json

Our credentials configured:

• Twilio API Auth (ID: 2hP5kiyhResadXrF)
• More to be added per client