N8N Workflow Skill
Overview
This skill enables document workflow automation using n8n - the most popular workflow automation platform with 7800+ community templates. Chain document operations, integrate with 400+ apps, and build complex document pipelines.
How to Use
- Describe what you want to accomplish
- Provide any required input data or files
- I'll execute the appropriate operations
Example prompts:
- "Automate PDF → OCR → Translation → Email workflow"
- "Watch folder for new contracts → Review → Notify Slack"
- "Daily report generation from multiple data sources"
- "Batch document processing with conditional logic"
Domain Knowledge
n8n Fundamentals
n8n uses a node-based workflow approach:
Trigger → Action → Action → Output
│ │ │
└─────────┴─────────┴── Data flows between nodes
Key Node Types
| Type | Examples | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Triggers | Webhook, Schedule, File Watcher | Start workflow |
| Document | Read PDF, Write DOCX, OCR | Process files |
| Transform | Code, Set, Merge | Manipulate data |
| Output | Email, Slack, Google Drive | Deliver results |
Workflow Example: Contract Review Pipeline
{
"nodes": [
{
"name": "Watch Folder",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.localFileTrigger",
"parameters": {
"path": "/contracts/incoming",
"events": ["add"]
}
},
{
"name": "Extract Text",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.readPdf"
},
{
"name": "AI Review",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.anthropic",
"parameters": {
"model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
"prompt": "Review this contract for risks..."
}
},
{
"name": "Save Report",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.writeFile"
},
{
"name": "Notify Team",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.slack"
}
]
}
Self-Hosting vs Cloud
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | Free, full control, data privacy | Maintenance required |
| n8n Cloud | No setup, auto-updates | Costs at scale |
# Docker quick start
docker run -it --rm \
-p 5678:5678 \
-v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
n8nio/n8n
Best Practices
- Start with existing templates, customize as needed
- Use error handling nodes for reliability
- Store credentials securely with n8n's credential manager
- Test workflows with sample data before production
Installation
# Install required dependencies
pip install python-docx openpyxl python-pptx reportlab jinja2