Workflows

Workflows are automation templates—typically n8n workflows—that you can upload, organize, and showcase. They help you document your automation expertise and share solutions with clients.

What is a Workflow?

A workflow represents an automation process. On this platform, workflows can be:

  • Uploaded JSON - n8n workflow files stored on the platform
  • External Links - References to n8n cloud or self-hosted instances
  • Write-ups - Blog posts documenting workflow implementations

Workflow Types

Uploaded Workflows

Upload your .json workflow files directly:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Workflows
  2. Click Upload Workflow
  3. Select your n8n JSON file
  4. Add metadata (title, description, category)

Uploaded workflows are stored securely and can be downloaded by viewers (when public).

Secret Detection

Before upload, workflows are scanned for potential secrets:

High-confidence patterns detected:

  • Stripe keys (sk_live_, pk_live_, sk_test_, pk_test_)
  • AWS credentials (AKIA prefix)
  • OpenAI keys (sk- prefix)
  • GitHub tokens (ghp_, gho_, ghs_, github_pat_)
  • Bearer tokens

Medium-confidence patterns:

  • Generic API keys and passwords
  • Database connection strings (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis)
  • Webhook URLs

If secrets are detected, you'll see a warning modal showing:

  • Number of potential secrets found
  • Confidence levels
  • Option to proceed or cancel

This protects you from accidentally exposing credentials in public workflows.

External Workflows

Link to workflows hosted elsewhere:

  • n8n cloud instances
  • Self-hosted n8n servers
  • Workflow documentation pages

External links let you reference workflows without uploading the actual file.

Workflow Metadata

Each workflow includes:

FieldDescription
TitleDisplay name
SlugURL-friendly identifier
DescriptionWhat the workflow does
CategoryGrouping (e.g., "Reporting", "Data Sync")
TagsKeywords for filtering
Node CountNumber of nodes in the workflow
Nodes UsedList of n8n node types used
Result BlurbBusiness outcome (120 chars)

Categories

Common workflow categories include:

  • Data synchronization
  • Reporting and analytics
  • Lead generation
  • Customer notifications
  • Internal operations
  • Content automation

Tags

Use the global tagging system for filtering workflows:

  • Technology: slack, google-sheets, airtable
  • Use case: marketing, sales, ops
  • Complexity: beginner, advanced

Tags are shared across your team and appear in search and filter interfaces.

Visibility Settings

Control who can see your workflows:

SettingDescription
PublicVisible on your profile, indexed for discovery
UnlistedAccessible via direct link only
PrivateOnly visible to you and team members

Public workflows appear on your public profile (when enabled) and help showcase your automation expertise.

Linking to Projects

Connect workflows to projects to show:

  • Which automations power a project
  • The technical solutions behind client work
  • Related workflows for a domain
  1. Go to the project or workflow settings
  2. Select Link Workflow or Link Project
  3. Choose from available items

Links appear on both the project and workflow detail pages.

Monetization

Workflows can include a Purchase URL for monetization:

  • Link to Gumroad products
  • Link to Stripe payment pages
  • Direct users to premium versions

This enables selling workflow templates while showcasing free previews.

Workflow Display

On Your Profile

When visibility is set to Public and your profile has showWorkflows enabled:

  • Workflows appear in a dedicated section
  • Sorted by category or date
  • Include metadata badges (node count, category)

Workflow Detail Page

Each public workflow has its own page at /{username}/workflows/{slug}:

  • Full description
  • Node information
  • Download link (for uploaded workflows)
  • Purchase link (if set)
  • Related projects

Workflow Write-ups

Create detailed documentation for your workflows using blog posts:

What's Included

  • Prerequisites - What users need before implementing
  • Compatibility notes - n8n version requirements
  • Step-by-step guide - Implementation instructions
  • Full workflow JSON - Downloadable file

Creating a Write-up

  1. Create a blog post and set type to Workflow Write-up
  2. Link to the workflow
  3. Add prerequisites and compatibility information
  4. Publish to make it available

Write-ups appear alongside the workflow on your public profile.

Best Practices

  1. Write clear descriptions - Explain what the workflow does and why
  2. Use meaningful categories - Helps users find relevant automations
  3. Add result blurbs - Communicate business value
  4. Use tags - Makes filtering more useful
  5. Link to projects - Shows real-world applications
  6. Remove secrets before upload - Use the secret detection warnings
  7. Create write-ups for complex workflows - Help users implement successfully

Next Steps

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Workflows | Documentation | DoerPath