# Example: Scheduled Daily Report Workflow Create a workflow that runs daily and sends automated email reports. ## What You'll Build A scheduled workflow that: 1. Runs every day at 9 AM 2. Fetches data from an API 3. Formats the data into a readable report 4. Sends email report to team **Time Required:** 15 minutes **Difficulty:** Beginner **Prerequisites:** Email credentials configured in n8n --- ## Problem Statement Your team needs a daily metrics report delivered to their inbox every morning at 9 AM. The report should include: - Total users - Active sessions - Revenue - Top performing products Currently, someone manually generates this report each morning, taking 30 minutes of their time. **Business Impact:** - **Time Saved:** 30 minutes/day = 10 hours/month - **Consistency:** No missed reports - **Timeliness:** Delivered exactly at 9 AM - **Automation:** Zero manual effort --- ## Solution Architecture ``` [Schedule Trigger] 9 AM Daily ā†“ [HTTP Request] Fetch Metrics API ā†“ [Code Node] Format Report ā†“ [Send Email] Team Distribution ``` **Workflow Characteristics:** - **Trigger:** Schedule (Cron: `0 9 * * *`) - **Nodes:** 4 (Schedule, HTTP Request, Code, Email) - **Frequency:** Daily at 9:00 AM - **Timezone:** Configurable --- ## Step-by-Step Tutorial ### Step 1: Create the Scheduled Workflow ``` You: "Create a daily report workflow that runs at 9 AM, fetches data from https://api.example.com/metrics, and emails the results to team@company.com" Claude: I'll create a scheduled workflow for your daily report. [MCP tool call: create_workflow] { "instance": "production", "name": "Daily Metrics Report", "nodes": [ { "id": "schedule_1", "name": "Schedule Trigger", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger", "typeVersion": 1.1, "position": [250, 300], "parameters": { "rule": { "interval": [ { "field": "cronExpression", "expression": "0 9 * * *" } ] }, "timezone": "America/New_York" } }, { "id": "http_1", "name": "Fetch Metrics", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest", "typeVersion": 4.1, "position": [450, 300], "parameters": { "url": "https://api.example.com/metrics", "authentication": "none", "options": { "timeout": 10000 } } }, { "id": "code_1", "name": "Format Report", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code", "typeVersion": 2, "position": [650, 300], "parameters": { "mode": "runOnceForAllItems", "jsCode": "const metrics = $input.all()[0].json;\n\nconst today = new Date().toLocaleDateString('en-US', {\n weekday: 'long',\n year: 'numeric',\n month: 'long',\n day: 'numeric'\n});\n\nconst report = `\nšŸ“Š Daily Metrics Report - ${today}\n${'='.repeat(60)}\n\nšŸ‘„ USERS\n Total Users: ${metrics.users.toLocaleString()}\n New Today: ${metrics.newUsers.toLocaleString()}\n Active Sessions: ${metrics.activeSessions.toLocaleString()}\n\nšŸ’° REVENUE\n Today's Revenue: $${metrics.revenue.toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2 })}\n Monthly Total: $${metrics.monthlyRevenue.toLocaleString('en-US', { minimumFractionDigits: 2 })}\n Target Progress: ${((metrics.revenue / metrics.target) * 100).toFixed(1)}%\n\nšŸ† TOP PRODUCTS\n${metrics.topProducts.map((p, i) => \n ` ${i + 1}. ${p.name.padEnd(30)} $${p.sales.toLocaleString()}`\n).join('\\n')}\n\n${'='.repeat(60)}\nGenerated: ${new Date().toISOString()}\n`;\n\nreturn [{ json: { report, subject: `Daily Metrics - ${today}` } }];" } }, { "id": "email_1", "name": "Send Email", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.emailSend", "typeVersion": 2, "position": [850, 300], "parameters": { "fromEmail": "reports@company.com", "toEmail": "team@company.com", "subject": "={{ $json.subject }}", "emailType": "text", "message": "={{ $json.report }}" }, "credentials": { "smtp": { "id": "1", "name": "Company SMTP" } } } ], "connections": { "Schedule Trigger": { "main": [[{ "node": "Fetch Metrics", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]] }, "Fetch Metrics": { "main": [[{ "node": "Format Report", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]] }, "Format Report": { "main": [[{ "node": "Send Email", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]] } }, "active": false } āœ… Workflow "Daily Metrics Report" created successfully Details: - ID: 456 - Schedule: Daily at 9:00 AM EST - Status: Inactive (test before activating) - Nodes: 4 (Schedule, HTTP, Code, Email) IMPORTANT: Test manually before activating! ``` --- ### Step 2: Manual Testing (Required Before Activation) Since this workflow has a schedule trigger, you cannot execute it via the MCP server API. Instead, test in the n8n UI: ``` You: "How do I test this workflow before activating it?" Claude: Great question! Here's how to test schedule-based workflows: **Method 1: Manual Test in n8n UI (Recommended)** 1. Open n8n UI: https://your-n8n.cloud 2. Navigate to workflow "Daily Metrics Report" 3. Click "Test Workflow" button (top right) 4. Click "Execute Workflow" 5. Review results in execution panel **Method 2: Temporarily Add Manual Trigger** Ask me to add a manual trigger for testing: "Add a manual trigger to workflow 456 for testing purposes" **Method 3: Change Schedule to Run Soon** Temporarily change schedule to run in 5 minutes: "Update workflow 456 schedule to run at [current_time + 5 minutes]" I recommend Method 1 for quickest testing. ``` #### Testing in n8n UI: 1. **Open Workflow:** Navigate to workflow in n8n UI 2. **Click "Test Workflow":** Top-right button 3. **Execute:** Click "Execute Workflow" 4. **Review Output:** Check each node's output: - Schedule Trigger: āœ“ Triggered - Fetch Metrics: āœ“ API response received - Format Report: āœ“ Report formatted - Send Email: āœ“ Email sent **Expected Email Output:** ``` From: reports@company.com To: team@company.com Subject: Daily Metrics - Wednesday, January 15, 2025 šŸ“Š Daily Metrics Report - Wednesday, January 15, 2025 ============================================================ šŸ‘„ USERS Total Users: 15,432 New Today: 127 Active Sessions: 1,245 šŸ’° REVENUE Today's Revenue: $12,450.75 Monthly Total: $187,234.50 Target Progress: 93.6% šŸ† TOP PRODUCTS 1. Premium Plan $5,200 2. Starter Plan $3,100 3. Enterprise License $2,800 ============================================================ Generated: 2025-01-15T09:00:23.456Z ``` --- ### Step 3: Activate for Production After successful testing: ``` You: "The test worked perfectly! Activate workflow 456 in production." Claude: Excellent! I'll activate the daily report workflow. [MCP tool call: activate_workflow] { "instance": "production", "id": "456" } āœ… Workflow activated successfully Your Daily Metrics Report will now run automatically every day at 9:00 AM EST. **Next Execution:** Tomorrow at 09:00:00 EST **Recipients:** team@company.com **Status:** Active āœ… Would you like me to: 1. Set up execution monitoring? 2. Add error notifications? 3. Create a backup recipient list? ``` --- ## Customization Options ### Change Schedule Time Update to different time: ``` You: "Change workflow 456 to run at 6 AM instead of 9 AM" Claude: I'll update the schedule to 6:00 AM. [Updates cron expression from "0 9 * * *" to "0 6 * * *"] āœ… Schedule updated to 6:00 AM daily ``` ### Change Timezone ``` You: "Update workflow 456 timezone to Pacific Time (PT)" Claude: I'll change the timezone to America/Los_Angeles (PT). [Updates timezone parameter] āœ… Timezone changed to Pacific Time Next execution: Tomorrow at 09:00:00 PST ``` ### Add Multiple Recipients ``` You: "Add sarah@company.com and john@company.com to the recipient list" Claude: I'll update the email recipients. [Updates toEmail parameter to "team@company.com, sarah@company.com, john@company.com"] āœ… Email recipients updated Now sending to: team@company.com, sarah@company.com, john@company.com ``` --- ## Schedule Examples ### Weekdays Only (Monday-Friday) ```javascript { "cronExpression": "0 9 * * 1-5" } // Mon-Fri at 9 AM ``` ### Twice Daily ```javascript { "cronExpression": "0 9,17 * * *" } // 9 AM and 5 PM daily ``` ### Weekly (Monday Only) ```javascript { "cronExpression": "0 9 * * 1" } // Mondays at 9 AM ``` ### Monthly (1st of Month) ```javascript { "cronExpression": "0 9 1 * *" } // 1st of every month at 9 AM ``` ### Every Hour ```javascript { "cronExpression": "0 * * * *" } // Top of every hour ``` --- ## Common Pitfalls ### Issue 1: Wrong Timezone **Symptom:** Report arrives at unexpected time **Solution:** ``` You: "Check what timezone workflow 456 is using" Claude: [Gets workflow details] Current timezone: UTC 9:00 AM UTC = 4:00 AM EST Would you like me to change it to America/New_York (EST)? ``` **Fix:** Always specify timezone explicitly --- ### Issue 2: API Timeout **Symptom:** Workflow fails with timeout error **Cause:** API response takes >10 seconds **Solution:** ```javascript { "name": "Fetch Metrics", "parameters": { "url": "https://api.example.com/metrics", "options": { "timeout": 30000 // Increase to 30 seconds } } } ``` --- ### Issue 3: Email Not Sending **Symptom:** Execution succeeds but no email received **Checklist:** 1. āœ“ SMTP credentials configured? 2. āœ“ Recipient email correct? 3. āœ“ Check spam folder 4. āœ“ SMTP server accessible? **Debug:** ``` You: "Why isn't workflow 456 sending emails? Show me the latest execution." Claude: [Gets execution details] Execution shows: - HTTP Request: āœ… Success - Format Report: āœ… Success - Send Email: āŒ Failed - "Authentication failed" Issue: SMTP credentials invalid or expired. Fix: 1. Open n8n UI ā†’ Settings ā†’ Credentials 2. Test SMTP credential 3. Update if needed 4. Retry workflow execution ``` --- ## Advanced Features ### Add Error Handling ``` You: "Add error handling to workflow 456 that sends a Slack alert if the API fails" Claude: I'll add error handling with Slack notifications. [Adds error trigger node and Slack notification] āœ… Error handling added - On HTTP Request failure ā†’ Send Slack alert to #ops-alerts - Include error details and timestamp - Workflow continues to attempt tomorrow ``` ### HTML Email Format Replace plain text with HTML: ```javascript { "name": "Send Email", "parameters": { "emailType": "html", "message": `

šŸ“Š Daily Metrics Report

Total Users: {{ $json.users }}
Revenue: $
` } } ``` ### Add Charts/Graphs Use external chart service: ```javascript { "name": "Generate Chart", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest", "parameters": { "url": "https://quickchart.io/chart", "method": "POST", "sendBody": true, "bodyParameters": { "chart": { "type": "line", "data": { "labels": ["Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu", "Fri"], "datasets": [{ "label": "Revenue", "data": "={{ $json.dailyRevenue }}" }] } } } } } ``` --- ## Monitoring and Alerts ### Track Execution Success ``` You: "Show me execution history for workflow 456 over the last 7 days" Claude: I'll retrieve the execution history. [MCP tool call: list_executions with time filter] Last 7 days execution summary: - Total executions: 7 - Successful: 6 āœ… - Failed: 1 āŒ - Average duration: 2.3 seconds Failed execution: - Date: Jan 12, 2025 - Error: API timeout - Status: Resolved (API was temporarily down) ``` ### Set Up Success Monitoring ``` You: "Add a check that alerts me if the workflow hasn't run in 25 hours" Claude: I'll create a monitoring workflow that checks execution status. [Creates separate monitoring workflow] āœ… Monitoring workflow created - Checks every hour if Daily Metrics Report ran in last 25 hours - Sends alert if missing - Notifies: your-email@company.com ``` --- ## Complete Workflow Definition ```json { "name": "Daily Metrics Report", "nodes": [ { "id": "schedule_1", "name": "Schedule Trigger", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger", "typeVersion": 1.1, "position": [250, 300], "parameters": { "rule": { "interval": [ { "field": "cronExpression", "expression": "0 9 * * *" } ] }, "timezone": "America/New_York" } }, { "id": "http_1", "name": "Fetch Metrics", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest", "typeVersion": 4.1, "position": [450, 300], "parameters": { "url": "https://api.example.com/metrics", "authentication": "none", "requestMethod": "GET", "options": { "timeout": 10000, "retry": { "enabled": true, "maxRetries": 3, "waitBetweenRetries": 1000 } } } }, { "id": "code_1", "name": "Format Report", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code", "typeVersion": 2, "position": [650, 300], "parameters": { "mode": "runOnceForAllItems", "jsCode": "// Full formatting code here" } }, { "id": "email_1", "name": "Send Email", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.emailSend", "typeVersion": 2, "position": [850, 300], "parameters": { "fromEmail": "reports@company.com", "toEmail": "team@company.com", "subject": "={{ $json.subject }}", "emailType": "text", "message": "={{ $json.report }}" }, "credentials": { "smtp": { "id": "1", "name": "Company SMTP" } } } ], "connections": { "Schedule Trigger": { "main": [[{ "node": "Fetch Metrics", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]] }, "Fetch Metrics": { "main": [[{ "node": "Format Report", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]] }, "Format Report": { "main": [[{ "node": "Send Email", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]] } }, "active": true, "settings": { "saveExecutionProgress": true, "saveManualExecutions": true, "saveDataErrorExecution": "all", "saveDataSuccessExecution": "all", "executionTimeout": 60, "timezone": "America/New_York" }, "tags": [ { "name": "daily" }, { "name": "reports" }, { "name": "automated" } ] } ``` --- ## Key Takeaways āœ… **Learned:** - Create scheduled workflows with cron expressions - Test schedule-based workflows before activation - Format data into readable reports - Send automated emails āœ… **Best Practices:** - Always test manually in n8n UI first - Specify timezone explicitly - Add error handling for API calls - Monitor execution history āœ… **Production Ready:** - Configure retry logic for API calls - Set up failure alerts - Use HTML formatting for better readability - Add backup recipients --- **Estimated Reading Time:** 12 minutes **Setup Time:** 15 minutes **Total Time:** 27 minutes