Automation Guide Template

[Workflow Name - Be Descriptive and Action-Oriented]

What You’ll Build

By the end of this guide, your workflow will automatically:

• [Specific action 1]
• [Specific action 2]
• [Specific action 3]
• [End result]

Time to complete: [Realistic estimate, e.g., “15-20 minutes”]

Difficulty: [Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced]

Platform: [n8n/Zapier/Make.com]

[Add a screenshot of your completed workflow here]

Before You Start

You’ll need:

• [Platform name] account ([Link to sign up - mention free tier if available])
• [Service 1] account (e.g., Gmail)
• [Service 2] API key (e.g., OpenAI - [link to get API key])
• [Optional tool or account]

Cost estimate: [e.g., “Free tier works fine. OpenAI costs ~$0.10 per 100 emails processed”]

How It Works

The workflow in plain English:

1. [Platform] checks for [trigger event, e.g., “new email”]
2. It sends the [data] to [AI service]
3. The AI [does something, e.g., “classifies the email”]
4. Based on the result, it [takes action, e.g., “applies a label”]
5. Finally, it [optional step, e.g., “sends a Slack notification”]

Why this is useful: [Real-world benefit, e.g., “Save 2 hours per day on email triage”]

Step 1: Create a New Workflow

1. Log in to [platform name]
2. Click “New Workflow” in the top right corner
3. Give it a name: [Suggested workflow name]

[Add screenshot showing where to click]

Step 2: Add the Trigger

What we’re doing: Setting up [what triggers the workflow]

1. Click anywhere on the canvas to add your first node
2. In the search box, type “[Trigger name]” (e.g., “Gmail Trigger”)
3. Select “[Exact node name]” from the results

[Add screenshot with arrows pointing to UI elements]

Configure the Trigger

1. Click “Sign in with [Service]” to connect your account
2. In the Event dropdown, select “[Event type]” (e.g., “Message Received”)
3. Set [Setting name] to “[Value]” (e.g., “Poll Times” to “Every 5 minutes”)
4. Click “Execute Node” to test the connection

[Add screenshot of configuration panel]

What this does: [Explain in plain language what this trigger monitors and when it fires]

Troubleshooting:

• Can’t connect account? Make sure you’re logged into [Service] in another tab
• No test data appearing? Send yourself a test email and click “Execute Node” again

Step 3: Add [Next Node]

What we’re doing: [Explain the purpose of this node]

1. Click the + button on the right side of your trigger node
2. Search for “[Node name]”
3. Select “[Full node name]”

[Add screenshot showing the + button location]

Configure [Node Name]

Fill in these fields:

Field	Value	What it does
[Field 1]	[Value or variable]	[Explanation]
[Field 2]	[Value]	[Explanation]
[Field 3]	Click “Add Field” → Select “[Option]“	[Explanation]

Using data from previous steps:

To use the email subject from Step 2:

1. Click in the [Field name] box
2. Click the variable icon (looks like a tag)
3. Navigate to: [Path to variable] → [Variable name]
4. Select it to insert: {{ $json.subject }}

[Add screenshot of variable picker]

Example configuration:

Prompt: Classify this email into one of these categories: Urgent, Important, Marketing, or Spam.

Email subject: {{ $json.subject }}
Email body: {{ $json.body }}

Return only the category name.

Test This Node

1. Click “Execute Node”
2. You should see output like: "Important"

[Add screenshot of successful test output]

Troubleshooting:

• Error: “Missing API key”? Check that you added your API key in Step 2
• Getting weird results? Make sure your prompt is clear and specific

Step 4: [Continue with Additional Steps]

Step 5: Add Decision Logic (If/Else)

What we’re doing: Taking different actions based on the AI’s classification

1. Add an “IF” node after your [previous node]
2. Click “Add Condition”
3. Configure like this:
   • Value 1: {{ $json.category }} (from previous node)
   • Operation: Equal
   • Value 2: Urgent

[Add screenshot of IF node configuration]

True Branch: Handle Urgent Emails

If the condition is TRUE (email is Urgent):

1. Click the “true” output and add a “[Action Node]” (e.g., “Gmail”)
2. Configure the action:
   • Operation: “Add Label”
   • Label: “URGENT”
   • Message ID: {{ $json.messageId }}

False Branch: Handle Other Emails

If the condition is FALSE:

1. Click the “false” output and add a “[Different Action]”
2. Configure for normal processing

[Add screenshot showing both branches]

Step 6: Activate Your Workflow

Almost done! Let’s turn it on.

1. Click the toggle switch in the top right to “Active”
2. The switch should turn green

[Add screenshot showing the active toggle]

What happens now: [Explain when the workflow runs and what triggers it]

Testing Your Workflow

Manual Test

1. [Trigger action, e.g., “Send yourself a test email”]
2. Wait [time interval]
3. Check that [expected result happened]

Check Execution History

1. Go to Executions in the left sidebar
2. You should see your workflow runs
3. Click on any execution to see details

[Add screenshot of execution history]

Green checkmark = Success! Red X = Error (click to see details)

Customizing Your Workflow

Ideas to make it better:

• Add more categories: Update your AI prompt with categories like “Newsletter”, “Meeting Request”
• Send notifications: Add a Slack or Discord node to alert you about urgent emails
• Add filtering: Use an IF node at the start to only process emails from specific senders
• Schedule reports: Add a Cron trigger to send a daily summary

Troubleshooting

Workflow isn’t running

Check:

• Is the workflow active? (Toggle in top right should be green)
• Is the trigger configured correctly? (Click “Execute Node” to test)
• Check execution history for errors

AI returning unexpected results

Fix:

• Make your prompt more specific
• Add examples to the prompt: “For example: ‘Meeting tomorrow’ = Urgent”
• Test with the “Execute Node” button to iterate quickly

Node showing an error

Common fixes:

• Authentication errors: Reconnect your account in the credentials panel
• Missing data: Check that previous nodes ran successfully
• Rate limits: Add a delay between nodes or reduce polling frequency

Still stuck?

• Check [platform name]‘s [community forum link]
• Search their [documentation link]
• [Platform Discord/Slack if available]

What You’ve Learned

• ✅ How to set up a trigger in [platform]
• ✅ How to connect [service 1] and [service 2]
• ✅ How to use AI for [task]
• ✅ How to add conditional logic with IF nodes
• ✅ How to test and activate workflows

Download This Workflow

Want to skip the setup? Download the complete workflow:

[Add link to your workflow export file here]

To import:

1. Click “Import from File” in [platform]
2. Select the downloaded file
3. Update credentials with your API keys
4. Activate!

Next Steps

Build on this workflow:

• [Related workflow idea 1]
• [Related workflow idea 2]

Related guides:

• [Link to similar automation guide]
• [Link to related topic]

Join the community:

• [Platform] Community Forum
• [Platform] Discord
• [Share your workflow in the community]

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