The End of Drag-and-Drop Generate n8n Workflows with ONE Prompt.

Tired of manually building N8n workflows or dealing with incomplete JSON files from AI tools? In this guide, I’ll show you a secret method to generate complete, ready-to-use N8n workflows with just a single prompt—100% free, no paid plans required!

What You’ll Learn

✅ How to use Gemini CLI (free) to automate N8n workflow creation
✅ Step-by-step setup in VS Code
✅ Generate complex workflows instantly (e.g., e-commerce order fulfillment)
✅ Auto-upload workflows to N8n—no manual imports!

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Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:
✔ N8n instance (local or cloud)
✔ VS Code (or any terminal-based code editor)
✔ Google account (for Gemini CLI auth)

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Step 1: Install Gemini CLI in VS Code

1. Open VS Code and launch a new terminal (Ctrl+Shift+ or Terminal > New Terminal).
2. Run the following command to install Gemini CLI:

   npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

3. Once installed, start Gemini CLI:

   gemini

4. Authorize with Google when prompted (follow the on-screen login steps).

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Step 2: Set Up N8n MCP Server for Auto-Workflow Generation

To automatically generate and deploy workflows, we’ll use an N8n MCP Server.

1. Open your Gemini CLI settings file by running:

   code ~/.gemini/settings.json

(If the file doesn’t exist, create it.)

2. Add the N8n MCP Server config (replace placeholders with your N8n details):

   {
     "mcps": {
       "n8n": {
         "type": "n8n",
         "config": {
           "apiKey": "YOUR_N8N_API_KEY",
           "apiUrl": "YOUR_N8N_INSTANCE_URL"
         }
       }
     }
   }

• Get your N8n API key:
  • Go to N8n Settings > API and create a new key.
• N8n Instance URL:
  • Local: http://localhost:5678
  • Cloud: https://your-n8n-cloud-url.com

1. Save the file and restart Gemini CLI:

   gemini

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Step 3: Generate an N8n Workflow with One Prompt

Now, let’s create a workflow automatically!

Example Prompt:

“Generate an N8n workflow that triggers on a new WooCommerce order. First, fetch customer details using the WooCommerce node. Then, generate a PDF packing slip, upload it to Google Drive, and create a Trello card for the fulfillment team.”

Steps:

1. Paste the prompt into Gemini CLI and press Enter.
2. Allow tool permissions when asked (type yes).
3. Gemini CLI will:

• Search for relevant N8n nodes
• Generate a complete JSON workflow
• Auto-upload it to your N8n instance

1. Check your N8n dashboard—the workflow will appear ready to use!

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Step 4: Customize & Extend Workflows

Want a different workflow? Just tweak the prompt!

More Prompt Examples:

• “Generate an N8n workflow that sends a Slack alert when a new email arrives in Gmail.”
• “Create a workflow that syncs Shopify orders to Airtable and notifies via Telegram.”

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Final Thoughts

With Gemini CLI + N8n MCP Server, you can:
✔ Save hours of manual workflow building
✔ Generate error-free workflows in seconds
✔ Avoid paid cloud plans (100% free!)

Need help? Drop a comment below! If this guide gets 300+ likes, I’ll make an advanced tutorial covering complex automations.

🔗 Resources:

• Gemini CLI GitHub
• N8n MCP Server

Happy automating! 🚀