First Workflow¶

This guide walks you through creating and running your first m9m workflow.

What You'll Build¶

A simple workflow that:

Starts with a trigger
Makes an HTTP request to fetch data
Transforms the response
Outputs the result

Prerequisites¶

m9m installed and running (m9m serve)
curl for API calls (or use the Web UI)

Step 1: Create the Workflow¶

Create a file named my-first-workflow.json:

{
  "name": "My First Workflow",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "start",
      "name": "Start",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.start",
      "position": [250, 300],
      "parameters": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "http",
      "name": "Fetch Posts",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "position": [450, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "url": "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1",
        "method": "GET"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "set",
      "name": "Format Output",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "position": [650, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "assignments": [
          {
            "name": "title",
            "value": "={{ $json.title }}"
          },
          {
            "name": "summary",
            "value": "Post ID: {{ $json.id }} by User {{ $json.userId }}"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Start": {
      "main": [[{"node": "Fetch Posts", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]
    },
    "Fetch Posts": {
      "main": [[{"node": "Format Output", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Run the Workflow¶

Using the CLI¶

m9m run my-first-workflow.json

Expected output:

{
  "status": "success",
  "data": [
    {
      "title": "sunt aut facere repellat provident occaecati excepturi optio reprehenderit",
      "summary": "Post ID: 1 by User 1"
    }
  ]
}

Using the API¶

First, create the workflow:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/v1/workflows \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d @my-first-workflow.json

Then execute it:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/v1/workflows/{workflow-id}/execute

Step 3: Understand the Workflow¶

Let's break down what each node does:

Start Node¶

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.start",
  "parameters": {}
}

The Start node is the entry point. It passes through any input data or creates an empty item if none is provided.

HTTP Request Node¶

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
  "parameters": {
    "url": "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1",
    "method": "GET"
  }
}

Makes an HTTP GET request and returns the response. The response JSON is available as $json in downstream nodes.

Set Node¶

{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
  "parameters": {
    "assignments": [
      {"name": "title", "value": "={{ $json.title }}"},
      {"name": "summary", "value": "Post ID: {{ $json.id }} by User {{ $json.userId }}"}
    ]
  }
}

Transforms data by setting new fields. Uses expressions (={{ }} or {{ }}) to reference data from previous nodes.

Connections¶

{
  "Start": {
    "main": [[{"node": "Fetch Posts", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]
  },
  "Fetch Posts": {
    "main": [[{"node": "Format Output", "type": "main", "index": 0}]]
  }
}

Defines the data flow between nodes. Each connection specifies:

Source node name
Connection type (main for data flow)
Target node and input index

Adding a Webhook Trigger¶

Replace the Start node with a Webhook to trigger the workflow via HTTP:

{
  "id": "webhook",
  "name": "Webhook",
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
  "position": [250, 300],
  "parameters": {
    "path": "/my-workflow",
    "httpMethod": "POST"
  }
}

Now you can trigger the workflow with:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/webhook/my-workflow \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"custom": "data"}'

Adding Error Handling¶

Wrap operations in a filter to handle errors:

{
  "id": "check",
  "name": "Check Success",
  "type": "n8n-nodes-base.filter",
  "position": [550, 300],
  "parameters": {
    "conditions": [
      {
        "leftValue": "={{ $json.statusCode }}",
        "operator": "equals",
        "rightValue": 200
      }
    ]
  }
}

Next Steps¶

Now that you've created your first workflow:

Core Concepts - Understand workflows, nodes, and data
Nodes Reference - Explore all available nodes
Expressions - Learn the expression syntax
Workflow Examples - See more complex workflows