n8n Automation PRD Generator

Generate structured, MCP-ready PRD documents for n8n automation workflows. Captures all requirements needed to build the workflow with Claude Code + n8n-mcp.

Activation

When the user wants to plan or specify an n8n automation workflow, activate this skill. The output is a PRD markdown file saved to the project directory.

Process: Structured Requirements Gathering

Follow these phases strictly. Do NOT skip phases or rush to the PRD.

Phase 1: Initial Understanding

Ask the user to describe the automation they need. Accept any format:

Free-text description
Bullet points
Meeting notes
Voice transcript

After receiving the input, summarize what you understood in 2-3 sentences and confirm with the user before proceeding.

Phase 2: Clarifying Questions (MANDATORY)

Ask targeted questions across these dimensions. Use the AskUserQuestion tool with grouped questions (max 4 per round). Run multiple rounds if needed.

Round 1 - Trigger & Schedule:

What starts the workflow? (Webhook, Schedule, Manual, Event-based)
How often should it run? (Real-time, hourly, daily, weekly)
What timezone/business hours apply?

Round 2 - Data Flow & Services:

Which external services/APIs are involved? (Name them specifically)
What data comes in? (Structure, format, volume)
What data goes out? (Where, format, who receives it)
Are there data transformations needed? (Mapping, filtering, enrichment)

Round 3 - Error Handling & Edge Cases:

What happens if an API is down or returns errors?
What if incoming data is incomplete or malformed?
Should there be notifications on failure? (Email, Slack, etc.)
What are known edge cases? (Empty data, duplicates, rate limits)

Round 4 - Credentials & Environment:

Which services are already connected in n8n? (Existing credentials)
Are there API keys that need to be set up first?
Any environment-specific considerations? (Staging vs Production)

Skip questions that were already answered in the initial description. Ask follow-up questions if answers reveal new complexity.

Phase 3: PRD Generation

After all questions are answered, generate the PRD using the template below. Save it as a markdown file in the project directory:

File naming convention:

prd-[short-name].md

Example:

prd-youtube-video-ideas.md

prd-linkedin-lead-capture.md

PRD Template

markdown

# PRD: [Workflow Name]

**Status:** Draft
**Erstellt:** [Datum]
**Autor:** [Name]

---

## 1. Ziel & Kontext

**Was soll automatisiert werden?**
[1-3 Saetze die das Ziel beschreiben]

**Warum wird diese Automatisierung gebraucht?**
[Business-Kontext, Zeitersparnis, aktueller manueller Prozess]

**Wer nutzt das Ergebnis?**
[Zielgruppe/Empfaenger des Outputs]

---

## 2. Trigger & Zeitplan

| Eigenschaft | Wert |
|---|---|
| Trigger-Typ | [Webhook / Schedule / Manual / Event] |
| Zeitplan | [z.B. Jeden Montag 9:00 / Echtzeit / Bei Bedarf] |
| Zeitzone | [z.B. Europe/Berlin] |
| Erwartetes Volumen | [z.B. 10-50 Ausfuehrungen pro Tag] |

---

## 3. Datenfluss

### Input
- **Quelle:** [Service/API/Webhook]
- **Format:** [JSON / Form Data / CSV / etc.]
- **Beispiel-Payload:**
```json
{
  "beispiel": "daten"
}

Verarbeitung

[Schritt 1: Was passiert mit den Daten]
[Schritt 2: Transformation/Anreicherung]
[Schritt n: ...]

Output

Ziel: [Service/API/E-Mail/Sheet]
Format: [Beschreibung des Outputs]
Empfaenger: [Wer bekommt das Ergebnis]

4. Beteiligte Services & Credentials

Service	Zweck	Credential-Typ	Status
[z.B. YouTube]	[Videos abrufen]	[OAuth2]	[Vorhanden / Fehlt]
[z.B. Anthropic]	[AI-Verarbeitung]	[API Key]	[Vorhanden / Fehlt]
[z.B. Gmail]	[E-Mail senden]	[OAuth2]	[Vorhanden / Fehlt]

5. Workflow-Architektur

Node-Uebersicht (empfohlen)

#	Node-Name	Node-Typ	Funktion
1	[Name]	[n8n-nodes-base.xyz]	[Was macht der Node]
2	[Name]	[n8n-nodes-base.xyz]	[Was macht der Node]
...	...	...	...

Datenfluss-Diagramm

[Trigger] -> [Node 2] -> [Node 3] -> ... -> [Output]
                              |
                              v
                        [Error Branch]

Aggregation & Batching

[Muessen Daten aggregiert werden bevor sie verarbeitet werden?]
[Gibt es Batch-Verarbeitung?]
[Wie viele Items werden erwartet pro Durchlauf?]

6. Error Handling & Edge Cases

Fehlerbehandlung

Fehlertyp	Reaktion
API nicht erreichbar	[z.B. Retry 3x, dann Benachrichtigung]
Leere Daten	[z.B. Info-Mail senden, Workflow beenden]
Rate Limit erreicht	[z.B. Warten und erneut versuchen]
Ungueltige Eingabe	[z.B. Validierung, Fehlermeldung]

Bekannte Edge Cases

[Edge Case 1: Beschreibung + gewuenschtes Verhalten]
[Edge Case 2: Beschreibung + gewuenschtes Verhalten]

Benachrichtigung bei Fehler

Kanal: [E-Mail / Slack / etc.]
Empfaenger: [Wer wird benachrichtigt]
Inhalt: [Was soll in der Fehlermeldung stehen]

7. n8n-spezifische Hinweise

Datenstruktur-Warnungen

[z.B. YouTube getAll gibt id als Objekt zurueck: $json.id.videoId statt $json.id]
[z.B. Webhook-Daten liegen unter $json.body, nicht $json]

Expression-Einschraenkungen

Kein Optional Chaining (?.) in n8n Expressions - nur in Code Nodes
Expressions muessen mit = Prefix beginnen wenn sie dynamisch sind

Aggregation

[Muessen Items vor AI/E-Mail-Nodes aggregiert werden?]
[Code Node mit "Run Once for All Items" fuer Aggregation nutzen]

Error Handling Pattern

onError: "continueRegularOutput"

statt deprecated

continueOnFail: true

IF-Node fuer Edge Cases (z.B. keine Daten vorhanden)

8. Akzeptanzkriterien

[Kriterium 1: Was muss funktionieren]
[Kriterium 2: Was muss funktionieren]
[Kriterium 3: Was muss funktionieren]
Error Handling getestet (leere Daten, API-Fehler)
Workflow-Validierung ohne Errors (Warnings akzeptabel)
E2E-Test mit echten Daten erfolgreich

9. Offene Fragen

[Frage 1: Was noch geklaert werden muss]
[Frage 2: Was noch geklaert werden muss]


---

## Guidelines for the Agent

### DO:
- Ask ALL clarifying questions before generating the PRD
- Use the n8n-mcp `search_nodes` tool to validate node suggestions
- Include specific n8n node types in the architecture section
- Flag known n8n pitfalls (data structure, expressions, aggregation)
- Save the PRD as a file in the project directory
- Number the workflow steps clearly

### DON'T:
- Skip the clarifying questions phase
- Assume services or credentials - always ask
- Generate vague requirements ("handle errors somehow")
- Include implementation details like exact expressions or code
- Create the workflow - this PRD is INPUT for the build phase

### Quality Checklist (verify before delivering):
- [ ] Every service has a credential status (Vorhanden/Fehlt)
- [ ] Error handling is specified for each external API call
- [ ] Aggregation needs are explicitly stated
- [ ] Data flow is clear: what comes in, what goes out
- [ ] At least 3 acceptance criteria are defined
- [ ] Known n8n pitfalls are documented in Section 7

---

## Integration with Other Skills

### Build Phase (after PRD is approved):
Once the user approves the PRD, they can use the n8n-mcp tools to build:
1. `search_nodes` - Find the right nodes
2. `get_node` - Check node configuration
3. `n8n_create_workflow` - Build the workflow
4. `n8n_validate_workflow` - Validate
5. `n8n_autofix_workflow` - Auto-fix issues
6. `n8n_executions` - Debug runs

### Related Skills:
- **n8n-workflow-patterns** - Architectural patterns for the workflow design
- **n8n-node-configuration** - Detailed node setup guidance
- **n8n-expression-syntax** - Expression rules for n8n
- **n8n-validation-expert** - Validation and debugging

n8n-prd-generator

NPX Install

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