Escalate AI Chat to Slack When GPT Can't Answer

The workflow JSON

Copy or download the full n8n JSON below. Paste it into a new n8n workflow, add your credentials, activate. Full import guide →

{
  "meta": {
    "templateCredsSetupCompleted": true
  },
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "e12611f4-37d2-48f9-8a60-ddcf4ff34cfc",
      "name": "Sticky Note1",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        -480,
        380
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "color": 7,
        "width": 1118.3459011229047,
        "height": 775.3931210698682,
        "content": "### Sub-workflow: Custom tool\nThe agent above can call this workflow. It checks if the user has supplied an email address. If they haven't it prompts them to provide one. If they have, it messages a customer support channel for help."
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "72dbee3e-fe3b-4354-9b02-2fe52af23035",
      "name": "Sticky Note2",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        -480,
        -180
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "color": 7,
        "width": 927.5,
        "height": 486.5625,
        "content": "### Main workflow: AI agent using custom tool"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "a1c9660d-84b1-418a-bbb3-88d79cdd79d3",
      "name": "Sticky Note",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        80,
        60
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "color": 5,
        "width": 197.45572294791873,
        "height": 179.21380662202682,
        "content": "**This tool calls the sub-workflow below**"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "b4ffb76d-c44f-46d6-b2d9-4e5d551adee1",
      "name": "Sticky Note5",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        -280,
        40
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "color": 2,
        "width": 150,
        "height": 213.44323866265472,
        "content": "**Set your credentials**"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "8a9187f1-3cf9-479f-aa7f-5581880394d0",
      "name": "Sticky Note4",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        40,
        540
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "color": 2,
        "width": 178.0499248677781,
        "height": 250.57252651663197,
        "content": "**Set your credentials and Slack details**"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "3f72d117-e07a-4af4-aa1b-92ce04bf0b3c",
      "name": "Sticky Note3",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        -640,
        -120
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "color": 4,
        "width": 185.9375,
        "height": 214.8397420554627,
        "content": "## Try it out\n\nSelect **Chat** at the bottom and enter:\n\n_Hi! Please respond to this as if you don't know the answer to my query._"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "b85eff07-ee3c-4aeb-871e-b25a131a7afb",
      "name": "Sticky Note6",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "position": [
        360,
        900
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "height": 145,
        "content": "## Next steps\n\nLearn more about [Advanced AI in n8n](https://docs.n8n.io/advanced-ai/)"
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "feb1e50d-5044-4ea6-8719-72e176581e27",
      "name": "When chat message received",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chatTrigger",
      "position": [
        -400,
        -120
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "options": {}
      },
      "typeVersion": 1.1
    },
    {
      "id": "6af81471-7cd4-4517-9677-b634b59620b4",
      "name": "OpenAI Chat Model",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi",
      "position": [
        -240,
        120
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "model": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "list",
          "value": "gpt-4o-mini"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "credentials": {
        "openAiApi": {
          "name": "<your credential>"
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 1.2
    },
    {
      "id": "37604c8d-5c70-4a81-a1d0-eafe42ce612d",
      "name": "Simple Memory",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.memoryBufferWindow",
      "position": [
        -60,
        120
      ],
      "parameters": {},
      "typeVersion": 1.3
    },
    {
      "id": "fd404bb5-0703-4d08-8b9b-4a8b01fd2bff",
      "name": "When Executed by Another Workflow",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeWorkflowTrigger",
      "position": [
        -380,
        740
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "workflowInputs": {
          "values": [
            {
              "name": "chatInput"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 1.1
    },
    {
      "id": "a807ca29-65bf-4d97-b89f-5ce16cd05347",
      "name": "Check if user has provided email",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
      "position": [
        -200,
        740
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "options": {},
        "conditions": {
          "options": {
            "version": 2,
            "leftValue": "",
            "caseSensitive": true,
            "typeValidation": "strict"
          },
          "combinator": "and",
          "conditions": [
            {
              "id": "e6dce436-5e85-4722-a7e4-0ceb940a5477",
              "operator": {
                "type": "string",
                "operation": "regex"
              },
              "leftValue": "={{ $('When Executed by Another Workflow').item.json.chatInput }}",
              "rightValue": "=/([a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+\\.[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)/gi"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 2.2
    },
    {
      "id": "b9c552ce-4c58-48dd-b168-5e277de89954",
      "name": "Message Slack for help",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.slack",
      "position": [
        80,
        620
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "text": "={{ \"A user had a question the bot couldn't answer. Here's their message: \" + $('When Executed by Another Workflow').first().json.chatInput }}",
        "select": "channel",
        "channelId": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "name",
          "value": "#general"
        },
        "otherOptions": {}
      },
      "credentials": {
        "slackApi": {
          "name": "<your credential>"
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 2.3
    },
    {
      "id": "644a05fc-ac7e-4ea9-ab03-3b6fbf7a3654",
      "name": "Confirm that we've messaged a human",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
      "position": [
        300,
        620
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "jsCode": "const response = {\"response\": \"Thank you for getting in touch. I've messaged a human to help.\"}\nreturn response;"
      },
      "typeVersion": 2
    },
    {
      "id": "38e81aa5-30b3-48f9-88e8-1039f607f3e7",
      "name": "Prompt the user to provide an email",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
      "position": [
        80,
        860
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "jsCode": "const response = {\"response\":\"I'm sorry I don't know the answer. Please repeat your question and include your email address so I can request help.\"};\nreturn response;"
      },
      "typeVersion": 2
    },
    {
      "id": "61ddb25a-f7f2-4691-94d5-3f32c183ec46",
      "name": "Not sure?",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.toolWorkflow",
      "position": [
        140,
        120
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "name": "dont_know_tool",
        "workflowId": {
          "__rl": true,
          "mode": "id",
          "value": "={{ $workflow.id }}"
        },
        "description": "Use this tool if you don't know the answer to the user's question, or if you're not very confident about your answer.",
        "workflowInputs": {
          "value": {
            "chatInput": "={{ /*n8n-auto-generated-fromAI-override*/ $fromAI('chatInput', ``, 'string') }}"
          },
          "schema": [
            {
              "id": "chatInput",
              "type": "string",
              "display": true,
              "removed": false,
              "required": false,
              "displayName": "chatInput",
              "defaultMatch": false,
              "canBeUsedToMatch": true
            }
          ],
          "mappingMode": "defineBelow",
          "matchingColumns": [],
          "attemptToConvertTypes": false,
          "convertFieldsToString": false
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 2
    },
    {
      "id": "395349d1-1715-4550-a0c8-1388d17b4386",
      "name": "AI Agent",
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent",
      "position": [
        -180,
        -120
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "options": {}
      },
      "typeVersion": 1.8
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Not sure?": {
      "ai_tool": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "ai_tool",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Simple Memory": {
      "ai_memory": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "ai_memory",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "OpenAI Chat Model": {
      "ai_languageModel": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "ai_languageModel",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Message Slack for help": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Confirm that we've messaged a human",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "When chat message received": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "AI Agent",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Check if user has provided email": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Message Slack for help",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ],
        [
          {
            "node": "Prompt the user to provide an email",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "When Executed by Another Workflow": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Check if user has provided email",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Credentials you'll need

Each integration node will prompt for credentials when you import. We strip credential IDs before publishing — you'll add your own.

• openAiApi
• slackApi

About this workflow

This is a workflow that tries to answer user queries using the standard GPT-4 model. If it can't answer, it sends a message to Slack to ask for human help. It prompts the user to supply an email address.

Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/2095/ — original creator credit. Request a take-down →

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