This workflow follows the Execute Workflow Trigger → HTTP Request recipe pattern — see all workflows that pair these two integrations.
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": "42cc4260-626e-4f83-b1c3-c78c99b78b38",
"name": "On clicking 'execute'",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
"position": [
1780,
520
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "f21386ff-f8db-4f5d-a44c-15484d1e4ab7",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1340,
900
],
"parameters": {
"color": 6,
"width": 2086.845881354743,
"height": 750.8363163824032,
"content": "## Subworkflow"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "82851e4a-33a1-461b-965f-f51efcb5af90",
"name": "n8n",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.n8n",
"position": [
2040,
620
],
"parameters": {
"filters": {},
"requestOptions": {}
},
"credentials": {
"n8nApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "90cac8e2-9509-4d48-9038-bb653ffbdf9d",
"name": "Return",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
3220,
1100
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "8d513345-6484-431f-afb7-7cf045c90f4f",
"name": "Done",
"type": "boolean",
"value": true
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.3
},
{
"id": "11046021-89ba-4e61-b03f-d606e7dd0a56",
"name": "Get File",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
"position": [
2320,
980
],
"parameters": {
"url": "={{ $json.download_url }}",
"options": {}
},
"typeVersion": 4.2
},
{
"id": "08af670c-ac82-422f-9938-c649dfdfbcf6",
"name": "If file too large",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"position": [
2120,
1000
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"version": 1,
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "45ce825e-9fa6-430c-8931-9aaf22c42585",
"operator": {
"type": "string",
"operation": "empty",
"singleValue": true
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.content }}",
"rightValue": ""
},
{
"id": "9619a55f-7fb1-4f24-b1a7-7aeb82365806",
"operator": {
"type": "string",
"operation": "notExists",
"singleValue": true
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.error }}",
"rightValue": ""
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "795fd895-94b2-46f1-b559-748b0db01c49",
"name": "Merge Items",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.merge",
"position": [
2120,
1260
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "3d3399f3-bbfb-48ab-8644-91b28e731026",
"name": "isDiffOrNew",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"position": [
2320,
1260
],
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "const orderJsonKeys = (jsonObj) => {\n const ordered = {};\n Object.keys(jsonObj).sort().forEach(key => {\n ordered[key] = jsonObj[key];\n });\n return ordered;\n}\n\n// Check if file returned with content\nif (Object.keys($input.all()[0].json).includes(\"content\")) {\n // Decode base64 content and parse JSON\n const origWorkflow = JSON.parse(Buffer.from($input.all()[0].json.content, 'base64').toString());\n const n8nWorkflow = $input.all()[1].json;\n \n // Order JSON objects\n const orderedOriginal = orderJsonKeys(origWorkflow);\n const orderedActual = orderJsonKeys(n8nWorkflow);\n\n // Determine difference\n if (JSON.stringify(orderedOriginal) === JSON.stringify(orderedActual)) {\n $input.all()[0].json.github_status = \"same\";\n } else {\n $input.all()[0].json.github_status = \"different\";\n $input.all()[0].json.n8n_data_stringy = JSON.stringify(orderedActual, null, 2);\n }\n $input.all()[0].json.content_decoded = orderedOriginal;\n// No file returned / new workflow\n} else if (Object.keys($input.all()[0].json).includes(\"data\")) {\n const origWorkflow = JSON.parse($input.all()[0].json.data);\n const n8nWorkflow = $input.all()[1].json;\n \n // Order JSON objects\n const orderedOriginal = orderJsonKeys(origWorkflow);\n const orderedActual = orderJsonKeys(n8nWorkflow);\n\n // Determine difference\n if (JSON.stringify(orderedOriginal) === JSON.stringify(orderedActual)) {\n $input.all()[0].json.github_status = \"same\";\n } else {\n $input.all()[0].json.github_status = \"different\";\n $input.all()[0].json.n8n_data_stringy = JSON.stringify(orderedActual, null, 2);\n }\n $input.all()[0].json.content_decoded = orderedOriginal;\n\n} else {\n // Order JSON object\n const n8nWorkflow = $input.all()[1].json;\n const orderedActual = orderJsonKeys(n8nWorkflow);\n \n // Proper formatting\n $input.all()[0].json.github_status = \"new\";\n $input.all()[0].json.n8n_data_stringy = JSON.stringify(orderedActual, null, 2);\n}\n\n// Return items\nreturn $input.all();"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "2f2f42d0-d27c-4856-a263-4d5e9eda2c4c",
"name": "Check Status",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.switch",
"position": [
2540,
1260
],
"parameters": {
"rules": {
"rules": [
{
"value2": "same"
},
{
"output": 1,
"value2": "different"
},
{
"output": 2,
"value2": "new"
}
]
},
"value1": "={{$json.github_status}}",
"dataType": "string"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "5316029f-f32f-4a8d-95de-50ee57051a08",
"name": "Same file - Do nothing",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.noOp",
"position": [
2760,
1100
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "37c5983b-48fe-41d5-8e3a-eb56dec2140b",
"name": "File is different",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.noOp",
"position": [
2760,
1260
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "a4dcce9e-b0d0-4b9e-ab16-9142e641c73d",
"name": "File is new",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.noOp",
"position": [
2760,
1420
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "03fcfdc4-2e52-42f0-a129-3ebaf8dd8fc1",
"name": "Create new file",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.github",
"position": [
2980,
1420
],
"parameters": {
"owner": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $('Globals').item.json.repo.owner }}"
},
"filePath": "={{ $('Globals').item.json.repo.path }}{{$('Execute Workflow Trigger').first().json.id}}.json",
"resource": "file",
"repository": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $('Globals').item.json.repo.name }}"
},
"fileContent": "={{$('isDiffOrNew').item.json[\"n8n_data_stringy\"]}}",
"commitMessage": "={{$('Execute Workflow Trigger').first().json.name}} ({{$json.github_status}})"
},
"credentials": {
"githubApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "dd35cc39-4ab4-4d53-b439-b425a2177e8f",
"name": "Edit existing file",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.github",
"position": [
2980,
1240
],
"parameters": {
"owner": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $('Globals').item.json.repo.owner }}"
},
"filePath": "={{ $('Globals').item.json.repo.path }}{{$('Execute Workflow Trigger').first().json.id}}.json",
"resource": "file",
"operation": "edit",
"repository": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $('Globals').item.json.repo.name }}"
},
"fileContent": "={{$('isDiffOrNew').item.json[\"n8n_data_stringy\"]}}",
"commitMessage": "={{$('Execute Workflow Trigger').first().json.name}} ({{$json.github_status}})"
},
"credentials": {
"githubApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "d05e2a25-24be-43fb-baa4-9c3391840e70",
"name": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches",
"position": [
2240,
620
],
"parameters": {
"options": {}
},
"typeVersion": 3
},
{
"id": "2a139d59-1387-4899-88b3-21106cd01099",
"name": "Schedule Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
"position": [
1780,
720
],
"parameters": {
"rule": {
"interval": [
{
"field": "hours",
"hoursInterval": 2
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.2
},
{
"id": "04e6c245-3117-4ef8-a181-754e616e958b",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1340,
273.8835396388249
],
"parameters": {
"color": 4,
"width": 371.1995072042308,
"height": 600.88409546716,
"content": "## Backup to GitHub \nThis workflow will backup all instance workflows to GitHub.\n\nThe files are saved `ID.json` for the filename.\n\n### Setup\nOpen `Globals` node and update the values below \ud83d\udc47\n\n- **repo.owner:** your Github username\n- **repo.name:** the name of your repository\n- **repo.path:** the folder to use within the repository. If it doesn't exist it will be created.\n\n\nIf your username was `john-doe` and your repository was called `n8n-backups` and you wanted the workflows to go into a `workflows` folder you would set:\n\n- repo.owner - john-doe\n- repo.name - n8n-backups\n- repo.path - workflows/\n\n\nThe workflow calls itself using a subworkflow, to help reduce memory usage."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "3d996985-0064-4749-85a1-2191c73746c9",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1740,
440
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 886.4410237965205,
"height": 434.88564057365943,
"content": "## Main workflow loop"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "c9bfa393-e120-4bfe-b957-702756b91aaf",
"name": "Get file data",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.github",
"position": [
1920,
1000
],
"parameters": {
"owner": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $json.repo.owner }}"
},
"filePath": "={{ $json.repo.path }}{{ $('Execute Workflow Trigger').item.json.id }}.json",
"resource": "file",
"operation": "get",
"repository": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $json.repo.name }}"
},
"asBinaryProperty": false,
"additionalParameters": {}
},
"credentials": {
"githubApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1,
"continueOnFail": true,
"alwaysOutputData": true
},
{
"id": "d42ddc37-3bd9-4f19-8831-695bec4d0137",
"name": "Globals",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
1700,
1160
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "6cf546c5-5737-4dbd-851b-17d68e0a3780",
"name": "repo.owner",
"type": "string",
"value": "john-doe"
},
{
"id": "452efa28-2dc6-4ea3-a7a2-c35d100d0382",
"name": "repo.name",
"type": "string",
"value": "n8n-backup"
},
{
"id": "81c4dc54-86bf-4432-a23f-22c7ea831e74",
"name": "repo.path",
"type": "string",
"value": "workflows/"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "e970c63c-2aa2-46f9-be04-f045b6a938de",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1660,
1060
],
"parameters": {
"color": 4,
"width": 150,
"height": 80,
"content": "## Edit this node \ud83d\udc47"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "5b1991f7-0351-44de-908d-9aa8b8262d60",
"name": "Execute Workflow Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeWorkflowTrigger",
"position": [
1420,
1280
],
"parameters": {
"inputSource": "passthrough"
},
"typeVersion": 1.1
},
{
"id": "8e5b3f71-0c5e-4e78-a3f7-0b574c9ddf06",
"name": "Execute Workflow",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeWorkflow",
"position": [
2460,
620
],
"parameters": {
"mode": "each",
"options": {},
"workflowId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "id",
"value": "={{ $workflow.id }}"
},
"workflowInputs": {
"value": {},
"schema": [],
"mappingMode": "defineBelow",
"matchingColumns": [],
"attemptToConvertTypes": false,
"convertFieldsToString": true
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.2
}
],
"connections": {
"n8n": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Globals": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Get file data",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get File": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Merge Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"File is new": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Create new file",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Merge Items": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "isDiffOrNew",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"isDiffOrNew": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Check Status",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Check Status": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Same file - Do nothing",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "File is different",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "File is new",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get file data": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "If file too large",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Create new file": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Return",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Loop Over Items": {
"main": [
[],
[
{
"node": "Execute Workflow",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Execute Workflow": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Schedule Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "n8n",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"File is different": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Edit existing file",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"If file too large": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Get File",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "Merge Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Edit existing file": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Return",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"On clicking 'execute'": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "n8n",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Same file - Do nothing": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Return",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Execute Workflow Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Globals",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
},
{
"node": "Merge Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 1
}
]
]
}
}
}
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.
githubApin8nApi
Pro
For the full experience including quality scoring and batch install features for each workflow upgrade to Pro
How this works
This workflow streamlines code management by automatically fetching files from a repository and processing them for efficient updates or reviews, saving developers hours of manual handling. It's designed for software teams or individual coders who frequently collaborate on GitHub projects and need a reliable way to integrate external file retrieval into their automation routines. The key step involves using an HTTP request to pull the specific file from GitHub, followed by conditional checks to handle large files and merge the data seamlessly into your n8n pipeline.
Use this workflow when you need event-driven automation for on-demand code pulls during development sprints or CI/CD setups, particularly for repositories with moderate file sizes under 10MB to avoid timeouts. Avoid it for massive repositories or real-time syncing, where dedicated GitHub webhooks would be more suitable. Common variations include adding email notifications post-fetch or integrating with tools like Slack for team alerts on new code versions.
About this workflow
Code Github. Uses manualTrigger, stickyNote, n8n, httpRequest. Event-driven trigger; 23 nodes.
Source: https://github.com/Zie619/n8n-workflows — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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