Webhook Router

The workflow JSON

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{
  "name": "Webhook Router",
  "description": "Route incoming webhooks by event type to type-specific handlers. Unrouteable payloads (unknown type, missing type, missing required fields) are sent to a dead-letter queue.",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "Webhook Trigger",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
      "position": [
        0,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "path": "webhook-router",
        "method": "POST",
        "options": {}
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Payload Inspect",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
      "position": [
        300,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "functionCode": "// Inspect payload and extract event type\nconst payload = $input.first().json;\nconst eventType = payload.type;\n\nif (!eventType) {\n  return [{ json: { ...payload, _error: 'missing_event_type' } }];\n}\n\nreturn [{ json: { ...payload, _event_type: eventType } }];"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Switch by Event Type",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.switch",
      "position": [
        600,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "dataType": "string",
        "value1": "={{ $json._event_type }}",
        "rules": [
          {
            "value": "order.created",
            "output": "order_handler"
          },
          {
            "value": "lead.captured",
            "output": "lead_handler"
          },
          {
            "value": "ticket.created",
            "output": "support_handler"
          }
        ],
        "fallbackOutput": "dead_letter"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Order Handler",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
      "position": [
        900,
        -200
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "functionCode": "// Process order.created events\nconst payload = $input.first().json;\nconst { order_id, amount } = payload;\n\nif (!order_id || !amount) {\n  return [{ json: { ...payload, _error: 'missing_required_fields', _reason: 'order_id and amount required' } }];\n}\n\nreturn [{ json: { event_id: order_id, event_type: 'order.created', route: 'order_handler', handler: 'order_handler', handled: true } }];"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Lead Handler",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
      "position": [
        900,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "functionCode": "// Process lead.captured events\nconst payload = $input.first().json;\nconst { name, email } = payload;\n\nif (!name || !email) {\n  return [{ json: { ...payload, _error: 'missing_required_fields', _reason: 'name and email required' } }];\n}\n\nreturn [{ json: { event_id: 'lead-' + name, event_type: 'lead.captured', route: 'lead_handler', handler: 'lead_handler', handled: true } }];"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Support Handler",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
      "position": [
        900,
        200
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "functionCode": "// Process ticket.created events\nconst payload = $input.first().json;\nconst { ticket_id, priority } = payload;\n\nif (!ticket_id || !priority) {\n  return [{ json: { ...payload, _error: 'missing_required_fields', _reason: 'ticket_id and priority required' } }];\n}\n\nreturn [{ json: { event_id: ticket_id, event_type: 'ticket.created', route: 'support_handler', handler: 'support_handler', handled: true } }];"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Dead-Letter Queue",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
      "position": [
        900,
        400
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "functionCode": "// Collect unrouteable payloads to dead-letter queue\nconst payload = $input.first().json;\nconst eventType = payload._event_type || null;\nconst reason = payload._error || 'unknown_event_type';\n\nreturn [{ json: { event_id: 'dlq-' + Date.now(), event_type: eventType, route: 'dead-letter', handler: null, handled: false, reason } }];"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Router Summary",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
      "position": [
        1200,
        100
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "functionCode": "// Aggregate all results into final summary\nconst allItems = $input.all();\nconst routed = allItems.filter(i => i.json.handled === true);\nconst dead = allItems.filter(i => i.json.handled === false);\n\nreturn [{\n  json: {\n    routed_events: routed.map(i => i.json),\n    dead_letter: dead.map(i => i.json),\n    total: allItems.length\n  }\n}];"
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": [
    {
      "source": "Webhook Trigger",
      "target": "Payload Inspect"
    },
    {
      "source": "Payload Inspect",
      "target": "Switch by Event Type"
    },
    {
      "source": "Switch by Event Type",
      "target": "Order Handler",
      "source_output": "order_handler",
      "target_input": "main"
    },
    {
      "source": "Switch by Event Type",
      "target": "Lead Handler",
      "source_output": "lead_handler",
      "target_input": "main"
    },
    {
      "source": "Switch by Event Type",
      "target": "Support Handler",
      "source_output": "support_handler",
      "target_input": "main"
    },
    {
      "source": "Switch by Event Type",
      "target": "Dead-Letter Queue",
      "source_output": "dead_letter",
      "target_input": "main"
    },
    {
      "source": "Order Handler",
      "target": "Router Summary"
    },
    {
      "source": "Lead Handler",
      "target": "Router Summary"
    },
    {
      "source": "Support Handler",
      "target": "Router Summary"
    },
    {
      "source": "Dead-Letter Queue",
      "target": "Router Summary"
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "pattern_number": 5,
    "category": "routing",
    "idempotency_notes": "Each event is processed exactly once per call. The event_id can be used downstream for idempotent processing (e.g., skip if order_id already processed).",
    "retry_notes": "Dead-lettered events should be logged and periodically retried via a separate replay mechanism. Unknown event types may indicate an integration that needs a new handler registered."
  }
}

About this workflow

Webhook Router. Webhook trigger; 8 nodes.

Source: https://github.com/stefan-mcf/automation-kit/blob/main/patterns/webhook-router/workflow.json — original creator credit. Request a take-down →

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