How to Use Claude 3.5/3.7 to Instantly Build & Replicate Any n8n Agents

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to instantly build and replicate powerful automations in n8n using Claude 3.5/3.7, screenshots, transcripts, and cheat sheets. This method allows you to generate production-ready JSON workflows, with minimal effort, often from a single vague prompt.

🧠 Why Use Claude for n8n Automation?

Claude (Anthropic’s powerful LLM) excels at:

Understanding JSON structure.
Reasoning about multi-step workflows.
Parsing screenshots and transcripts.
Synthesizing and reverse-engineering logic.
Adding annotations (“sticky notes”) to nodes.

Unlike traditional template marketplaces, Claude can dynamically generate custom workflows or replicate existing ones, dramatically reducing setup time and cost.

📁 What You Need to Set It Up

To replicate this system, you’ll need:

A Claude Project (on Claude.ai, using Claude 3.5 or 3.7).
Cheat Sheet Files:
- n8n_cheat_sheet_guide.pdf
- n8n_tips_and_tricks.txt
Example JSON Workflows:
- 10–30 workflows exported from n8n Marketplace.
- Especially those featuring tools you frequently use (e.g., Slack, Airtable, Pinecone).
A Base Prompt to guide Claude.
(Optional) Screenshots and transcripts of workflows you want to replicate.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Setup in Claude Projects

1. Create a Project

In Claude:

Go to the Projects tab.
Click “Create Project”.
Name it something like n8n Templates.
Choose Claude 3.5 or 3.7 for best reasoning abilities.

2. Upload Knowledge Files

Drop in:

Your cheat sheets.
10–30 curated n8n JSON workflows (downloaded from tutorials, videos, or marketplaces).

Claude will use these as reference material to generate or replicate flows.

🧾 The Prompt That Powers It All

Use a robust prompt like this in the system instructions of your project:

You are an expert in building n8n automations. You respond ONLY with valid JSON. When asked, use the cheat sheet `n8n_cheat_sheet_guide.md`, `n8n_tips_and_tricks.txt`, and the JSON examples to structure your outputs. 
If vague instructions are given, ask clarifying questions first. Include sticky note annotations in the node properties to explain each step. 
Default to ChatGPT 4.0 if the LLM is unspecified. Always wrap your output in a single JSON code block without markdown or extraneous text.

🎙️ Example: Creating a Workflow from Voice Prompt

Using Claude’s Whisper Flow or similar speech-to-text:

“I want an n8n workflow that listens to WhatsApp messages, creates Google Docs, and sends a confirmation via WhatsApp. Add any helpful AI tools in the middle.”

Claude will:

Ask clarifying questions (if needed).
Use your knowledge base + prompt to generate a complete JSON.
Include sticky notes for each step.
Let you copy/paste directly into n8n.

💡 Pro Tip: Even sloppy, vague prompts often yield strong results thanks to Claude’s reasoning ability.

📸 Replicating Workflows from Screenshots

Here’s the magic trick creators will hate you for:

Take a screenshot of a workflow diagram (e.g., from YouTube).
Paste it directly into Claude.
Add this command: “Replicate this workflow end to end in n8n as a JSON file.”

Claude can read the image, parse the structure, and output a replicated JSON.

🎯 Combine this with:

A video transcript (to give context).
Multiple screenshots (if workflow spans sections).

Claude will “fill in the blanks” intelligently, often producing a 90% complete result.

🧪 Test Case: Combining Screenshot + Transcript

Try this:

Screenshot a video’s automation.
Copy the transcript using YouTubeTranscript.com.
Tell Claude: “Replicate this workflow exactly. Here’s the transcript to guide you.”

Claude will output a full JSON you can paste into n8n. For large workflows, it may break into multiple segments, but still usable with light stitching.

🧩 Fine-Tuning the Outputs

After Claude outputs the JSON:

Paste into n8n Editor using Cmd + V.
Adjust connections between nodes.
Review sticky note explanations for clarity.
Optionally update module-specific configurations (e.g., API keys, dataset IDs).

🛠️ If a module changed (like completion → complete for OpenAI), Claude will often already be aware due to your prompt and cheat sheets.

📚 Building the Cheat Sheets (or Use Mine)

If you want to build your own cheat sheets:

Use ChatGPT/Claude to deep research n8n documentation.
Compile:
- Node structure explanations.
- Example JSON blocks.
- Tips on commonly used integrations.
Summarize into concise markdown.

OR , just use the ones I’ve already built (linked below if you’re watching the video version of this).

💡 Advanced Tips

🧠 Load tools you use most (e.g., Zoom, Jira) as JSON workflows so Claude gets better at referencing them.
🔄 Use Python to extract all nodes from JSON workflows and summarize their types.
🗂 Use chunked prompt summarization if you want Claude to handle larger datasets.
🗯 Ask Claude to include AI prompts inside the automation, for OpenAI calls or custom LLM nodes.

🧨 Real-World Use Cases

Reverse-engineer YouTube tutorials by screenshot.
Build enterprise automations from verbal specs.
Use transcripts + visuals to clone premium templates.
Create internal tooling without writing code.

🎁 TL;DR Checklist

Step	Action
✅	Create a Claude Project
📂	Upload Cheat Sheets & JSON examples
✍️	Use a structured, detailed prompt
🖼️	Input screenshots of workflows
📜	Add transcripts for context
📥	Paste JSON into n8n
🧹	Tidy up connections, settings
🧠	Iterate and expand with more samples

🧠 Final Thoughts

Claude 3.5+ makes it trivially easy to build or replicate almost any n8n automation. With just:

A few examples,
A solid prompt,
Screenshots,
And optional transcripts…

…you can create high-quality, production-ready JSON automations in minutes, no templates required.

Liked this tutorial?
Want the prompt + cheat sheets pre-built?
Let me know and I’ll share the link directly.

Ready to automate like a pro? 😎