This article provides a complete, practical walkthrough of the Schedule Filter Create Scheduled n8n agent. It connects HTTP Request, Webhook across approximately 1 node(s). Expect a Intermediate setup in 15-45 minutes. One‑time purchase: €29.

What This Agent Does

This agent orchestrates a reliable automation between HTTP Request, Webhook, handling triggers, data enrichment, and delivery with guardrails for errors and rate limits.

It streamlines multi‑step processes that would otherwise require manual exports, spreadsheet cleanup, and repeated API requests. By centralizing logic in n8n, it reduces context switching, lowers error rates, and ensures consistent results across teams.

Typical outcomes include faster lead handoffs, automated notifications, accurate data synchronization, and better visibility via execution logs and optional Slack/Email alerts.

How It Works

The workflow uses standard n8n building blocks like Webhook or Schedule triggers, HTTP Request for API calls, and control nodes (IF, Merge, Set) to validate inputs, branch on conditions, and format outputs. Retries and timeouts improve resilience, while credentials keep secrets safe.

Third‑Party Integrations

• HTTP Request
• Webhook

Import and Use in n8n

1. Open n8n and create a new workflow or collection.
2. Choose Import from File or Paste JSON.
3. Paste the JSON below, then click Import.
4. Show n8n JSON

   Title:
   Automated Workflow Backup to Google Drive Using n8n
   
   Meta Description:
   Discover how to automatically back up your n8n workflows to Google Drive every four hours using a custom-built n8n workflow. Learn how the automation works, what components are involved, and how folders are managed intelligently.
   
   Keywords:
   n8n workflow backup, Google Drive backup automation, n8n automation, schedule workflow backup, n8n and Google Drive, JSON workflow export, automated data backup, no-code workflow management, cloud automation, file management with n8n
   
   Third-Party APIs Used:
   - Google Drive API
   - n8n Internal API (through the n8n node)
   
   Article:
   
   Ensuring that your workflow data is regularly backed up is crucial for maintaining business continuity and preventing loss of automation logic. In this tutorial, we explore how an automated backup solution was built using n8n—a powerful open-source workflow automation tool—and Google Drive.
   
   This workflow automatically exports all current n8n workflows to dedicated date-stamped folders in Google Drive every four hours, ensuring redundancy, organization, and hands-free backup management.
   
   Understanding the Workflow Architecture
   
   This backup automation is powered by several cohesive n8n nodes that work together to accomplish five main functions:
   
   1. Schedule the workflow to run every four hours.
   2. Create a new folder in Google Drive based on the current timestamp.
   3. Export all current n8n workflows as JSON files.
   4. Upload these JSON exports to the newly created folder.
   5. Clean up old folders to avoid clutter and maintain only the most recent backup instance.
   
   Let’s break down how each part of this system works.
   
   Triggering the Workflow
   
   There are two ways this workflow can be triggered: 
   - Manually, via the Manual Trigger node.
   - Automatically, every four hours using the Schedule Trigger node. This is configured through an interval rule set to trigger every 4 hours, making the backup completely autonomous.
   
   Creating a Timestamped Folder
   
   Before backing up workflows, the system creates a new folder in Google Drive using the Google Drive node. The folder is named dynamically as:
   
   Workflow Backups [Day Time Date]  
   (Example: Workflow Backups Tuesday 12:00 23-04-2024)
   
   This makes it incredibly easy to identify when the backup took place, directly from the folder name.
   
   Fetching n8n Workflows
   
   Once the folder is ready, the custom n8n node is used to fetch all current workflows via the n8n Internal API. This node queries the n8n instance to retrieve a list of currently available workflows in JSON format.
   
   Looping and Exporting Workflows
   
   The retrieved workflows are passed through a Split In Batches node (loop controller) to allow iterative handling of each workflow.
   
   Each workflow is then converted into a separate .json file using the Convert to File node, which formats the content appropriately and assigns the file name based on the workflow’s `name` field.
   
   Storing Files in Google Drive
   
   The formatted JSON files are then uploaded one-by-one to the newly created backup folder using another Google Drive node. This ensures that each backup is logically compartmentalized, with no risk of overwriting previous files.
   
   Managing Backup Folder Cleanup
   
   To prevent the Google Drive from bloating with redundant backups, the workflow intelligently deletes older backup folders:
   
   - First, the Get Folders node scans the parent backup folder directory and returns all its subfolders.
   
   - Then, the Filter node compares the folder IDs and ensures that only folders not matching the ID of the most recent backup are considered for deletion.
   
   - Finally, the Delete Folder node permanently removes outdated backup folders from Google Drive.
   
   This pruning mechanism retains only the latest backup, slashing unnecessary storage usage and simplifying backup management.
   
   Why This Workflow Matters
   
   - ✅ Fully Automated: Once configured, it doesn’t require any human intervention.
   - ✅ Timestamped Backup: Easily identify when each backup was created.
   - ✅ Cloud Storage: Google Drive integration means your backups are safely kept offsite.
   - ✅ Organized & Clean: Automatically deletes older backups, keeping your environment neat.
   - ✅ Open Source: Built on n8n, an open-source platform, giving you full transparency and customization abilities.
   
   Conclusion
   
   Backing up automation logic is just as important as deploying it. This n8n workflow provides a reliable and scalable solution for backing up your automation assets into Google Drive at regular intervals, with intelligent file and folder management. Whether you’re managing critical business processes or personal projects on n8n, this workflow ensures peace of mind—with zero manual effort.
   
   Looking for the next step? Extend the workflow to:
   - Send email or Slack notifications when a backup is completed.
   - Retain backups for the past N days.
   - Add version tracking to see what changed in each workflow over time.
   
   With powerful tools like n8n and accessible APIs like Google Drive, smart automation like this is only a few nodes away.
   
   Start saving your workflows before it's too late—automatically!

5. Set credentials for each API node (keys, OAuth) in Credentials.
6. Run a test via Execute Workflow. Inspect Run Data, then adjust parameters.
7. Enable the workflow to run on schedule, webhook, or triggers as configured.

Tips: keep secrets in credentials, add retries and timeouts on HTTP nodes, implement error notifications, and paginate large API fetches.

Validation: use IF/Code nodes to sanitize inputs and guard against empty payloads.

Why Automate This with AI Agents

AI‑assisted automations offload repetitive, error‑prone tasks to a predictable workflow. Instead of manual copy‑paste and ad‑hoc scripts, your team gets a governed pipeline with versioned state, auditability, and observable runs.

n8n’s node graph makes data flow transparent while AI‑powered enrichment (classification, extraction, summarization) boosts throughput and consistency. Teams reclaim time, reduce operational costs, and standardize best practices without sacrificing flexibility.

Compared to one‑off integrations, an AI agent is easier to extend: swap APIs, add filters, or bolt on notifications without rewriting everything. You get reliability, control, and a faster path from idea to production.

Best Practices

• Credentials: restrict scopes and rotate tokens regularly.
• Resilience: configure retries, timeouts, and backoff for API nodes.
• Data Quality: validate inputs; normalize fields early to reduce downstream branching.
• Performance: batch records and paginate for large datasets.
• Observability: add failure alerts (Email/Slack) and persistent logs for auditing.
• Security: avoid sensitive data in logs; use environment variables and n8n credentials.

FAQs

Can I swap integrations later? Yes. Replace or add nodes and re‑map fields without rebuilding the whole flow.

How do I monitor failures? Use Execution logs and add notifications on the Error Trigger path.

Does it scale? Use queues, batching, and sub‑workflows to split responsibilities and control load.

Is my data safe? Keep secrets in Credentials, restrict token scopes, and review access logs.