This article provides a complete, practical walkthrough of the Schedule Manual Automation 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 Recovery: How This n8n Workflow Retries Failed Executions Hourly
   
   **Meta Description:**  
   Discover how to use n8n to automatically detect and retry failed workflow executions hourly, ensuring smoother automation and improved reliability with minimal manual effort.
   
   **Keywords:**  
   n8n, workflow automation, error handling, retry automation, HTTP request, n8n API, failed executions, workflow recovery, automation reliability, schedule trigger, resilient workflows
   
   **Third-Party APIs Used:**  
   - n8n REST API (Internal API access for execution and authentication)
   
   ---
   
   # Automated Workflow Recovery: How This n8n Workflow Retries Failed Executions Hourly
   
   In the world of automation, even the most sophisticated workflows can sometimes fail. Whether it's due to temporary API issues, missing data, or timeouts, failed executions can disrupt business operations and require manual intervention. Fortunately, automation tools like n8n can help us build self-healing systems that detect and recover from these errors automatically.
   
   In this article, we explore a sophisticated yet simple n8n workflow designed to detect failed executions and automatically retry them on an hourly basis. This eliminates manual re-execution and boosts workflow reliability with minimal ongoing effort.
   
   ---
   
   ## Overview: What This Workflow Does
   
   This n8n logic is built to:
   
   1. Run every hour (via a Schedule Trigger).
   2. Log into the n8n instance using stored credentials.
   3. Query the instance for failed workflow executions.
   4. Check if the failed execution has already been successfully retried.
   5. Retry the failed execution using the session ID obtained during login.
   6. Log output and continue looping for any additional failed items.
   
   Let’s break down how this works node by node.
   
   ---
   
   ## Step-by-Step Breakdown
   
   ### 1. Triggering the Workflow Hourly
   
   The workflow employs a **Schedule Trigger** node that is set to fire every hour. Alternatively, for testing purposes, a **Manual Trigger** node is included to initiate the workflow on demand.
   
   ### 2. Setting Up Login Credentials
   
   The **Set (login_details)** node defines the essential parameters including:
   
   - Email (username)
   - Password
   - n8n Instance URL
   - Execution ID (dynamically pulled from the current context)
   
   These credentials are later used to obtain a session cookie necessary for API-based interactions with the n8n server.
   
   ⚠️ _Note: For a production-ready build, avoid hardcoding credentials within the workflow. Use secure credential nodes or environment variables._
   
   ### 3. Logging into the n8n Instance
   
   The **HTTP Request (Log into n8n)** node initiates a POST request to the /rest/login endpoint. By passing the credentials from the previous step and capturing the set-cookie response, the script authenticates and stores the session for subsequent requests.
   
   ### 4. Fetching Failed Executions
   
   Using the **n8n (Execution Resource)** node, a query is made to the /executions endpoint with a filter for status = ‘error’. This returns the list of all failed executions in the instance.
   
   This step is critical because we’re targeting only executions that have failed and are eligible for a retry.
   
   ### 5. Filtering Already-Retried Executions
   
   The **If** node checks if the retrieved failed execution already has a `retrySuccessId` present. If the field is not empty, that execution is skipped since it was successfully retried. If it’s still empty, the failed task is passed to the next step.
   
   ### 6. Looping Through Failed Items in Batches
   
   To optimize performance and scalability, the **SplitInBatches (Loop Over Items)** node takes up to 5 failed items at a time and processes them iteratively through the retry mechanism.
   
   ### 7. Retrying the Execution Programmatically
   
   For each failed execution, the **HTTP Request (retry workflow automatically)** node sends a POST request to the corresponding /rest/executions/:id/retry endpoint. The request uses the session cookie stored earlier to authorize the retry.
   
   If the retry fails, the workflow is designed to proceed to the next item using `"onError": "continueRegularOutput"` to avoid total failure.
   
   ---
   
   ## Bonus Features and Extensibility
   
   💬 **Sticky Notes:**  
   Throughout the workflow, sticky notes summarize each stage. They include:
   
   - Reminders to filter only unretried failed executions.
   - Suggestions to add notifications for failed retries.
   - Tips on managing credentials securely.
   
   🔔 **Future Enhancements:**  
   - Add Slack, email, or SMS notifications for retries that still fail.
   - Log execution attempts to an external database for auditing.
   - Integrate with error monitoring tools for better observability.
   
   ---
   
   ## Benefits of This Approach
   
   ✅ **Increased Reliability** – Automatically ensures temporary failures don’t halt automation long-term.
   
   ✅ **Reduced Manual Effort** – Frees developers and operations teams from manually retrying failed jobs.
   
   ✅ **Optimized Execution** – Batch processing ensures performance is maintained even with high failure volumes.
   
   ✅ **Improved Resilience** – With regular hourly checks, issues are resolved much faster than waiting for human intervention.
   
   ---
   
   ## Final Thoughts
   
   Automation is not just about running things once—it's about building resilient systems that can recover from failure autonomously. This n8n workflow takes one giant step in that direction by bolstering reliability and reducing the need for manual oversight.
   
   For developers and automation engineers looking to ensure business-critical processes keep running no matter what, this template is a smart, scalable solution you can build on.
   
   Whether you're using n8n for internal tooling, microservices orchestration, or large-scale API automation, consider integrating a retry mechanism like this into your workflows—you’ll save time, avoid downtime, and sleep a little better at night.
   
   ---
   
   🛠 Built on [n8n.io](https://n8n.io/) — Open Source Workflow Automation Tool  
   🔐 API Access: Internal n8n REST API via secure login  
   📦 Deployment Recommendation: Use environment variables and credentials securely in production environments.

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.