This article provides a complete, practical walkthrough of the Splitout Datetime Create Webhook 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 Daily Snapshots of Contabo Instances with n8n: A No-Code Workflow Guide
   
   Meta Description:  
   Learn how to automate daily snapshots (backups) of your Contabo VPS using a no-code n8n workflow. Includes credential setup, UUID generation, snapshot deletion, and creation using the Contabo API.
   
   Keywords:  
   n8n, Contabo, VPS backup, Contabo API, automation, no-code workflow, daily snapshot, server backup, UUID generator, HTTP Requests automation
   
   Third-Party APIs Used:
   
   1. Contabo API — https://api.contabo.com/
      - For authentication, listing instances/snapshots, deleting existing snapshots, and creating new ones.
   
   2. UUID Generator API — https://www.uuidgenerator.net/api
      - To generate UUIDs used in request headers (x-request-id and x-trace-id) for enhanced traceability and request tracking.
   
   Article:
   
   ---
   
   In today’s cloud-first automation-driven environments, managing virtual infrastructure efficiently is critical to avoid downtime, data loss, and manual repetition. For users of Contabo VPS solutions, automating daily backups can save hours of work while keeping infrastructure resilient. This article explores a fully automated solution using n8n — a powerful no-code workflow automation tool — to schedule and manage VPS snapshots via the Contabo API.
   
   We’ll walk through the essential components of a workflow created by Marcos Antonio (a.k.a. “compromitto”), which retrieves VPS instances, checks for existing snapshots, removes old ones, and creates new backups daily — all without writing a single line of code.
   
   ## Objectives of this Workflow
   
   The main goal is to automate the backup (snapshot) process for all VPS instances hosted on Contabo every day at midnight. This ensures every instance is fresh with no more than 24 hours between backups, helping in disaster recovery scenarios or rollback needs.
   
   The workflow performs the following essential steps:
   
   1. Gets the current date and formats it.
   2. Authenticates using Contabo’s OAuth2-style flow.
   3. Retrieves a list of all VPS instances.
   4. For each instance:
      - Generates unique UUIDs for request tracking.
      - Checks for existing snapshots.
      - Deletes the oldest one if found.
      - Creates a new snapshot with a timestamped name.
   
   ## Step-by-step Breakdown
   
   ### 1. Triggering the Workflow
   
   Two triggers are set:
   
   - A Schedule node runs the workflow every day at a specified time (typically midnight).
   - A Manual Trigger node allows you to test the workflow effortlessly during setup.
   
   This flexibility ensures full automation with the ability to debug and manually trigger on-demand.
   
   ### 2. Capture Date & Time
   
   Using n8n's Date & Time node, the current timestamp is captured and formatted to dd-MM-yyyy. This formatted date becomes the name of each snapshot, ensuring easy identification.
   
   ### 3. Setting Up Credentials
   
   A “Set” node is used to preload your Contabo API credentials:
   
   - CLIENT_ID
   - CLIENT_SECRET
   - API_USER
   - API_PASSWORD
   
   📝 You’ll find these values in your [Contabo API Details Panel](https://my.contabo.com/api/details).
   
   ### 4. Authentication
   
   Using Contabo’s authentication endpoint, the workflow obtains an `access_token` and `token_type`, required for all subsequent API actions.
   
   Endpoint:  
   POST https://auth.contabo.com/auth/realms/contabo/protocol/openid-connect/token
   
   ### 5. UUID and Trace ID Generation
   
   UUIDs are essential in this workflow for adding traceability to API requests. They are used in custom headers `x-request-id` and `x-trace-id`. These are generated via the [uuidgenerator.net API](https://www.uuidgenerator.net/api/version4), which requires no authentication.
   
   For each API call (list, delete, or create snapshots), unique UUIDs are dynamically generated and attached to headers.
   
   ### 6. List Instances and Snapshots
   
   A GET request to the Contabo endpoint retrieves all active compute instances:
   
   GET https://api.contabo.com/v1/compute/instances
   
   Each instance is then checked for existing snapshots:
   
   GET https://api.contabo.com/v1/compute/instances/{instanceId}/snapshots
   
   ### 7. Handling Snapshots
   
   The workflow introduces decision logic:
   
   - If no snapshot exists for an instance: Create one.
   - If a snapshot exists: Delete it and create a new one.
   
   This ensures only one snapshot per instance is stored at a time, optimizing storage usage and maintaining a clean backup routine.
   
   To delete an existing snapshot:
   
   DELETE https://api.contabo.com/v1/compute/instances/{instanceId}/snapshots/{snapshotId}
   
   To create a new snapshot:
   
   POST https://api.contabo.com/v1/compute/instances/{instanceId}/snapshots  
   Payload includes:
   - name: Formatted date (e.g., "29-03-2024")
   - description: {Display Name} {Date}
   
   ### 8. Headers and Request Integrity
   
   Each HTTP Request node includes mandatory headers:
   
   - Content-Type: application/json
   - Authorization: Bearer token
   - x-request-id
   - x-trace-id
   
   This makes every request traceable and authenticated as per best practices.
   
   ## Why This Workflow Matters
   
   - 🕒 Saves time by automating a repetitive task.
   - 🎯 Ensures reliable, daily backups.
   - ⚡ Reduces risk of data loss.
   - 📦 Keeps snapshot storage usage in check.
   - 🔐 Adheres to security patterns with OAuth2 and trace IDs.
   
   ## Final Notes
   
   To implement this:
   
   1. Clone/import the n8n workflow.
   2. Configure your Contabo credentials.
   3. Set your preferred schedule.
   4. Let n8n handle the rest.
   
   Built by Marcos Antonio (LinkedIn: [compromitto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/compromitto/)), this workflow showcases the power of combining no-code tools with cloud APIs to achieve robust automation setups.
   
   Every sysadmin or cloud engineer using Contabo should consider deploying this solution — because backups should never depend on human memory.
   
   ---
   
   Need help scaling this workflow or integrating with Slack, Telegram, or email alerts? Explore other features of n8n to extend this logic further!
   
   Happy Automating! ⚙️

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.