This article provides a complete, practical walkthrough of the Manual Markdown 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:
   Automating Timesheet Reports with n8n: A Visual Workflow for HTML Reports with Embedded Avatars
   
   Meta Description:
   Discover how to automate elegant HTML timesheet reports using n8n. This workflow sorts data by user and task, fetches avatars, and generates a styled Markdown report fit for email delivery or archiving.
   
   Keywords:
   n8n workflow automation, timesheet automation, HTML timesheet report, Markdown to HTML, automated reporting, Gravatar avatar embedding, n8n function node, JSON data to HTML, project management automation, low-code automation
   
   Third-Party APIs Used:
   
   - Gravatar (https://www.gravatar.com) – for fetching user avatars based on URLs.
   
   Article:
   
   Streamlining Timesheet Reporting with n8n: Generating Custom PDF-Ready HTML Reports with Embedded Avatars
   
   In an age where remote work and multi-role project collaboration have become the norm, reporting on hours logged per task and user remains an essential part of operations and client billing. Yet, generating detailed timesheet reports with both structure and visual appeal can be a tedious manual effort — unless it's automated.
   
   This article walks through a powerful example of how to automate the generation of custom timesheet reports using n8n, a powerful low-code workflow automation tool. We'll explore how this workflow aggregates user timesheets, fetches avatars, and produces a stylized HTML report that’s email-ready — complete with proper data sorting, Markdown processing, and visual hierarchy.
   
   🛠️ The Workflow Overview
   
   At its core, this workflow automates the following steps:
   
   - Trigger the workflow manually or via scheduling.
   - Generate sample timesheet data (could be adapted to pull from a database or API).
   - Sort all entries by username, task title, and date.
   - Retrieve unique avatars for each user via Gravatar.
   - Merge avatar data back to the textual timesheet entries.
   - Convert structured data into a markdown report with inlined images.
   - Transform the markdown into stylized HTML.
   - (Optional) Email the final HTML as an attachment.
   
   Let’s break it down step by step.
   
   🔹 Step 1: Manual Trigger & Sample Data
   
   The workflow begins with a Manual Trigger ("On clicking 'execute'"), which is ideally replaced by a scheduled trigger for real-time reporting later.
   
   Immediately after, a Function node named GetTimesheetRecords generates mock data representing user time tracking entries. Each entry includes:
   
   - UserName
   - UserAvatar (Gravatar URL)
   - TaskTitle
   - Date
   - Note
   - Hours
   
   This data mimics what you'd typically retrieve from a project management tool or time tracking API.
   
   🔹 Step 2: Data Sorting
   
   Using the SortElements node, the workflow organizes the data using a multi-level sort:
   
   1. UserName
   2. TaskTitle
   3. Date
   
   Sorting ensures natural grouping for report readability — hours logged by the same person under the same task are collated.
   
   🔹 Step 3: Prepare and Fetch User Avatars
   
   To display user pictures in the final report, the workflow isolates unique avatar URLs via the GetImg node. This removes duplicates based on the "UserAvatar" field.
   
   Then the ImgBinary node makes HTTP requests to download these images as binary files, essentially turning URL-based references into embeddable assets (base64-encoded data).
   
   🔹 Step 4: Merge Textual and Binary Data
   
   The Merge2 node performs an “outer” merge-by-index. This combines the report entries with their corresponding avatar images so each user section can be visually enriched in the final HTML output.
   
   🔹 Step 5: Markdown Report Generation
   
   Here’s where the magic happens. The CreateMDReport node is a Function node that takes the unified data and iteratively builds a structured Markdown report.
   
   Highlights:
   
   - Adds a dynamic section for each user, with the avatar base64-encoded and displayed via markdown image embedding (![]()).
   - Separates and totals hours under each TaskTitle.
   - Provides alternating row styles and column headers using embedded CSS styles.
   - Closes with a timestamp for when the report was generated.
   
   For example, a snippet for "User 1 - Lead Programmer" may look like:
   
   ## ![img](data:image/png;base64,...) User 1 - Lead Programmer
   
   ### Client 1  
   | Date | Hours | Task Description |
   |:---|:---:|---|
   | 2022-05-02 | 2.75 | Updated this and that |
   | 2022-05-05 | 0.50 | Weekly meeting |
   *8.75 - Total hours for this task*
   
   🔹 Step 6: Markdown to Stylized HTML
   
   The Markdown node converts the entire markdown string into a styled HTML document using the markdownToHtml operation. Inline styles ensure the HTML is self-contained and render-friendly for emails or viewing in browsers.
   
   🔹 Step 7: Prepare for Emailing
   
   The Move Binary Data1 node transforms the HTML string into binary format. It sets MIME type to text/html and names the file "report.html", making it a clean email attachment.
   
   🔹 Step 8: Optional Email Delivery
   
   Though disabled by default, the Send Email node is configured to send the HTML report via SMTP (requires credentials). This is ideal for automatically distributing reports weekly or monthly to clients or managers.
   
   🎯 Real-World Applications
   
   - Automated weekly summary reports for teams and clients
   - Replacing manual timecard submissions with digital visualizations
   - Archiving HTML reports as documentation
   - Embedding the report into internal dashboards or client portals
   
   🧩 Customization Ideas:
   
   - Replace the manual trigger with a Cron node for automation
   - Fetch real data from a database or an API instead of hardcoded sample data
   - Add cumulative totals across all users at the end
   - Adapt to PDF generation with an HTML-to-PDF node or tool
   
   📡 Third-Party APIs Used
   
   - Gravatar – The only external API used is Gravatar to fetch user avatars based on pre-defined URLs. Since the avatars are publicly accessible via URL, the HTTP request node fetches them without authentication and embeds them using base64.
   
   💬 Final Thoughts
   
   This n8n workflow is an elegant demonstration of how low-code automation can solve everyday reporting challenges in a visually engaging way. From data transformation to media embedding and HTML generation — it’s a complete timesheet reporting pipeline that’s easy to understand and extend.
   
   Whether you’re a manager seeking better visual reports or a developer automating team workflows, this approach offers reusable building blocks for future automations around project reporting or document generation.
   
   Explore it further, adapt it to your tools, and let n8n do the heavy lifting — beautifully.

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.