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Overview

n8n is a powerful workflow automation tool that lets you connect APIs and services visually. Integrate Visca AI Gateway with n8n to build sophisticated AI-powered workflows.

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Prerequisites

1

n8n Installation

Install n8n locally, use n8n Cloud, or deploy self-hosted
2

Gateway Access

Get your Visca AI Gateway API key
3

HTTP Request Node

You’ll use n8n’s HTTP Request node to call the gateway

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Quick Start

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1. Add HTTP Request Node

In your n8n workflow, add an HTTP Request node:
  • Method: POST
  • URL: https://gateway.visca.ai/v1/chat/completions
  • Authentication: Header Auth
    • Name: Authorization
    • Value: Bearer YOUR_VISCA_API_KEY

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2. Configure Request Body

Set the body type to JSON and add: 
{
	"model": "gpt-4",
	"messages": [
		{
			"role": "user",
			"content": "{{ $json.userInput }}"
		}
	]
}

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3. Process Response

Add a Set node to extract the AI response: 
{
  "aiResponse": "{{ $json.choices[0].message.content }}"
}

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Example Workflows

  • Email Summarizer
  • Customer Support Bot
  • Content Generator
  • Image Analyzer
Workflow: Gmail → AI Gateway → Slack
  1. Gmail Trigger: New email received
  2. HTTP Request: Summarize email with GPT-4 
    {
  "model": "gpt-4",
  "messages": [{
    "role": "system",
    "content": "Summarize this email in 2-3 sentences."
  }, {
    "role": "user",
    "content": "{{ $json.body }}"
  }]
}
  3. Slack: Send summary to #inbox channel

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Advanced Patterns

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Error Handling

Add error handling to retry failed requests:
  1. HTTP Request node settings:
    • Retry On Fail: true
    • Max Tries: 3
    • Wait Between Tries: 5000 (5 seconds)
  2. IF node to check for errors: 
    {
	{
		$json.error === undefined;
	}
}
  3. Slack node on error path to notify team

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Rate Limiting

Prevent hitting rate limits:
  1. Wait node: 1000ms between requests
  2. Loop Over Items node: Process in batches
  3. HTTP Request with custom header: 
    {
	"X-RateLimit-Policy": "conservative"
}

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Cost Tracking

Track AI costs in your workflow:
  1. HTTP Request: Make AI call with metadata 
    {
  "model": "gpt-4",
  "messages": [...],
  "metadata": {
    "workflow_id": "{{ $workflow.id }}",
    "user_id": "{{ $json.userId }}"
  }
}
  2. PostgreSQL: Log request details
  3. Google Sheets: Update cost dashboard

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Multi-Provider Routing

Use intelligent routing for cost optimization: 
{
  "model": "gpt-4",
  "messages": [...],
  "metadata": {
    "routing": {
      "strategy": "cost-optimized",
      "fallback": true
    }
  }
}

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Reusable Workflow Template

Download n8n Template

Import this workflow template into n8n:
{
  "name": "Visca AI Gateway Template",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "HTTP Request",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "position": [250, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "method": "POST",
        "url": "https://gateway.visca.ai/v1/chat/completions",
        "authentication": "headerAuth",
        "sendHeaders": true,
        "headerParameters": {
          "parameters": [{
            "name": "Authorization",
            "value": "Bearer YOUR_VISCA_API_KEY"
          }]
        },
        "sendBody": true,
        "bodyParameters": {
          "parameters": [{
            "name": "model",
            "value": "gpt-4"
          }, {
            "name": "messages",
            "value": "[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":\"{{ $json.input }}\"}]"
          }]
        },
        "options": {
          "retry": {
            "maxTries": 3,
            "waitBetween": 5000
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

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Use Cases

Email Automation

Summarize, categorize, and respond to emails automatically

Content Creation

Generate blog posts, social media content, and marketing copy

Data Processing

Extract insights from documents, analyze feedback, classify data

Customer Support

Build intelligent chatbots and support ticket automation

Image Analysis

Process uploaded images, extract text, categorize visuals

Reporting

Generate automated reports with AI-powered insights

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Environment Variables

Store API keys securely in n8n:
  1. Go to Settings → Environment Variables
  2. Add VISCA_API_KEY with your key
  3. Use in workflows: 
    {{ $env.VISCA_API_KEY }}

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Webhook Integration

Build external-facing AI APIs with n8n:
  1. Webhook node (waiting for webhook)
  2. HTTP Request to Visca AI Gateway
  3. Respond to Webhook with AI response
Example webhook URL: 
https://your-n8n.app/webhook/ai-chat
Call it from your app: 
curl -X POST https://your-n8n.app/webhook/ai-chat \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Hello AI!"}'

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Debugging Tips

In HTTP Request node → Settings → Always Output Data This shows full request/response even on errors
Use Manual Trigger node to test workflows before automation
Add Function node to log data: javascript console.log('Request:', $input.all()); return $input.all();
View request logs in Visca AI Gateway dashboard for debugging

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Best Practices

Use Credentials

Store API keys in n8n credentials, not hardcoded

Add Error Handling

Always add error handling nodes for production workflows

Implement Retry Logic

Enable retries on HTTP Request nodes for reliability

Monitor Costs

Log AI requests to track spending over time

Test Incrementally

Build workflows step-by-step, testing each node

Use Metadata

Add workflow metadata to AI requests for analytics

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Troubleshooting

Cause: Invalid or missing API key Solution: Check Authorization header format: Bearer YOUR_KEY
Cause: AI response took too long Solution: Increase node timeout in settings or use streaming
Cause: Malformed request body Solution: Use Function node to build JSON properly
Cause: Too many requests in short time Solution: Add Wait nodes between requests

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Next Steps

Streaming Responses

Implement real-time AI responses

Cost Optimization

Use intelligent routing to reduce costs

API Reference

Explore full API capabilities

More Examples

Browse more integration guides