Integrating Mendix with n8n: Low-Code meets Low-Code

April 14, 2026

Integrating Mendix with n8n: Low-Code meets Low-Code

Introduction

n8n is a workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps and automate tasks. Here we will look at the self-hosted version of n8n and leverage its workflow API. In this guide, we’ll set up n8n locally, explore its API capabilities, and integrate it with Mendix. Original article here.

Prerequisites

Node.js installed (version 18 or higher)
An HTTP client like curl

n8n Installation

npm install n8n -g

For more installation options, see the official documentation.

Launch n8n with a simple command:

n8n

The server will start and be accessible at

http://localhost:5678

. Keep this terminal window open while working with n8n.

Generate an n8n API Key

To use the API you need to generate an API key.

Open your browser and navigate to

http://localhost:5678

Complete the initial setup if this is your first time
Go to Settings > n8n API
Click Create an API key
Copy the generated key — you’ll need it for all API calls

API Basics

All n8n API calls follow this pattern:

curl ‘http://localhost:5678/api/v1/<endpoint>’ \
--header ‘Accept: application/json’ \
--header ‘X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN’

Replace <endpoint> with the specific resource (e.g., workflows, users) and YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN with your API key.

For the full API reference, visit the n8n API documentation.

Listing All Users

curl ‘http://localhost:5678/api/v1/users’ \
--header ‘Accept: application/json’ \
--header ‘X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN’

Getting Specific User Details

curl ‘http://localhost:5678/api/v1/users/{id}’ \
--header ‘Accept: application/json’ \
--header ‘X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN’

Replace {id} with the user’s ID from the list users response.

Listing All Workflows

curl ‘http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows’ \
--header ‘Accept: application/json’ \
--header ‘X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN’

This returns all workflows in your n8n instance with their IDs, names, and status.

Getting Specific Workflow

curl -H “X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY” \
“http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}”

Replace {id} with the workflow ID to retrieve its complete definition, including nodes and connections.

Creating an Empty Workflow

curl -X POST “http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows” \
     -H “X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY” \
     -H “Content-Type: application/json” \
     -d ‘{
          “name”: “My New Workflow”,
          “nodes”: [],
          “connections”: {},
          “settings”: {}
         }’

This creates a basic workflow with no nodes. You can then add nodes via the UI or subsequent API calls.

Creating a Webhook-Triggered Workflow

Here’s a more practical example — a workflow that can be triggered via HTTP webhook:

curl -X POST “http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows” \
     -H “X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY” \
     -H “Content-Type: application/json” \
     -d ‘{
          “name”: “apiA”,
          “nodes”: [
            {
              “parameters”: {
                “path”: “testA”,
                “options”: {}
              },
              “id”: “ae3872c0-826d-4952-9786-905a38a7c290”,
              “name”: “Webhook”,
              “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.webhook”,
              “typeVersion”: 1,
              “position”: [250, 300],
              “webhookId”:”a692e179-b77e-4bf7-8a95-e7363f16ad1a”
            }
          ],
          “connections”: {},
          “settings”: {
            “executionOrder”: “v1”,
            “callerPolicy”: “workflowsFromSameOwner”,
            “availableInMCP”: false
          }
         }’

This creates a workflow with a single webhook node listening on the path /testA.

Activating a Workflow

Workflows must be activated before they can execute:

curl -X POST “http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}/activate” \
     -H “X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY”

Deactivating a Workflow

To stop a workflow from executing:

curl -X POST “http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}/deactivate” \
     -H “X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY”

Triggering a Workflow

Once activated, trigger your webhook workflow:

curl -X POST ‘http://localhost:5678/webhook/testA’ \
--header ‘Content-Type: application/json’ \
--data ‘{”somekey”: “somevalue”}’

Note that webhook calls don’t require the API key — they use the webhook path you defined.

Deleting a Workflow

Remove a workflow permanently:

curl -X DELETE “http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows/{id}” \
     -H “X-N8N-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY”

Warning: This action is irreversible. Make sure you’ve exported any workflows you want to keep.

Integrating Mendix with n8n

Now that we understand the n8n API, let’s integrate it with Mendix.

Create a new module called n8n in your Mendix project. This will contain all entities, microflows, and pages for the integration.

Setting up a Configuration Entity

Next, create a Configuration entity with the following attributes:

Host (String) - e.g.,

http://localhost:5678

Key (String) - your n8n API key

Create a microflow DS_Configuration that retrieves the configuration singleton. This will be used as the data source for configuration management.

Configuration Retrieval

Create a Configuration edit page with a data view that uses the DS_Configuration microflow. This allows you to manage your n8n connection settings through the Mendix UI.

Configuration Page

Importing Workflows from n8n

Create a JSON structure and import mapping called IM_Workflows using the JSON structure. Use Mendix’s automatic mapping feature to generate the workflow entity structure.