# How to Use n8n Templates (and Get Them Working)

> How to use n8n templates: find one in the gallery, import it, connect your accounts, swap in your own sheet and email, test it and publish.

Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/how-to-use-n8n-templates · Updated 2026-10-01 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com)

By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 1, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 · 6 min read

n8n · Automation

To use an [n8n template](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/n8n-template), open **Templates** from your n8n workspace, pick a workflow in the gallery, click **Use for free** and import it to your instance. Then connect your accounts in the **Set up template** window, swap in your own spreadsheet and email wording, run a test with **Execute workflow** and click **Publish**. You can practice every step free in the [Find and Use n8n Templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/find-and-use-n8n-templates) lesson.

The n8n template gallery holds thousands of free, ready-made workflows. Most people copy one, see a canvas full of red warnings and give up. The template isn't broken: it just doesn't know your accounts or your data yet.

## What does the example template do?

The example template logs booking requests from a form to Google Sheets and sends each customer a Gmail confirmation.

In the lesson you set it up for Hillside Pet Grooming, a made-up grooming shop. Customers fill in a short form with their name, email and pet's name. The workflow is a form trigger, a Google Sheets step and a Gmail step, plus a sticky note from the template's creator. You don't build any of it from scratch.

## How do I find a template in the n8n gallery?

Click **Templates** in the left sidebar of your n8n workspace, choose a category and search for what you need.

1. In your n8n workspace, click **Templates**. The template gallery opens on the n8n website in a new tab, and it knows which workspace to import into later.
2. Click a category. The gallery has categories like AI, Sales, IT Ops and Marketing. Booking requests are really sales leads, so the lesson picks **Sales**.
3. Type **form** in the search box and press Enter.
4. Open **Log booking requests to Google Sheets and send a Gmail confirmation**. The template page shows a preview, who made it and what it needs.

## What are the ways to import an n8n template?

There are three ways to import an n8n template: import it straight to your instance, copy the template [JSON](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/json) and paste it onto a canvas, or use **Import from File** or **Import from URL** in the workflow menu.

1. **Import to your instance.** Click **Use for free**. Because you came from your own workspace, the Use template window lists it; in the lesson that's **Import template to hillside-grooming.app.n8n.cloud**. One click opens the workflow in n8n. This works for [n8n Cloud](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/n8n-cloud) and self-hosted n8n.
2. **Copy template to clipboard (JSON).** Copy it, open an empty workflow and paste with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. You then connect each account by opening the nodes that show warnings.
3. **Import from File or Import from URL.** For a workflow file someone sends you, open the **···** workflow menu at the top of the editor. Import from File takes a .json file; Import from URL takes a link to the JSON.

## How do I connect accounts to an imported n8n template?

Use the **Set up template** window that opens after the import: it lists every account the template needs, and you create each credential there.

n8n templates never include credentials. The Hillside template needs two: **1. Google Sheets** and **2. Gmail**. For each:

1. Click **Create new Google Sheets credential** (later, **Create new Gmail credential**).
2. Click **Sign in with Google** and pick the account your business uses.
3. Tick **Select all** on Google's permission list, then click **Continue**.
4. When it says **Account connected**, close the window with the **×**.

When both have a green check, click **Continue** and n8n places the credentials into the right steps. On n8n Cloud, Sign in with Google is all you need. On self-hosted n8n you may need to set up your own Google OAuth app first.

## How do I make the template use my own sheet and email?

Open each node that still shows a warning, choose your own spreadsheet, and rewrite any message your customers will see.

1. Open the **Append row in sheet** node. Your credential is already filled in.
2. In **Document**, pick **Hillside Booking Requests**. In **Sheet**, pick **Sheet1**. The template already maps the name, email, pet name and submitted-time columns, so your sheet needs those headers in its first row.
3. Open the **Send a message** node. It already sends to the email address from the form.
4. Replace the template's message with your own:

```text
Hi {{ $json.Name }},

Thanks for reaching out to Hillside Pet Grooming! We got your request for {{ $json["Pet name"] }} and will call you within one business day to pick a time.

See you soon,
The Hillside team
```

The double curly brackets pull in the customer's name and pet's name from the form. "Pet name" has a space, so it uses square brackets and quotes; [n8n Expressions for Beginners](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-expressions-for-beginners) explains why.

## Try it free, step by step

**Find and Use n8n Templates**. Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it into your workspace, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form entry and publish it. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of n8n, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts.

[Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/n8n-templates)

[Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/find-and-use-n8n-templates)

## How do I test and publish an n8n template?

Click **Execute workflow**, submit the test form n8n opens, check for green checks on every step, then click **Publish**.

1. When every warning is gone, click **Execute workflow** at the bottom. n8n opens the booking form in a new tab.
2. Fill it in. The lesson uses Jordan Lee, jordan@example.com and a pet named Biscuit. In a real test, use your own email so you get the confirmation.
3. Click **Submit** and go back to the n8n tab. Every step has a green check: the request went into the sheet and the confirmation went out.
4. Click **Publish**. An n8n workflow only runs for every real booking after it's published.

## Should I use a template or build the workflow myself?

Search the n8n template gallery first, and build one workflow yourself at least once so you understand what templates do.

If a template is close to what you need, importing and adjusting it is usually faster than a blank canvas. Our [Daily Job Alerts](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-daily-job-alerts-google-sheets-gmail) lesson builds a small workflow from scratch with a schedule, a Google Sheet, a Filter and Gmail; the write-up is [Email Each Tech Their Jobs Every Morning with n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-daily-job-emails-google-sheets). For what to take next, see [Learn n8n from Zero](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/learn-n8n-for-beginners) or the [n8n Automation Toolkit](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/course/part-9-n8n-automation-toolkit).

For real use you need an n8n account. n8n Cloud is a paid service after a free trial, and n8n can also be self-hosted. The apps a template connects to may have their own costs.

## Key takeaways

- n8n templates in the gallery are free to use, and each template page has a Use for free button.
- Opening Templates from your own n8n workspace lets you import a template to your instance in one click.
- An imported n8n template has no credentials, so you connect each account in the Set up template window.
- Before publishing a template, open every node with a warning, pick your own spreadsheet and rewrite customer-facing messages.
- Click Execute workflow to test an n8n template, then click Publish so it runs on its own.

## Frequently asked questions

**Are n8n templates free?**

The templates in the n8n gallery are free to use, and the button on each template page says Use for free. You still need an n8n account to run them.

**How do I import an n8n template?**

Open Templates from your n8n workspace, pick a template and click Use for free, then import it to your instance. You can also copy the template JSON and paste it onto a canvas, or use Import from File or Import from URL in the workflow menu.

**Why does my imported n8n template show warnings?**

Templates arrive without credentials and often without the files or settings they need. Connect your accounts on the Set up template window, then open each node with a warning and fill in your own choices.

**Can I use n8n templates on self-hosted n8n?**

Yes. Open Templates from your self-hosted instance and the gallery lists it as an import destination, or copy the template JSON and paste it onto your canvas.

**Does the practice lesson import anything into my account?**

No. The Find and Use n8n Templates lesson uses a practice copy of n8n and the gallery. Nothing is imported, no email is sent, and the template and its creator are made up.

## Free lessons in this post

- [Find and Use n8n Templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/find-and-use-n8n-templates): Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it into your workspace, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form…
- [Daily Job Alerts: Email Each Tech Their Jobs from Google Sheets with n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-daily-job-alerts-google-sheets-gmail): Every morning at 7, n8n reads a plumbing company's jobs sheet, skips anything not assigned yet, and emails each job to the tech it's assigned to — customer, address…

## Related terms

Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson.

[n8n template](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/n8n-template) · [JSON](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/json) · [n8n Cloud](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/n8n-cloud) · [Automation](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/automation) · [Autoresponder](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/autoresponder) · [Dispatching](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/dispatching) · [Filter node](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/filter-node) · [Get rows (reading a sheet)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/get-rows)

[The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary)

## Related prompts

- [Appointment reminder text prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/appointment-reminder-text-prompt): Write day-before reminder texts for each job on tomorrow's schedule: the time window, who's coming, one prep step and an easy…
- [Automation candidates prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/automation-candidates-prompt): Rank your repetitive tasks by which to automate first, using only your own counts and minutes, with a first workflow sketched…
- [Automation time savings estimate prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/automation-time-savings-estimate-prompt): Estimate what one automation saves from your own numbers only: minutes before and after, setup and upkeep, costs you look up…
- [Customer intake form questions prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/customer-intake-form-questions-prompt): Design the questions for a booking or intake form: only what you need to do the job, each with a field type, help text and a…

[All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts)

## Visual guides

The same ideas as quick visual guides: swipe through the slides, or read each one as text.

- [5 Steps to Find, Import and Run an n8n Template](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/5-steps-use-an-n8n-template): A visual guide: find an n8n template, import it, connect your own Google Sheets and Gmail accounts, make it yours and run a test.
- [Mistake to Avoid: Scheduling Before Setting the Timezone](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/mistake-scheduling-before-the-timezone): A visual tip for n8n schedules: set the workflow timezone before the schedule, so 7am means 7am where your business is.
- [Mistake to Avoid: Sending Every Job Email to One Address](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/mistake-one-address-for-every-job): A visual tip for n8n and Gmail: make the To field an expression for the Tech Email column, written in square brackets because of the space.

[All visual guides](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual)

## Keep reading

- [n8n Triggers Explained: Which One Starts Your Workflow?](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-triggers-explained): n8n triggers explained: schedule, Gmail, chat, webhook and form triggers, how to test each one, and how the trigger changes your AI Agent's prompt.
- [What Is n8n? A Plain-English Guide for Business Owners](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/what-is-n8n): What is n8n? A plain-English guide to workflows, nodes, triggers and credentials, with three real small-business examples and what n8n costs.
- [Email Each Tech Their Jobs Every Morning with n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-daily-job-emails-google-sheets): n8n Google Sheets to Gmail, step by step: at 7am, read today's jobs, skip unassigned ones and email each job to its tech. Plus the timezone trap.

[All blog posts](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog) · [All free tutorials](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content)