# n8n + Felo Research Brief: 8 Mistakes and How to Fix Them

> Fix the n8n Felo workflow: Invalid API Key, a key in the URL, a broken JSON body, pinned sample answers left on, the wrong To address and more.

Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-felo-research-brief-mistakes · Updated 2026-10-20 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com)

Quick answer

The most common mistake in the n8n Felo workflow is putting the Felo key in the wrong place. It belongs in a [Bearer Auth](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#bearer-token) credential and nowhere else: not the URL, not the [JSON](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) body, not a [Code node](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#code-node). The next most common is reading **Authorization failed** as a broken workflow, when it usually means everything is right except the key. The free [n8n Felo research brief lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/n8n-felo-research-brief) shows both on real n8n screens from 20 October 2026.

Last updated October 20, 2026

[Take the free module →](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/n8n-jump-start/20)Module 20 of the free [n8n Jump Start](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/n8n-jump-start) course, about 9 minutes. No account needed.

By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 20, 2026 · Updated October 20, 2026 · 5 min read

Felo · n8n · Troubleshooting · Automation

The lesson's example is Priya Nair, who owns Lakeshore Bookkeeping (both made up). Her workflow asks Felo three questions every Monday and emails her one brief. In the lesson, the Felo call ran with a placeholder key, and the email step ran on pinned sample answers marked **SAMPLE**. That is why some of these fixes are about test data.

## What are the most common mistakes?

| # | Mistake | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Key pasted into the URL, body or code | Keep it in a Bearer Auth credential, in **Bearer Token** |
| 2 | Reading **Invalid API Key** as a broken setup | It means n8n reached Felo; add the real key |
| 3 | Typing the question into the body in quotes | Use `JSON.stringify($json.question)` |
| 4 | Wrong method or URL | **POST** to `https://openapi.felo.ai/v2/chat` |
| 5 | All questions in one item | One item per question, as **This week's questions** returns |
| 6 | Sample answers still pinned | Unpin **Ask Felo** once your key is in |
| 7 | Leaving **To** as the template address | Put your own address in **Email the brief** |
| 8 | Publishing before a test email | **Execute**, read the email, then **Publish** |

## Where should the Felo key go?

**1. Key pasted into the URL, body or code.** Anyone who sees the workflow, an export or a screenshot then has your key. In **Ask Felo**, set **Authentication** to **Generic Credential Type** and **Generic Auth Type** to **Bearer Auth**. Create a credential, paste the key into **Bearer Token** and save. The lesson's credential is named **Felo - add your key**, which makes it obvious when it is still empty. The [bearer token](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#bearer-token) entry explains how the header works.

## Why does the HTTP Request node say Authorization failed?

**2. Reading Invalid API Key as a broken setup.** With a placeholder in the credential, Felo answered **Authorization failed** and **Invalid API Key**. The lesson's learning card puts it simply: n8n reached Felo and Felo read the header, so the URL, the method and the Bearer Auth setup are right. Only the key is missing. Paste your key into the credential and run the node again. Don't rebuild the node.

## Why does the JSON body break?

**3. Typing the question in quotes.** A body like `{ "query": "{{ $json.question }}" }` works until a question contains a quote mark, and then the [JSON](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) is invalid. The lesson's body is `{ "query": {{ JSON.stringify($json.question) }} }`. **JSON.stringify** adds the quotes for you and escapes any inside the question.

**4. Wrong method or URL.** **Method** is **POST** and **URL** is `https://openapi.felo.ai/v2/chat`. **Send Body** must be on, as **JSON**. Check these three before anything else when a call fails with something other than the key error. The [HTTP method](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/http-method) entry covers GET versus POST.

## Why does Felo only answer one question?

**5. All questions in one item.** **This week's questions** is a small [Code node](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#code-node) that returns one [item](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#item) per question. n8n runs **Ask Felo** once per item, so each question gets its own answer and sources. If you edit the code into one long string, you get one call and one blended answer. Keep one line per question in the list.

## Why does the email show the same answers every week?

**6. Sample answers still pinned.** In the lesson, the canvas after the test run shows sample answers pinned on **Ask Felo**, so **Build the brief** could be tested without a real key. While that [pinned data](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/pinned-data) is there, a test run uses the made-up SAMPLE answers instead of calling Felo. Once your key is in the credential, unpin the node and execute again.

## What goes wrong with the email?

**7. Leaving To as the template address.** The downloaded workflow sends to a placeholder address. Open **Email the brief**, put your own address in **To** and connect your Google account. Check **Email Type** is **HTML**, with **Subject** `{{ $json.subject }}` and **Message** `{{ $json.html }}`, because **Build the brief** writes the email as HTML.

**8. Publishing before a test email.** Click **Execute** once with your key in place and read the brief. Keep the workflow off until a test email looks right, then click **Publish** so it runs every Monday at 7:00. The [publish workflow](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/publish-workflow) entry explains what changes when a workflow is live.

One more habit, not a setup mistake: open the source links before you act on an answer. AI search can be wrong or out of date, which is why the brief keeps the first 3 sources for each question. And because each question is a separate Felo API call, check Felo's own API docs for usage terms before you add many questions or run it daily.

## Try it free, step by step

**n8n + Felo: A Monday Research Brief With a Source for Every Answer**. Stop spending Monday morning searching. Every week n8n sends your questions to Felo's AI search API, gets back answers with their sources, and emails you one brief before work starts. Felo's free… 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-felo-research-brief)

[Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-felo-api-weekly-research-brief)

## Key takeaways

- The Felo key lives only in a Bearer Auth credential.
- **Invalid API Key** means the request reached Felo. Fix the key, not the node.
- Build the body with `JSON.stringify` so quote marks can't break it.
- Unpin the SAMPLE answers once your real key is in.
- Change **To**, run **Execute**, read the email, then **Publish**.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is Authorization failed the same as a wrong URL?**

No. The lesson's learning card says **Authorization failed** means n8n reached Felo and Felo read the header, so the URL, the method and the Bearer Auth setup are right. Only the key is wrong or missing.

**Do I need to rebuild the workflow after adding my key?**

No. Paste the key into the existing credential, save it and execute the workflow again.

**Why is the brief showing "No answer this week."?**

**Build the brief** writes that line when an item has no **data.answer**, and **No sources returned** when there are no **data.resources**. Check the **Ask Felo** output for that question first.

**Where are the other Felo answers?**

The [n8n Felo research brief FAQ](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-felo-research-brief-faq) covers the node settings and the response, and the [Felo AI search FAQ](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/felo-ai-search-faq) covers the Felo app. The [cheat sheets](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets) page has a one-page version of this workflow.

## Free lessons in this post

- [n8n + Felo: A Monday Research Brief With a Source for Every Answer](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-felo-api-weekly-research-brief): Stop spending Monday morning searching. Every week n8n sends your questions to Felo's AI search API, gets back answers with their sources, and emails you one brief…

## Watch it in a free lesson: Build an n8n AI Agent That Writes Deal Follow-Ups

### AI Deal Follow-Up Agent: video walkthrough

Full walkthrough · 7:57 · with captions

Build an AI agent for Northwind Scheduling Software that writes follow-up messages for your open deals and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent, system prompt, model, memory, and the Sheets tool. The whole lesson narrated step by step, recorded in Stepthrough’s simulated practice environment.

[Watch it with chapters and the full transcript](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-sales-deal-follow-ups#watch)

From the free lesson [Build an n8n AI Agent That Writes Deal Follow-Ups](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/n8n-ai-agent-sales-deal-follow-ups)

## Related terms

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

[Bearer token](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#bearer-token) · [JSON](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) · [Code node](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#code-node)

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

## Keep reading

- [n8n + Felo API FAQ: A Weekly Research Brief With Sources](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-felo-research-brief-faq): How the n8n Felo workflow works: the HTTP Request node, Bearer Auth key, JSON body, Invalid API Key test, pinned sample answers and the Gmail brief.

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