Find and Use n8n Templates

Updated November 2, 2026. Built against the tool’s current screens and checked step by step. How we check this lesson

The n8n template gallery holds thousands of free, ready-made workflows, and most people never use it well. They copy a template, see a canvas full of red warnings and give up. In this free n8n templates tutorial you find the right template, import it straight into your own workspace, connect the accounts it needs on the Set up template screen, point it at your own spreadsheet, run a real test and publish it.

Start here first: n8n: What Is n8n? Build Your First Workflow (module 1 of n8n Automation Toolkit)

In the course: Part 9 · n8n Automation Toolkit (Module 69 of the full course)

Part of: Business Automations with n8n (step 1 of 22). Next up: AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8n

Part of: n8n Jump Start (step 2 of 23). Next up: n8n: Execute Step, Execute Workflow and Publish

Part of: n8n for Beginners: Your First Automations (step 9 of 12). Next up: n8n: Talk to Your Google Sheets with ChatGPT, from Zero (Free Credits or API Key, Google, Sheet, Chat)

Watch the 30-second version

3 short videos from this lesson. Watch, then do it yourself in the free practice copy.

▶0:27

Don't build it from scratch

Short with Robert · 0:27

Don't build it from scratch. A grooming business needed a booking form that saves every request to a spreadsheet and emails the customer back. They started from a free n8n template instead: import it, connect Google…

Transcript

Don't build it from scratch. A grooming business needed a booking form that saves every request to a spreadsheet and emails the customer back. They started from a free n8n template instead: import it, connect Google, test it, publish.

▶0:34

A template does half the work for you

Short · 0:34

Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form entry and publish it. Build it yourself, free, one click at a time…

Transcript

Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form entry and publish it. Build it yourself, free, one click at a time: learn.ynteractive.com

▶0:33

Thousands of free workflows, ready to use

Short · 0:33

Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form entry and publish it. Build it yourself, free, one click at a time…

Transcript

Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form entry and publish it. Build it yourself, free, one click at a time: learn.ynteractive.com

Watch the full 3:32 video walkthrough

The sheet it writes to

The template logs each booking request in a Google Sheet. This is the made-up Hillside Booking Requests sheet before the test: the four headers the template maps, in row 1, and no rows. After the test booking, row 2 holds the name, email, pet name and the time it came in. Your sheet needs the same headers, spelled the same way.

Download the sheet template (CSV) To use it, open Google Sheets and choose File, Import, Upload. It has the four headers and no rows.

What you will build

You will set up a booking workflow for Hillside Pet Grooming, a small grooming shop. Customers fill in a short form with their name, email and pet's name. Each request is added as a new row in a Google Sheet, and the customer gets a friendly confirmation email from Gmail right away.

You do not build any of it from scratch. The whole workflow comes from a template: a form trigger, a Google Sheets step and a Gmail step, plus a sticky note from the creator explaining the setup. Your job is the part every template leaves to you: connecting your own accounts, choosing your own spreadsheet and making the email sound like your business.

Who this n8n templates tutorial is for

This module is for small business owners, office managers and anyone new to n8n who wants a working automation today instead of after a weekend of tutorials. You do not need to know how to code, and you do not need an n8n account to practice.

It is also the starting point of the n8n Automation Toolkit section. Knowing how to start from a template makes every later module in the section faster.

What you need before you do it for real

• An n8n account. n8n Cloud has a free trial; sign up at n8n.io.
• A Google account, because the template connects to Google Sheets and Gmail through a Sign in with Google button.
• A Google Sheet for the bookings, with four column headings in row 1: Name, Email, Pet name and Submitted. Create it first, so it shows up in the Document list.
• An email address of your own to use in the test form, so the confirmation lands in your inbox.

Three ways to import an n8n template

The quickest way is the one in this lesson: open Templates from inside your workspace first, and the Use template window on the website lists your instance, so one click imports the workflow and opens the Set up template window. This works for n8n Cloud and for self-hosted n8n.

The second way is Copy template to clipboard (JSON). Copy it, open an empty workflow in n8n and paste with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. The nodes appear on the canvas and you connect each account by opening the nodes that show warnings.

The third way is for workflow files you get from someone else. In the editor, open the three-dot workflow menu and choose Import from File for a .json file on your computer, or Import from URL for a link to the JSON.

Why templates still need you

A template is someone else's workflow, so it cannot know your accounts or your data. Credentials are never shared with a template, which is why n8n asks you to connect Google Sheets and Gmail yourself. On n8n Cloud that is a Sign in with Google button. On self-hosted n8n you may need to set up your own Google OAuth app first.

The same goes for anything specific to the creator: their spreadsheet, their email wording, their labels. Before you publish, open each step that shows a warning, swap in your own choices and run one test. It is much cheaper to catch a mistake in a test than after your customers start filling in the form.

How the interactive lesson works

Every step is shown first on the left, in the Watch panel, with a short voice-over. Then you do it yourself on the right, in Your turn, on a practice copy of n8n and the template gallery. Each click is checked, so you know right away if you picked the right button. If you get stuck, press Do it for me and the step is done for you. Nothing touches a real account, no email is sent and nothing is published, so you can make mistakes freely, then go build it for real.

Step by step: Find and Use n8n Templates

All 41 steps of the interactive module, in order. In the module you watch each one, then do it yourself in a practice copy that checks your work.

1. Open the gallery

1. Open Templates. You're in your n8n workspace. In the left sidebar, click Templates.

   Here's the n8n workspace for Hillside Pet Grooming, and it's still empty. Before you build anything from scratch, check whether someone already has. In the sidebar, click Templates.

2. Find a template

2. Pick a category. This is the template gallery on n8n.io. Click the Sales category.

   That opens the n8n template gallery in a new tab. Thousands of free workflows, sorted into categories like AI, Sales, IT Ops and Marketing. Booking requests are really sales leads, so click Sales.

3. Narrow it down. Type form in the search box and press Enter.

   Now narrow it down. Hillside takes bookings through a form, so type form in the search box and press Enter.

4. Open the template. Click Log booking requests to Google Sheets and send a Gmail confirmation.

   This one fits: it logs every booking request to a Google Sheet and sends a confirmation from Gmail.

3. Import it

5. Use for free. The page shows the workflow, who made it and what it needs. Click Use for free.

   The template page shows a preview of the workflow, who made it, and a description of what it does and what you need.

6. Import into your workspace. Click Import template to hillside-grooming.app.n8n.cloud.

   Because you came here from your own workspace, n8n lists it right here. The Copy template to clipboard option works anywhere too: you'd paste it straight onto an empty canvas.

4. Set up credentials

7. The sheet it writes to. The template logs every booking in a Google Sheet, so look at that sheet before you connect anything. Hillside already made one. Switch to the Hillside Booking Requests tab.

   Before you connect anything, look at where the bookings will go. The template logs every request in a Google Sheet, and Hillside already made one. Switch to the Hillside Booking Requests tab.

8. Four column headers. Row 1 has the four headers the template fills in: Name, Email, Pet name and Submitted. No bookings yet. Your sheet needs the same headers, spelled the same way. Click the header row.

   Row one has the four headers the template fills in. Name, email, pet name, and submitted. No bookings yet. Your own sheet needs the same headers, spelled the same way.

9. Back to n8n. Switch back to the n8n tab to connect the accounts.

   Now switch back to the n eight n tab, to connect the accounts.

10. Connect Google Sheets. n8n opened the workflow with a Set up template window listing every account it needs. Under 1. Google Sheets, click Create new Google Sheets credential.

    Back in n8n, the workflow is already on your canvas, and a Set up template window lists every account it needs. Two here: Google Sheets and Gmail.

11. Sign in with Google. n8n Cloud handles the Google setup for you. Click Sign in with Google.

    On n8n Cloud you don't need any Google developer setup.

12. Choose your account. Pick the Google account the business uses.

    Pick the Google account your business uses. Here that's the Hillside Grooming account.

13. Allow access. Google lists what n8n will be allowed to do in Google Sheets. Tick Select all.

    Google shows exactly what n8n will be allowed to do. Tick Select all, so the workflow can add rows to your sheet.

14. Continue. Click Continue to hand the connection back to n8n.
15. Close the credential. It says Account connected, and n8n saved the credential. Close the window with the ×.

    Account connected. n8n saves the credential for you, so you can use it in any workflow from now on. Close this window.

16. Connect Gmail. Google Sheets has a green check. Under 2. Gmail, click Create new Gmail credential.

    Google Sheets is done. Now Gmail.

17. Sign in with Google. n8n Cloud handles the Google setup for you. Click Sign in with Google.

    Same as before.

18. Choose your account. Pick the Google account the business uses.

    Pick the Hillside Grooming account again.

19. Allow access. Google lists what n8n will be allowed to do in Gmail. Tick Select all.

    This time the permissions are for Gmail, so the workflow can send the confirmation email. Tick Select all.

20. Continue. Click Continue to hand the connection back to n8n.

    And Continue.

21. Close the credential. It says Account connected, and n8n saved the credential. Close the window with the ×.

    Connected. Close the window.

22. Finish the set-up. Both accounts are connected. Click Continue.

    Both accounts are connected.

5. Finish the setup

23. Know the other way in. Click the ··· menu at the top, next to the workflow name.

    There's the whole workflow: a form, a Google Sheets step and a Gmail step, plus a sticky note from the creator. Quick detour: click the three dots at the top.

24. Open the Sheets step. That menu has Import from URL and Import from File for any workflow JSON. Now open the Append row in sheet node.

    This menu has Import from URL and Import from File, for when someone sends you a workflow file. Good to know. The warning means it still needs your spreadsheet.

25. Choose your spreadsheet. Your credential is already filled in. Click the Document dropdown. For real, make a Google Sheet first with the columns Name, Email, Pet name and Submitted.

    Your Google Sheets credential is already filled in. The template can't know which spreadsheet is yours, so click the Document dropdown. When you do this for real, make the Google Sheet first, with four column headings: Name, Email, Pet name, and Submitted.

26. Pick the booking sheet. Choose Hillside Booking Requests.

    Pick the Hillside Booking Requests sheet.

27. Choose the tab. Now click the Sheet dropdown.

    Then the Sheet dropdown, for the tab inside it.

28. Sheet1. Choose Sheet1.

    Sheet1. The template already maps the columns: name, email, pet name and the time it came in. Your sheet just needs those headers in its first row.

29. Back to the canvas. Close the node with the ×.

    Close the node.

30. Open the Gmail step. Open the Send a message node.

    Last bit of set-up: make the email sound like you.

31. Write your message. Replace the template's message with Hillside's own. It pulls the customer's name and pet name from the form.

    It already sends to the email address from the form. Swap in Hillside's own message. The parts in double curly braces pull in the customer's name and their pet's name.

    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

32. Back to the canvas. Close the node.

    Close it.

6. First test run

33. Run it once. Every warning is gone. Click Execute at the bottom of the canvas.

    No more warnings. Time for a test run.

34. Fill in the form. n8n opened the test form. Type a name.

    n8n opens the booking form in a new tab and waits. Pretend you're a customer.

35. Your email. Type an email address.

    An email. In the real thing, use your own, so you get the confirmation.

36. Pet's name. Type the pet's name.

    And the pet's name.

37. Submit. Click Submit.

    Submit.

38. Check the run. Go back to the n8n tab.

    Now head back to the n8n tab to see what happened.

39. Check the sheet. Green checks only mean each step ran. Check the real result: switch to the Hillside Booking Requests tab.

    Green checks mean each step ran. Now check the real result. Switch to the Hillside Booking Requests tab.

40. Row 2 is the booking. Row 2 has the test booking: Jordan Lee, jordan@example.com, Biscuit, and the time it came in. Every real booking adds a row under it. Switch back to the n8n tab.

    Row two has the test booking. The name, the email, the pet, and the time it came in. Every real booking adds a row under it. Switch back to the n eight n tab.

41. Publish it. Every step has a green check. Click Publish so it runs for every real booking.

    Every step ran and has a green check: the request went into the sheet and the confirmation went out.

All free Stepthrough videos

Screenshots

Frequently asked questions

Where is the n8n template directory?

On the n8n website at n8n.io/workflows, also called the template gallery, and under Templates inside your n8n workspace. Search by app or job, open a template and click Use for free to import it.

Should I use a template or build an n8n agent myself?

Use a template when one matches your job closely. Build it yourself when you want to understand every node: the n8n sales agent lesson, for example, builds a deal follow-up agent step by step.

Are n8n templates free?

The templates in the n8n gallery are free to use. The button on each template page says Use for free. You still need an n8n account to run them, and the apps a template connects to may have their own costs.

How do I import an n8n template?

Open Templates from your n8n workspace, pick a template on the website and click Use for free, then Import template 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 template show warnings?

Templates arrive without credentials and often without the specific 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, like which spreadsheet to use.

Is this course really free?

Yes. Stepthrough is completely free, and the practice copy needs no accounts. To build it for real you need your own n8n, Google Sheets and Gmail accounts, and some of those cost money once you use them for real work.

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.

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This lesson’s key ideas as quick visual guides: swipe through the slides, or read the same guide as text.

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Most people copy an n8n template, see a canvas full of red warnings and give up. The warnings just mean the template can't know your accounts or your data.

Myth vs fact One graphic

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A visual guide: find an n8n template, import it, connect your own Google Sheets and Gmail accounts, make it yours and run a test.

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Terms in this lesson

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

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