I built a better search engine for n8n workflows (with tutorials & verified templates)
Published: (December 26, 2025 at 02:47 AM EST)
2 min read
Source: Dev.to
Source: Dev.to
The Problem
- Search experience – Finding a specific n8n use case (e.g., “Notion to DeepSeek with error handling”) is difficult in a forum‑style community.
- The “black box” JSON – Downloading a template, importing it, and discovering that it requires complex setup or simply doesn’t work.
The Solution: n8nworkflows.world
A curated library of free, verified n8n workflow templates that include:
- Extracted “how‑to” tutorials next to each download button.
- Instant preview of the workflow logic before importing.
The goal isn’t to replace n8n’s UI but to provide frictionless search and X‑ray visibility into each workflow.
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend | Next.js 14 (App Router) | Fast SSR, SEO‑friendly so templates are discoverable on Google |
| Database | Supabase (PostgreSQL) | Stores JSON plus enriched metadata (tutorials, step‑by‑step guides) for 6,000+ workflows |
| Visualization | React Flow | Quick preview of the node graph |
| Data Pipeline | Python + Playwright | Aggregates, cleans, and verifies public templates |
Implementation Highlights
Parsing & Visualization
- Used React Flow to parse the n8n JSON structure.
- Wrote a parser that maps n8n’s coordinate system
[x, y]to React Flow’s{x, y}format and reconstructs connection logic so edges render correctly.
Enriching the Data
- Extracted
notesanddescriptionfields from the n8n JSON and displayed them as structured “How to use” guides beside the download button. - Users can see required credentials (e.g., “Needs a Notion API Key”) before downloading.
Search Performance
- Indexed
json_contentandmetadatacolumns in Supabase for granular searching. - Searches can match specific nodes, not just titles.
- Example query:
"OpenAI + Pinecone"returns workflows that contain both nodes, filtering out irrelevant results.
- Example query:
Features of the Template Search Engine
- Better Search – Filter by node type, category, or use case.
- Verified Logic – Curated templates that are practical and functional.
- Tutorials Included – Clear guides extracted from the workflow metadata.
- Free & Fast – No paywalls, one‑click copy/download.
Open Source Data
While the UI code remains private for now, the curated list of workflow data is open‑sourced:
- GitHub repository: https://github.com/yourusername/awesome-n8n-workflows
Developers can use the dataset for their own projects.
Try It Out
- Live site: https://n8nworkflows.world/
Let us know if the search finds what you need and whether the extracted tutorials are helpful.