Importing Workflows from n8n and Activepieces

This guide explains how to import existing workflows from n8n and Activepieces into Habits. You can import workflows using either the GUI (Base) or the CLI.

Overview

Habits provides built-in converters that automatically detect and transform workflows from popular automation platforms.

Note: n8n workflow importing is currently experimental. While basic workflows convert successfully, complex workflows with advanced n8n-specific features may require manual adjustments after import. Activepieces importing is fully supported.

The converter handles:

Node/action mapping to Habits format
Connection/edge preservation
Credential extraction (as environment variable references)
Position data for visual layout

Exporting Workflows from Source Platforms

Exporting from n8n

Open your workflow in n8n
Click the ⋮ (three dots) menu or right-click the canvas
Select Download
Save the JSON file to your local machine

The exported file will have a structure like:

json

{
  "name": "My Workflow",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "HTTP Request",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "position": [250, 300],
      "parameters": { ... }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "HTTP Request": {
      "main": [[{ "node": "Next Node", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]]
    }
  }
}

Exporting from Activepieces

Open your flow in Activepieces
Click the ⋮ menu in the top toolbar
Select Export Flow
Save the JSON file to your local machine

The exported file will have a structure like:

json

{
  "displayName": "My Flow",
  "trigger": {
    "name": "trigger",
    "type": "PIECE_TRIGGER",
    "settings": {
      "pieceName": "@activepieces/piece-forms",
      "triggerName": "form_submission"
    },
    "nextAction": { ... }
  }
}

Importing via GUI (Base)

The Base visual builder provides an intuitive way to import and convert workflows.

Prerequisites

Start the Base server:

bash

# Development mode
pnpm nx dev @ha-bits/base

# Or using npx
npx habits edit

Access Base at: http://localhost:3001

Import Steps

Open Base UI - Navigate to http://localhost:3001 in your browser
Click "Import & Convert" - In the toolbar, click the button with the refresh icon labeled Import & Convert
The Import & Convert button in the Base toolbar
Select your workflow file - Choose the exported JSON file from n8n or Activepieces
Automatic Detection - Habits automatically detects the workflow format:
- n8n workflows are identified by their nodes and connections structure
- Activepieces workflows are identified by their trigger and displayName fields
Review the converted workflow - The workflow appears on the canvas with:
- Connections between nodes preserved
- Parameters mapped to Habits format
Handle credentials - If the workflow contains credential references, you'll see a notification about extracted connections. Click Publish to view and export the .env file template.

Loading Native Habits Workflows

For workflows already in Habits format, use the Load button instead:

Click Convert in the toolbar
Select your .json file
The workflow loads directly without conversion

Importing via CLI

The CLI provides a powerful way to batch convert workflows and integrate with automation pipelines.

Basic Conversion

bash

# Convert an n8n workflow
habits convert --input ./n8n-workflow.json --output ./habits-workflow.json

# Convert an Activepieces workflow
habits convert --input ./activepieces-flow.json --output ./habits-workflow.json

With Environment File Generation

Generate a .env template file containing all credential references:

bash

habits convert --input ./workflow.json --output ./habits.json --env

This creates two files:

habits.json - The converted workflow
habits.env - Environment variable template for credentials

Example .env output:

env

# Environment variables for My Workflow
# Generated from workflow conversion

# Credentials
SLACK_API_TOKEN=your_slack_api_token_here
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key_here

CLI Options

Option	Alias	Description	Required
`--input`	`-i`	Path to input workflow JSON file	Yes
`--output`	`-o`	Path to output file (prints to stdout if omitted)	No
`--env`	`-e`	Generate .env file for credentials	No
`--pretty`		Pretty print JSON output (default: true)	No

Examples

Convert and print to stdout:

bash

habits convert --input ./n8n-export.json

Convert with custom output path:

bash

habits convert -i ./activepieces-flow.json -o ./converted/my-habit.json

Full conversion with environment template:

bash

habits convert \
  --input ./exports/production-workflow.json \
  --output ./habits/production.json \
  --env

Pipe output to another command:

bash

habits convert --input ./workflow.json --no-pretty | jq '.nodes | length'

Understanding the Conversion

What Gets Converted

Component	n8n	Activepieces	Notes
Nodes/Actions			Mapped to Habits node format
Triggers			Converted to trigger nodes
Connections			Preserved as edges
Parameters			Mapped to params object
Credentials			Extracted as env var references

= Experimental support (n8n)

Node Mapping

n8n nodes are mapped using:

type → module (e.g., n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest → n8n-nodes-base)
parameters → params
position → position

Activepieces actions are mapped using:

settings.pieceName → module
settings.actionName → operation
settings.input → params

Credential Handling

Credentials are never stored in plain text in workflows. Instead, they're converted to environment variable references:

json

{
  "params": {
    "apiKey": "{{habits.env.OPENAI_API_KEY}}"
  }
}

Use the --env flag to generate a template file for these variables.

Post-Import Steps

After importing a workflow:

1. Review and Adjust Nodes

Check that all nodes were converted correctly
Verify parameter mappings
Adjust positions if needed for better readability

2. Configure Credentials

Copy the generated .env file to your project root
Fill in the actual credential values
Ensure the .env file is in your .gitignore

3. Test the Workflow

bash

# Start the server
habits server --config ./config.json

# Or execute directly
habits execute ./habits-workflow.json

4. Save and Export

From the GUI:

Click Save to download the Habits workflow
Click Publish to see deployment options

Troubleshooting

"Unknown workflow format" Error

Cause: The converter couldn't detect the workflow type.

Solutions:

Ensure the file is valid JSON
Verify it's an export from n8n or Activepieces (not a screenshot or partial export)
Check the file structure matches expected formats

Missing Nodes After Import

Cause: Some custom or community nodes may not have direct mappings.

Solutions:

Check the console for conversion warnings
Manually configure unmapped nodes in Base
Consider using the HTTP Request node as a fallback for API integrations

Credential Reference Errors

Cause: Environment variables not set or misconfigured.

Solutions:

Ensure .env file exists in your project root
Verify variable names match exactly (case-sensitive)
Restart the server after updating .env

Sample Workflows

The exports/ directory contains example workflows for testing:

File	Source	Description
n8n-webhook-to-text-workflow.json	Habits	Webhook to text processing
Activepieces-HTTP-to-Text-Processing-Workflow-workflow.json	Activepieces	HTTP to text processing
HTTP-to-Text-Processing-Workflow-workflow.json	n8n	HTTP request workflow

Try importing these to see the converter in action:

bash

# CLI example
habits convert --input ./exports/Activepieces-HTTP-to-Text-Processing-Workflow-workflow.json --output ./test-import.json --env

Next Steps

Creating and Editing Habits - Learn to build workflows visually
Running Automations - Execute and monitor your workflows
Habit Schema - Understand the workflow data structure

Importing Workflows from n8n and Activepieces ​

Overview ​

Exporting Workflows from Source Platforms ​

Exporting from n8n ​

Exporting from Activepieces ​

Importing via GUI (Base) ​

Prerequisites ​

Import Steps ​

Loading Native Habits Workflows ​

Importing via CLI ​

Basic Conversion ​

With Environment File Generation ​

CLI Options ​

Examples ​

Understanding the Conversion ​

What Gets Converted ​

Node Mapping ​

Credential Handling ​

Post-Import Steps ​

1. Review and Adjust Nodes ​

2. Configure Credentials ​

3. Test the Workflow ​

4. Save and Export ​

Troubleshooting ​

"Unknown workflow format" Error ​

Missing Nodes After Import ​

Credential Reference Errors ​

Sample Workflows ​

Next Steps ​

Importing Workflows from n8n and Activepieces

Overview

Exporting Workflows from Source Platforms

Exporting from n8n

Exporting from Activepieces

Importing via GUI (Base)

Prerequisites

Import Steps

Loading Native Habits Workflows

Importing via CLI

Basic Conversion

With Environment File Generation

CLI Options

Examples

Understanding the Conversion

What Gets Converted

Node Mapping

Credential Handling

Post-Import Steps

1. Review and Adjust Nodes

2. Configure Credentials

3. Test the Workflow

4. Save and Export

Troubleshooting

"Unknown workflow format" Error

Missing Nodes After Import

Credential Reference Errors

Sample Workflows

Next Steps