n8n-error-handling

Wire n8n error handling so failures are loud, structured, and recoverable. Use when building any webhook/API workflow, a scheduled or unattended workflow, or any path where a silent failure would drop user-visible work — and whenever the user mentions error handling, onError, continueErrorOutput, error branches/outputs, retries, retryOnFail, Respond to Webhook status codes, 4xx/5xx, Error Trigger, or "my workflow fails silently". Covers per-node error outputs and wiring, retry/self-healing, error-trigger workflows, and 4xx/5xx response shapes.

Quality

92%

Does it follow best practices?

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Securityby

Passed

No findings from the security scan

Quality

Content

85%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

Highly actionable, well-sequenced content with strong verification loops and concrete n8n-specific traps. The main weakness is progressive disclosure: the body delegates substantial detail to four reference files that are not present in the bundle, leaving the navigation dangling.

Suggestions

Ship the four referenced files (NODE_ERROR_OUTPUTS.md, API_WORKFLOWS.md, RESPONSE_SHAPES.md, ERROR_WORKFLOWS.md) in the bundle, or inline the essential parts of each so the skill is self-contained.

If keeping the references, add them under a references/ directory and link with relative paths so the file listing matches the body citations.

Tighten the philosophical prose in the intro and "When you actually need this" section to lift conciseness toward lean instruction.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	Dense and n8n-specific with little generic padding, but contains purposeful-yet-optional prose explaining reasoning ("The dividing line: if anyone other than you sees the output...") that could be trimmed. Not a 5 because several paragraphs explain philosophy rather than instruct.	4 / 5
Actionability	Copy-paste-ready code blocks with exact field names and values (onError, sourceIndex: 1, retryOnFail/maxTries/waitBetweenTries), named MCP tools (n8n_update_partial_workflow, n8n_get_workflow), and a working expression-driven Response Code IIFE covering common cases.	5 / 5
Workflow Clarity	Multi-step processes are explicitly sequenced with verification checkpoints ("Then verify... Pull the workflow with n8n_get_workflow and confirm both halves") and two end-of-skill checklists that act as validation feedback loops for API and unattended workflows.	5 / 5
Progressive Disclosure	Structure and signaling are good — a "Reference files" table with "Read when" guidance points one level deep to NODE_ERROR_OUTPUTS.md, API_WORKFLOWS.md, RESPONSE_SHAPES.md, ERROR_WORKFLOWS.md — but none of those bundle files exist, so the referenced detail is unreachable. Capped at 3 because the disclosure chain is broken despite clear signaling.	3 / 5
	Total	17 / 20 Passed

Description

100%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

A strong, specific description that clearly states capability, gives comprehensive trigger terms including the natural user phrase, and explicitly covers both what and when. Voice is imperative third-person throughout, matching the exemplar style.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Lists multiple concrete capabilities — "per-node error outputs and wiring, retry/self-healing, error-trigger workflows, and 4xx/5xx response shapes" — giving comprehensive coverage rather than generic claims.	5 / 5
Completeness	Explicitly answers both what ("Wire n8n error handling so failures are loud, structured, and recoverable") and when (a detailed "Use when..." clause with concrete trigger scenarios).	5 / 5
Trigger Term Quality	Comprehensive natural and technical triggers including "error handling", "onError", "continueErrorOutput", "retryOnFail", "Error Trigger", "4xx/5xx", and the exact user phrase "my workflow fails silently".	5 / 5
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	N8n-specific niche with distinctive triggers (continueErrorOutput, Error Trigger, Respond to Webhook) that are unlikely to fire for unrelated skills.	5 / 5
	Total	20 / 20 Passed

Validation

100%

Warnings & errors only

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation — 16 / 16 Passed

Validation for skill structure

No warnings or errors.

Repository: czlonkowski/n8n-mcp
Path: data/skills/n8n-error-handling/SKILL.md
Commit: fe3a4cb

Reviewed: 4 days ago

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