Getting Started with n8n + Claude

What You'll Build

A simple n8n workflow that takes a topic, sends it to Claude via OpenRouter, and returns a polished LinkedIn post. This is the foundation for everything else on TurtleTools.

Prerequisites

• n8n installed (self-hosted or n8n cloud)
• An OpenRouter account (free tier works)
• 10 minutes

Step 1: Get Your OpenRouter API Key

1. Go to openrouter.ai and sign up
2. Navigate to Keys in the dashboard
3. Click Create Key — name it "n8n-turtletools"
4. Copy the key (starts with sk-or-...)

Step 2: Create the Workflow

Node 1: Manual Trigger

Start with a Manual Trigger node. This lets you test the workflow on demand.

Node 2: Set Topic

Add a Set node to define your content topic:

Field Name: topic
Value: "How AI automation saves solo marketers 10+ hours per week"

Node 3: HTTP Request to Claude

Add an HTTP Request node:

Method: POST
URL: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions

Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer YOUR_OPENROUTER_KEY
  Content-Type: application/json

Body (JSON):
{
  "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "system",
      "content": "You are a LinkedIn content writer. Write engaging, insight-driven posts. Use short paragraphs, bold hooks, and end with a question. No hashtags. Sound like a real person."
    },
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": "Write a LinkedIn post about: {{ $json.topic }}"
    }
  ],
  "max_tokens": 1000
}

Node 4: Extract the Response

Add a Set node to clean up the output:

Field Name: post
Value: {{ $json.choices[0].message.content }}

Step 3: Test It

1. Click Execute Workflow
2. Check the final Set node — you should see a polished LinkedIn post
3. Try changing the topic and running again

What You Just Built

A reusable content generation pipeline. This basic pattern — trigger → set context → call AI → extract result — is the foundation of every n8n AI workflow. Everything on TurtleTools builds on this.

Next Steps

• Add more platforms: Duplicate the HTTP Request node with different system prompts for Twitter, email, etc.
• Add scheduling: Replace Manual Trigger with a Cron node to generate content daily
• Add publishing: Connect to Buffer, Typefully, or direct API posting
• Go deeper: Check out What is MCP and Why It Matters for n8n

Common Issues

• "401 Unauthorized" — Your OpenRouter key is wrong or expired. Regenerate it.
• "Model not found" — Check the model name. OpenRouter uses anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514 format.
• Empty response — Your max_tokens might be too low, or the prompt is hitting a content filter.