## Introduction
In data-driven organizations, keeping stakeholders updated with timely insights is critical. Data & Analytics teams often face the challenge of manually generating and sending daily email reports extracted from dashboards. Manual report distribution is time-consuming, error-prone, and doesn’t scale well as data volume or team size grows.
This article provides a step-by-step technical guide to automate the generation and delivery of daily email reports from dashboards using n8n, a powerful open-source workflow automation tool. The automation benefits Data & Analytics teams, business stakeholders, and decision-makers by ensuring consistent, timely, and accurate distribution of key metrics directly from your dashboards.
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## Tools and Services Integrated
– **n8n**: The automation platform managing the workflow.
– **Dashboard API or Export Service**: The source of the report data (e.g., Metabase, Grafana, Tableau, or Google Data Studio API).
– **SMTP Email Service** (e.g., Gmail SMTP, SendGrid, or any email provider)
– **Optional: Google Drive or S3** to store reports before emailing (if needed)
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## Problem Statement
Manually exporting reports daily wastes valuable time and is prone to delays or errors. Stakeholders lack reliable access to up-to-date reports, delaying decision-making. The goal is to fully automate this process, triggering report generation and emailing every day without manual intervention.
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## Overview of the Automation Workflow
1. **Trigger**: Scheduled trigger at a fixed time daily.
2. **Fetch Report Data**: Call the Dashboard API to export report in desired format (PDF, CSV, JSON).
3. **Process or Format Data** (optional): Transform or process data if necessary.
4. **Store Report** (optional): Save report on cloud storage.
5. **Send Email**: Compose and send the email with the report attached or linked.
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## Step-by-Step Technical Tutorial
### Step 1: Setup n8n Environment
– Deploy n8n either locally, on a server, or use n8n.cloud.
– Ensure n8n can access the internet and APIs of your dashboard and email provider.
### Step 2: Create a New Workflow in n8n
– Open n8n editor UI.
– Add a **Cron Node** for the daily trigger.
– Set the cron expression for the specific time you want reports sent (e.g., every day at 7:00 AM).
### Step 3: Fetch Dashboard Report via API
– Add an **HTTP Request Node**.
– Configure it to call your dashboard’s API endpoint to export the latest report.
– For example, in Metabase, you might use `/api/card/:id/query/pdf` endpoint.
– In Tableau, use the REST API to export views as PDFs.
– Authentication: Use API keys, Basic Auth, or OAuth as required.
– Set the response format to binary (for files like PDF) or JSON (for raw data).
### Step 4: (Optional) Store Report for Backup or Reference
– Add a **Google Drive Node** or **AWS S3 Node** if you want to store reports.
– Configure it to upload the binary file.
– Store and retrieve shareable links for the email body.
### Step 5: Compose and Send the Email
– Add an **Email Node**.
– Configure SMTP credentials or use a service like SendGrid.
– Set:
– Recipient(s): Specify stakeholder emails.
– Subject: Example “Daily Dashboard Report – {{date}}”
– Body: Include a brief message and optionally the report link if stored.
– Attachment: Attach the report file directly from the previous node.
### Step 6: Test the Workflow
– Manually trigger to verify report fetching, email formatting, and delivery.
– Check email inboxes and storage location.
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## Detailed Node Breakdown
| Node | Purpose |
|——————–|———————————————————–|
| Cron | Schedule daily trigger |
| HTTP Request | Fetch report from dashboard API |
| Google Drive (opt) | Upload report to Google Drive |
| Email | Send the email with report attached or link |
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## Common Errors and Tips
– **Authentication failures**: Ensure your API keys or credentials are correct and have sufficient permissions.
– **API rate limits**: Schedule during off-peak hours to avoid throttling.
– **Large attachments**: Some email providers limit attachment sizes; prefer shared links if files are large.
– **File format mismatches**: Confirm the dashboard API gives output compatible with your email or storage requirements.
– **n8n execution timeout**: Complex workflows might hit timeout limits; optimize for speed or divide steps.
– **Retry Mechanism**: Use error workflows in n8n to catch and retry failing steps.
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## Scaling and Adaptation
– To handle multiple dashboards or recipients, use loops or multiple branches in the workflow.
– Parameterize dashboard IDs, email recipients, and report formats using n8n’s expression editor for reusability.
– Integrate with Slack or MS Teams to post report notifications additionally.
– For very large data volumes, consider asynchronous processing or splitting reports.
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## Summary
Automating daily email reports from dashboards with n8n transforms time-consuming manual tasks into reliable, scalable workflows requiring minimal maintenance. This empowers Data & Analytics teams to consistently deliver up-to-date insights to stakeholders, accelerating decision-making.
By following the above steps — setting up a scheduled trigger, fetching dashboard reports via API, storing if needed, and emailing stakeholders — you establish a robust automation foundation.
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## Bonus Tip
Leverage n8n’s environment variables for managing credentials securely and update the workflow easily when API keys or SMTP settings change. Also, enable workflow versioning within n8n to track changes and rollback if needed, which becomes critical as automation sophistication grows.