Overview
n8n is a self-hostable, open-source workflow automation platform that connects apps, APIs, and scripts. This guide covers common IT automation patterns used at MacTechBuds.
macOS Version Update Tracker
An n8n workflow that polls Apple's SOFA feed daily, parses the latest macOS/iOS version data, and posts a formatted update to a Slack channel or Microsoft Teams webhook. Uses the HTTP Request, Code, and Slack nodes.
Workflow Steps
1. Schedule Trigger — fires daily at 8 AM.
2. HTTP Request — fetches
https://sofafeed.macadmins.io/v1/macos_data_feed.json.
3. Code node — parses versions and compares against previously stored values.
4. IF node — only continues if a new version is detected.
5. Slack node — sends a rich notification with version details.
Jamf Pro Policy Report
Fetches all enabled policies from Jamf Pro via the Classic API, formats them into a CSV, and emails the report to the IT team every Monday morning. Uses OAuth2 credentials stored in n8n.
GitHub Release Monitor
Watches a list of macOS tool repositories (e.g., Nudge, Santa, osquery) for new releases via the GitHub API. Posts a digest Slack message when any release is published.
Note: All workflow JSON files are available in the macbudS GitHub repository.