Audit First: Map Your Current Automation Stack

Why the Audit Comes First

Jumping straight into n8n and rebuilding workflows one by one is the most common migration mistake. Without an audit, you migrate low-value automations, miss dependencies between workflows, and recreate technical debt instead of eliminating it. The audit takes 2–4 hours and prevents weeks of confusion later.

What to Capture for Each Workflow

Export your list of active Zaps (Zapier → Manage → Zaps) or Scenarios (Make → left sidebar) and create a spreadsheet with these columns for each one:

• Name and ID — what the workflow is called and its platform ID.
• Trigger app and event — what starts it (webhook, schedule, app event).
• Action apps — what services it interacts with.
• Tasks or operations per month — pull from platform analytics. This is your cost contribution per workflow.
• Last triggered — when it last ran successfully. Workflows that have not run in 90 days are decommission candidates.
• Webhook URLs used — flag any workflow triggered by an external system posting to a Zapier/Make webhook URL. These external senders must be updated to new n8n URLs after migration.
• External services — list every third-party app credential it uses.

Classify Each Workflow

After capturing the data, classify every workflow into one of three categories:

• Migrate as-is — the logic is clean and straightforward. Direct equivalent nodes exist in n8n. Estimated rebuild time: under 1 hour.
• Redesign for n8n — the logic works but is inefficient or relies on platform-specific features (Zapier Storage, Make Data Store). Estimated rebuild time: 1–4 hours. This is an opportunity to simplify.
• Decommission — nobody knows why it exists, it rarely runs, or it is superseded by another automation. Delete these rather than migrating them.

Prioritise the Migration Order

Once classified, decide the order of migration:

1. Highest tasks/operations per month first — these deliver the most cost savings immediately and justify the migration effort fastest.
2. Simple workflows next — build confidence and familiarity with n8n before tackling complex ones.
3. Complex and critical workflows last — after you are comfortable with n8n and have tested simpler migrations.

Identify Dependencies

Some workflows feed data into others — a Zap that creates a HubSpot contact that triggers another Zap, for example. Map these chains before migrating. If you migrate the first workflow but not the second, you may inadvertently break the chain. Consider migrating dependent workflows together in the same week.

Document the Audit

Keep the audit spreadsheet live throughout the migration. Add a column for migration status (Pending, In Progress, Migrated, Decommissioned) and a link to the n8n workflow ID once it is built. This becomes your single source of truth for tracking migration progress across the team.