Fetch Random User Data and Save to Google Sheets & CSV

Overview

This workflow automatically fetches random user profile data from the Random User Generator API, transforms the JSON response into a structured format, and then saves it in two ways: as a new row in a Google Sheet and as a downloadable CSV file. It's a practical demonstration of how to extract data from a public API, process it with n8n's built-in transformation nodes, and output to both cloud storage (Google Sheets) and a local file format (CSV).

This is particularly useful for developers, testers, or data analysts who need to generate sample user data for testing applications, populating databases, or creating demo datasets. The workflow can be triggered manually or extended with a scheduler for periodic data collection.

Workflow Steps

1. HTTP Request (No auth) — Fetches a random user profile from the public API at https://randomuser.me/api/. No authentication is required as this is a free, open API. The response contains a JSON object with user details like name, location, email, etc.

2. Set (No auth) — Transforms the raw API response by extracting specific fields using n8n expressions. It creates two new properties:

   • name: Combines the first and last name from the API response (e.g., "John Doe")
   • country: Extracts the country from the location object The node is configured to keep only these set values, discarding the original JSON structure.

3. Google Sheets (OAuth2) — Appends the transformed data as a new row in a Google Sheet with ID qwertz (you must replace this with your actual Sheet ID). The data is written to columns A through C. The node uses OAuth2 authentication, so you'll need to connect your Google account to n8n.

4. Spreadsheet File (No auth) — Converts the same transformed data into a CSV file named users_spreadsheet.csv. This node doesn't require authentication as it creates a file in memory that can be downloaded or further processed.

Setup Instructions

To use this workflow, you'll need:

1. Google Account — For the Google Sheets node, you must have a Google account and create a Google Sheet. Copy the Sheet ID from the URL (the long string between /d/ and /edit).

   • In n8n, create a Google Sheets credential using OAuth2. Follow the n8n Google Sheets setup guide to obtain your client ID and client secret.

2. No other accounts required — The Random User API is free and public, and the CSV generation is handled locally within n8n.

3. Replace the Sheet ID — In the Google Sheets node, change the sheetId parameter from "qwertz" to your actual Google Sheet ID.

4. Optional: Add a Trigger — The current workflow has no trigger node, so it must be executed manually. To automate it, add a Schedule Trigger node (e.g., daily at 9 AM) or a Webhook node before the HTTP Request node.

Use Cases and Variations

• Lead Generation: Replace the Random User API with a CRM or marketing API (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) to capture new leads into a spreadsheet.
• Data Backup: Use this pattern to periodically fetch data from any API and archive it to Google Sheets or CSV for backup purposes.
• Testing & QA: Generate realistic test data for application testing without exposing real user information.
• Multi-format Export: The workflow demonstrates how to output the same data to multiple destinations simultaneously — you could add more nodes to send to Slack, email, or a database.
• Custom Transformations: Modify the Set node to extract different fields (email, phone, profile picture URL) or add formulas to clean or enrich the data before saving.

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "HTTP Request",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "position": [
        560,
        840
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "url": "https://randomuser.me/api/",
        "options": {}
      },
      "typeVersion": 2
    },
    {
      "name": "Google Sheets",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
      "position": [
        960,
        700
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "range": "A:C",
        "options": {
          "usePathForKeyRow": true
        },
        "sheetId": "qwertz",
        "operation": "append",
        "authentication": "oAuth2"
      },
      "credentials": {
        "googleSheetsOAuth2Api": {
          "id": "2",
          "name": "google_sheets_oauth"
        }
      },
      "typeVersion": 1
    },
    {
      "name": "Set",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "position": [
        760,
        840
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "values": {
          "string": [
            {
// ... truncated (copy to see full JSON)