Automated Security Incident Classification and Logging with AI - n8n Workflow

Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts needing faster initial triage.
IT professionals looking to integrate AI classification into existing logging systems.
Users seeking robust n8n templates for data processing and external API calls.
Anyone needing an automated, recurring n8n workflow to sync data between a cloud spreadsheet and a large language model.

This highly effective n8n workflow streamlines the critical process of security incident triage. Manual classification is slow and prone to error. This automation solves that problem by running on a defined schedule, utilizing the analytical power of a large language model (like GPT-4) to categorize raw alert data. By using this n8n template, organizations can achieve near real-time classification of incidents logged in Google Sheets. The core value of this n8n workflow lies in its ability to automate reading input, executing a complex API call (via a specialized n8n node), and writing structured output, freeing up valuable analyst time. This powerful n8n workflow ensures data consistency and speeds up response times significantly.

This sophisticated n8n workflow begins with the Schedule Trigger n8n node, initiating the process periodically (e.g., every 5 minutes).

1. Trigger: The Schedule Trigger acts as the starting n8n trigger, setting the automation in motion based on a defined time interval.


2. Read Alerts: The 📄 Google Sheets - Read Alerts n8n node connects to a specified spreadsheet and reads new or unclassified incident rows waiting for analysis.


3. GPT Classification: The incident data is then passed to the 🧠 Classify Incident (GPT) n8n node, which is configured as an HTTP Request. This powerful n8n node sends the raw alert data to the OpenAI API (or similar endpoint) with a specific system prompt, requesting structured classification (e.g., Severity, Category, Summary, Confidence Score).


4. Format Data: The ✏️ Format Tags n8n node (a Set node) cleans and structures the complex JSON output received from GPT, ensuring the data is correctly mapped and formatted before writing back to the sheet. This preparation step is crucial for successful downstream operations in any n8n workflow.


5. Write Results: Finally, the destination Google Sheets n8n node writes the newly classified data (tags, severity, summary) back into the designated sheet columns, completing the automated cycle of this efficient n8n workflow.

To deploy and utilize this ready-made n8n workflow template, follow these steps:

1. Import the n8n Workflow: Copy the provided n8n workflow JSON and import it directly into your n8n instance via the Workflows section.


2. Google Sheets Credentials Setup: Create or select existing Google Sheets credentials. Configure both Google Sheets n8n node instances (Read Alerts and the final write node) by specifying the correct Spreadsheet ID and the specific Sheet name where your incident data is stored and updated.


3. GPT API Setup: Configure the 🧠 Classify Incident (GPT) n8n node (HTTP Request). This requires setting up the appropriate OpenAI API endpoint (e.g., api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions), defining your API Key credential, and adjusting the request body to include the dynamic incident data read in the preceding step and your precise classification prompt for the language model.


4. Activate: Once all credentials and specific parameters are set for every n8n node, activate the n8n workflow. Ensure the Schedule Trigger n8n trigger is configured to run at your desired periodic interval.

Schedule Trigger n8n node: Function: The primary n8n trigger for the workflow. It initiates the incident classification run automatically. Key Configuration: Defines the exact execution frequency (e.g., hourly, or custom interval).
📄 Google Sheets - Read Alerts (Google Sheets n8n node): Function: Retrieves the raw incident data waiting for AI classification from the spreadsheet. Key Configuration: Operation set to 'Read' (Get All or Get Binary Data), requires Spreadsheet ID and sheet name definition.
🧠 Classify Incident (GPT) (HTTP Request n8n node): Function: Sends the incident text payload to a large language model API for rapid, detailed classification. Key Configuration: Uses custom API credentials, method POST, and includes specific prompt engineering instructions within the JSON body for precise output.
✏️ Format Tags (Set n8n node): Function: Standardizes and prepares the often complex JSON output received from the GPT n8n node before it is written back to the database. Key Configuration: Uses expressions (e.g., $json.classification) to extract specific classified fields and map them to clean variables.

• Google Sheets (Google Sheets n8n node): Function: Writes the final, structured, and classified results (Severity, Tags, Summary) back into the source Google Sheet, completing the robust n8n workflow automation.