Setup guide · about 10 min

Form to Sheet + Alert: setup guide

Both the n8n form and the website webhook pass through Clean up, which trims and lower-cases the email, adds a readable timestamp and marks the source. The sheet is written in RAW mode, so phone numbers and text starting with = are saved as plain text, never as formulas.

How it works

Two entry points feed one clean record, then Google Sheets and the email alert run side by side.

STEP 01

Import the workflow

In n8n open Overview → Create Workflow, then the ⋯ menu (top right) → Import from File and pick the .json file. Sticky notes on the canvas repeat the key steps.

STEP 02

Create the Google Sheet

Make a new sheet and type these headers in row 1, exactly as shown:

Submitted At Name Email Phone Message Source

STEP 03

Connect Google Sheets

Open Save to Google Sheet → Credential → Create new → Sign in with Google. Set Document to your sheet and Sheet to the tab name, usually Sheet1.

Self-hosted n8n? Google sign-in needs your own OAuth app: in Google Cloud Console create a project, enable the API (Gmail and/or Sheets + Drive), set up the consent screen with yourself as a test user, and create a Web application OAuth client with redirect URI https://YOUR-N8N-URL/rest/oauth2-credential/callback. Paste the Client ID and Secret into the n8n credential.

Credential, document, sheet and the six mapped columns.

STEP 04

Connect your email (SMTP)

Open Email Alert and add an SMTP credential.

Click Create credential, search SMTP and fill in your provider's details:

Field	Gmail	Outlook / Microsoft 365	Your own domain
Host	`smtp.gmail.com`	`smtp.office365.com`	from your email host
Port / SSL	465, SSL on	587, SSL off (STARTTLS)	usually 465 + SSL
Password	an App password	password or app password	mailbox password

The SMTP credential form. Save it and look for “Connection tested successfully”.

STEP 05

Fill in Settings

Open the Clean up group → Settings:

alertTo: where alerts go.
alertFrom: the sender, e.g. Form Alerts <alerts@yourcompany.com>. Your SMTP account must be allowed to send from it.
businessName: shown in the subject.

STEP 06

Send a test submission

Double-click Contact Form, open the Test URL and submit. A row appears in your sheet and the alert reaches your inbox within seconds.

Test URL for trying it, Production URL for real use.

STEP 07

Go live

Click Publish. Share the Contact Form's Production URL, or point your website form at the Website Form Webhook Production URL with a JSON POST:

{"name": "Jane", "email": "jane@company.com", "phone": "+1 555 123 4567", "message": "Hi!"}

What you'll see

The alert email. Press Reply to answer the visitor directly.

Troubleshooting

No row appears in the sheet

Row 1 must have the six headers spelled exactly as above, and Sheet must match the tab name.

Email alert fails with an authentication error

For Gmail use an App password (Google Account → Security → 2-Step Verification → App passwords), not your normal password.

Real visitors' submissions don't arrive

The workflow must be Published and your site must use the Production URL, not the Test URL.

Can I get WhatsApp alerts too?

Yes, add a WhatsApp or other messaging node after Clean up, next to Email Alert.

Need help?

Email hello@workflowvault.shop with a screenshot of the node and the error. Want it installed for you? Ask for a Template install.

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