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Course recommendation system for surveys with data tables and GPT-4.1-Mini

Course recommendation system for surveys with data tables and GPT-4.1-Mini
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CategoryAI & Automation
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Use the n8n Data Tables feature to store, retrieve, and analyze survey results — then let OpenAI automatically recommend the most relevant course for each respondent.

🧠 What this workflow does This workflow demonstrates how to use n8n’s built-in Data Tables to create an internal recommendation system powered by AI.

It:

  • Collects survey responses through a Form Trigger
  • Saves responses to a Data Table called Survey Responses
  • Fetches a list of available courses from another Data Table called Courses
  • Passes both Data Tables into an OpenAI Chat Agent, which selects the most relevant course
  • Returns a structured recommendation with:
  • course: the course title
  • reasoning: why it was selected

> Trigger: Form submission (manual or public link)

👥 Who it’s for Perfect for educators, training managers, or anyone wanting to use n8n Data Tables as a lightweight internal database — ideal for AI-driven recommendations, onboarding workflows, or content personalization.

⚙️ How to set it up 1️⃣ Create your n8n Data Tables This workflow uses two Data Tables — both created directly inside n8n.

🧾 Table 1: Survey Responses Columns:

  • Name
  • Q1 — Where did you learn about n8n?
  • Q2 — What is your experience with n8n?
  • Q3 — What kind of automations do you need help with?

To create:

  1. Add a Data Table node to your workflow.
  2. From the list, click “Create New Data Table.”
  3. Name it Survey Responses and add the columns above.

📚 Table 2: Courses Columns:

  • Course
  • Description

To create:

  1. Add another Data Table node.
  2. Click “Create New Data Table.”
  3. Name it Courses and create the columns above.
  4. Copy course data from this Google Sheet: 👉 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Y0Q0CnqN0w47c5nCpbA1O3sn0mQaKXPhql2Bc1UeiFY/edit?usp=sharing

This Courses Data Table is where you’ll store all available learning paths or programs for the AI to compare against survey inputs.

2️⃣ Connect OpenAI

  1. Go to [OpenAI Platform]
  2. Create an API key
  3. In n8n, open Credentials → OpenAI API and paste your key
  4. The workflow uses the gpt-4.1-mini model via the LangChain integration

🧩 Key Nodes Used

NodePurposen8n Feature
Form TriggerCollect survey responsesForms
Data Table (Upsert)Stores results in Survey ResponsesData Tables
Data Table (Get)Retrieves CoursesData Tables
Aggregate + SetCombines and formats table dataCore nodes
OpenAI Chat Model (LangChain Agent)Analyzes responses and coursesAI
Structured Output ParserReturns structured JSON outputLangChain

💡 Tips for customization

  • Add more Data Table columns (e.g., email, department, experience years)
  • Use another Data Table to store AI recommendations or performance results
  • Modify the Agent system message to customize how AI chooses courses
  • Send recommendations via Email, Slack, or Google Sheets

🧾 Why Data Tables? This workflow shows how n8n’s Data Tables can act as your internal database:

  • Create and manage tables directly inside n8n
  • No external integrations needed
  • Store structured data for AI prompts
  • Share tables across multiple workflows

All user data and course content are stored securely and natively in n8n Cloud or Self-Hosted environments.

📬 Contact Need help customizing this (e.g., expanding Data Tables, connecting multiple surveys, or automating follow-ups)?