If you’ve been living in Zapier land and still manually copy-pasting API keys like it’s 2014… we need to talk. 😅
This week’s advanced coaching call with our man Mario Aldayuz (Head of Partnerships at HL Pro Tools) was 🔥.
We cracked open n8n—a low-code automation platform that’s basically steroids for your HighLevel workflows.
So if you’re looking to build smarter, automate faster, and protect your client data like a pro, buckle up. Let’s dive into the key takeaways from this week’s Zoom deep dive. 👇
Why Use n8n Instead of Zapier?
Mario didn’t mince words here—and I’ll echo him: Zapier’s cool, but n8n is built for power users. It’s open-source, customizable, and perfect for agencies that don’t want to pay per zap when scaling automation.
Here’s what makes it elite:
- 🔁 Pinned Data: Unlike Zapier, n8n lets you reuse and reference previously pulled data without re-triggering flows.
- 🔗 More Flexibility: You can build complex logic, loops, and conditional flows like a real dev (without actually having to be one).
- 🧩 No Feature Gating: No “pay to unlock this feature” nonsense—you get the full stack.
What’s the Deal with OAuth Tokens?
Let me break it down simply: private tokens are old-school. They’re like handing someone the keys to your house and hoping they don’t open the wrong door.
OAuth tokens, on the other hand:
- ✅ Let you control exactly what parts of the API your workflow can touch.
- 🔐 Add a layer of security and permission granularity.
- 🧠 Are future-proof (and required for many advanced integrations).
Mario’s big tip here?
“If you’re building client onboarding automations, don’t just use a global private token. Create your own OAuth app inside HighLevel so you can segment and secure access properly.”
Boom. Mic drop. 🎤
What You Can Automate with This Setup
Once you’re using n8n + OAuth, you unlock all kinds of power moves. A few automation wins we covered in the session:
✅ Create subaccounts automatically
✅ Add users to the subaccount with custom roles
✅ Push custom values into the account for niche personalization
✅ Integrate AI tools or external apps like Slack, Notion, Google Sheets & more
Test everything using HighLevel’s marketplace dev accounts before going live. Saves you from nuking a client account by mistake. Ask me how I know. 😅
Want Help Scaling This Fast?
Listen, if reading this made your brain melt a little… that’s normal.
You don’t have to figure this stuff out solo. At HL Pro Tools, we live and breathe this world of snapshots, API calls, and automation wizardry.
Need help building or managing these systems? 👉 Head over to gohighlevele.com and let’s make your HighLevel life way easier.