AltFTool original, tested in n8nEngineeringDevOps

GitHub release watcher with duplicate filter - n8n workflow template

Keep track of new versions of the tools you depend on without watching every repository by hand. Every six hours this workflow asks the public GitHub API for the latest release of each repository on your list. The HTTP Request node continues on error, so a repository without…

Written and tested by AltFTool

Starts on
On a schedule
Nodes
8 nodes
Level
Beginner
Setup
About 3 min

Workflow preview

How this workflow runs

  1. 1

    Run manually

    Starts the workflow manually when you click 'Execute workflow' — used for testing and manual runs.

  2. 2

    Every 6 hours

    Starts the workflow automatically on a schedule (cron / fixed interval).

  3. 3

    Repositories to watch

    Runs custom JavaScript to transform or manipulate the data flowing through the workflow.

  4. 4

    Get latest release

    Makes an external API call (HTTP request) to send or retrieve data from a third-party service.

  5. 5

    Keep release fields

    Sets or transforms workflow data — prepares, renames, or injects fields before the next step.

  6. 6

    Has a release?

    Branches the workflow based on a true/false condition.

  7. 7

    Only new releases

    Handles the Remove Duplicates step in this workflow.

  8. 8

    Format notification

    Sets or transforms workflow data — prepares, renames, or injects fields before the next step.

Overview and setup

How it works

Keep track of new versions of the tools you depend on without watching every repository by hand. Every six hours this workflow asks the public GitHub API for the latest release of each repository on your list.

The HTTP Request node continues on error, so a repository without releases (GitHub answers 404) or a temporary rate limit does not stop the others. A Set node keeps only the useful fields: repository, tag, title, link and publish date. An IF node drops anything without a tag.

The key step is the Remove Duplicates node in "seen in previous executions" mode. It stores a repo@tag key for every release it has passed on, so each release is reported exactly once, even though the workflow keeps checking. Format notification then writes a message such as "New release of vercel/next.js: v15.1.0".

Set up steps

  1. Import the workflow and edit the list in Repositories to watch (owner/name).
  2. Click Execute workflow twice. The first run lists the current releases; the second returns nothing new.
  3. Add a notification node after Format notification.
  4. Activate the workflow.

Customise it

  • Unauthenticated requests are limited to 60 per hour. For long lists, add an Authorization: Bearer <token> header with a GitHub token.
  • Use the /releases endpoint instead of /releases/latest to include pre-releases.
  • Use Clear deduplication history on the Remove Duplicates node to start fresh.

n8n nodes used (7 types)

What every node does (8)
  • Run manually (Manual Trigger)Starts the workflow manually when you click 'Execute workflow' — used for testing and manual runs.
  • Every 6 hours (Schedule Trigger)Starts the workflow automatically on a schedule (cron / fixed interval).
  • Repositories to watch (Code)Runs custom JavaScript to transform or manipulate the data flowing through the workflow.
  • Get latest release (HTTP Request)Makes an external API call (HTTP request) to send or retrieve data from a third-party service.
  • Keep release fields (Set)Sets or transforms workflow data — prepares, renames, or injects fields before the next step.
  • Has a release? (If)Branches the workflow based on a true/false condition.
  • Only new releases (Remove Duplicates)Handles the Remove Duplicates step in this workflow.
  • Format notification (Set)Sets or transforms workflow data — prepares, renames, or injects fields before the next step.

FAQ

GitHub release watcher with duplicate filter: questions

How do I import the "GitHub release watcher with duplicate filter" workflow into n8n?

Copy the workflow JSON from this page, open the n8n editor, click on an empty canvas and paste with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on macOS). You can also download the .json file and choose Import from File in the workflow menu. Save the workflow, then attach credentials before activating it.

Which nodes and credentials does "GitHub release watcher with duplicate filter" use?

It uses Manual Trigger, Schedule Trigger, Code, HTTP Request, Set and If, plus 1 more. Any node that connects to an external service needs your own credential — open each node after import and select or create one. Trigger, logic and transformation nodes usually need no credentials.

Can it run on n8n Cloud and on self-hosted n8n?

The workflow format is the same on both. If a node appears as unknown or outdated after import, update n8n to a recent version or, on self-hosted instances, install the required community node package. Features such as $env access are available on self-hosted instances only.

How can I customise "GitHub release watcher with duplicate filter"?

Start by changing the trigger (schedule, webhook or app event) and the destination nodes to match your stack — it is listed under Engineering, DevOps. Edit prompts, field mappings and filters in the relevant nodes, use expressions like {{ $json.field }} to map data, and test with a manual execution before activating.

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