Daily USD Exchange Rate Auto-Update and Archiving Workflow
This workflow automatically updates the exchange rates of the US dollar against various currencies daily by calling an external exchange rate API to obtain the latest data. The data is then formatted and the updated exchange rate information is written into a specified Google Sheets document. Additionally, historical exchange rate data will be archived for easy future reference and analysis. This process is suitable for cross-border e-commerce, foreign trade companies, and finance teams, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of exchange rate data maintenance while reducing the complexity of manual operations.
Workflow Name
Daily USD Exchange Rate Auto-Update and Archiving Workflow
Key Features and Highlights
This workflow is triggered on a scheduled basis to automatically call an external exchange rate API daily, retrieving the latest USD (US Dollar) exchange rates against multiple currencies. The data is then formatted and filtered by fields before the updated exchange rate information is written into a designated Google Sheets spreadsheet. Meanwhile, historical exchange rate data is archived for easy future reference and analysis. Supporting exchange rate updates for over 100 currencies, the workflow offers simplicity and a high degree of automation.
Core Problems Addressed
- Automatically fetches and updates USD exchange rates against various currencies, eliminating the hassle and errors of manual lookup and data entry;
- Synchronizes the latest exchange rates to Google Sheets in real-time, facilitating usage by finance, procurement, sales, and other departments;
- Automatically archives historical exchange rate data to enable tracking of rate trends and historical data retrieval.
Application Scenarios
- Cross-border e-commerce and foreign trade companies needing daily exchange rate updates to adjust pricing and settlements;
- Finance teams maintaining exchange rate data in financial reports automatically to improve work efficiency;
- Any organizations or individuals requiring automated synchronization and historical record keeping of exchange rate data.
Main Workflow Steps
- Scheduled Trigger: Automatically starts the workflow daily at 08:00 (UTC+0).
- Call Exchange Rate API: Sends an HTTP request to ExchangeRate-API to obtain the latest USD exchange rates against multiple currencies.
- Format Processing: Converts the API response into JSON format, filters required fields, and formats the update timestamp.
- Data Merge: Merges the processed data streams in preparation for writing to the spreadsheet.
- Update Google Sheets:
- Updates the latest exchange rates and update timestamps in the “Exchange Rate Updates” main sheet;
- Appends the full set of exchange rate data to the “Exchange Rate Archive” sheet, creating a comprehensive historical record.
Systems and Services Involved
- ExchangeRate-API (for real-time exchange rate data retrieval)
- Google Sheets (for storing and managing exchange rate data)
- n8n Scheduler (Schedule Trigger to initiate the workflow on time)
- n8n Built-in Nodes (HTTP Request, Code, Set, Merge, Google Sheets, etc.)
Target Users and Value
- Cross-border trade companies and e-commerce businesses requiring regular USD-to-multi-currency exchange rate updates;
- Finance, accounting, and procurement personnel aiming to enhance exchange rate data maintenance efficiency;
- Data analysts and business decision-makers leveraging archived historical exchange rate data for trend analysis;
- Automation enthusiasts and technical professionals using this as a reference example for building automated data synchronization workflows.
This workflow automates the entire process from API data retrieval to writing into Google Sheets and archiving historical data, significantly reducing manual labor in exchange rate data maintenance while ensuring data timeliness and accuracy. It is a vital tool for finance and business process automation.