Build a Lead Magnet Delivery System with n8n in 30 Minutes

Quick win: Automate your lead magnet delivery in 30 minutes. No code needed, works with any opt-in form.

This replaces ConvertKit ($29/month) with n8n (free) + SendGrid (free up to 100/day).

What You’ll Build

The system:

1. Someone fills out your opt-in form
2. n8n captures their email instantly
3. SendGrid sends lead magnet PDF automatically
4. Contact added to Google Sheets for tracking
5. Slack notification for every new subscriber

What you need:

• n8n (self-hosted or Cloud)
• SendGrid account (free tier: 100 emails/day)
• Google Sheets
• Your lead magnet PDF

Time to set up: 30 minutes Monthly cost: $0 (under 100 leads/day)

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Step 1: Create Opt-in Form

Option A: Simple HTML form

<form id="leadForm">
  <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Your email" required>
  <input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Your name" required>
  <button type="submit">Get Free Guide</button>
</form>

<script>
document.getElementById('leadForm').addEventListener('submit', async (e) => {
  e.preventDefault();
  const formData = new FormData(e.target);
  const data = Object.fromEntries(formData);

  await fetch('YOUR_N8N_WEBHOOK_URL', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
    body: JSON.stringify(data)
  });

  alert('Check your email for the download link!');
  e.target.reset();
});
</script>

Option B: Use existing form plugin

• WordPress: Contact Form 7, WPForms
• Webflow: Native forms
• DashNex: Built-in forms

Just point form submissions to n8n webhook (step 2).

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Step 2: Set Up n8n Webhook

In n8n:

1. Create new workflow
2. Add “Webhook” node
3. Set method: POST
4. Copy webhook URL

Webhook URL looks like:

https://your-n8n.com/webhook/lead-magnet

Test it:

curl -X POST https://your-n8n.com/webhook/lead-magnet \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"[email protected]","name":"Test User"}'

Should see success in n8n execution log.

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Step 3: Configure SendGrid

Create SendGrid account:

1. Sign up at sendgrid.com (free tier)
2. Verify your sender email
3. Create API key (Settings → API Keys)
4. Copy API key for n8n

Create email template:

1. Go to Email API → Dynamic Templates
2. Create new template
3. Add template version
4. Design email with lead magnet link

Template variables:

• {{name}}` - Subscriber’s name
• {{downloadUrl}}` - Link to PDF

Example template:

Hi \{\{name\}\},

Thanks for subscribing! Here's your free guide:

[Download Now](\{\{downloadUrl\}\})

Questions? Just reply to this email.

Mike

Copy template ID (looks like: d-abc123...)

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Step 4: Build n8n Workflow

Workflow structure:

Webhook → Function (prepare data) → SendGrid (send email) → Google Sheets (log) → Slack (notify)

Node 1: Webhook

Already set up in Step 2.

Node 2: Function Node

Prepare data for SendGrid:

return [
  {
    json: {
      email: $json.email,
      name: $json.name,
      downloadUrl: 'https://yoursite.com/lead-magnet.pdf',
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
    }
  }
];

Node 3: SendGrid Node

Add SendGrid credentials:

• API Key: (from Step 3)

Configure node:

• From Email: [email protected]
• To Email: {{$json.email}}`
• Template ID: (from Step 3)
• Dynamic Template Data:

  {
    "name": "=\{\{$json.name\}\}",
    "downloadUrl": "=\{\{$json.downloadUrl\}\}"
  }

Node 4: Google Sheets Node

Add to spreadsheet:

• Operation: Append
• Sheet: Lead Magnet Subscribers
• Columns:
  • Email: {{$json.email}}`
  • Name: {{$json.name}}`
  • Date: {{$json.timestamp}}`

Node 5: Slack Node (Optional)

Send notification:

• Channel: #marketing
• Message: New lead: {{$json.name}} ({{$json.email}})

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Step 5: Host Your Lead Magnet

Option 1: Public hosting (easiest)

• Upload PDF to your website: yoursite.com/lead-magnet.pdf
• Anyone with link can download
• Good for: Non-sensitive content

Option 2: Signed URLs (more secure)

• Store PDF on S3/DigitalOcean Spaces
• Generate temporary download URL in n8n
• Link expires after 24 hours
• Good for: Premium content

Option 3: Email attachment

• Attach PDF directly in SendGrid
• Larger email size (watch limits)
• Good for: Small files (<1MB)

My recommendation: Start with Option 1, upgrade to Option 2 if needed.

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Testing Your Workflow

Test checklist:

1. ✅ Submit form with real email
2. ✅ Check n8n execution (should be green)
3. ✅ Verify email received within 1 minute
4. ✅ Click download link (should work)
5. ✅ Check Google Sheet (row added)
6. ✅ Check Slack (notification sent)

Common issues:

“Email not received”

• Check SendGrid Activity Feed
• Verify sender email is verified
• Check spam folder
• Ensure template ID is correct

“Webhook not triggered”

• Test webhook URL with curl
• Check CORS headers if from browser
• Verify form is actually submitting

“Download link broken”

• Verify PDF URL is accessible
• Check for typos in URL
• Test in incognito window

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Upgrade: Add Welcome Sequence

Want to send 3 emails instead of 1?

Add after SendGrid node:

1. Wait node: 1 day
2. SendGrid node: Email 2 (tips for using lead magnet)
3. Wait node: 3 days
4. SendGrid node: Email 3 (offer for paid product)

Welcome sequence timing:

• Email 1: Immediate (lead magnet)
• Email 2: +1 day (helpful tips)
• Email 3: +4 days (soft pitch)

This typically converts at 2-3% to paid offers.

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Cost Breakdown

Free tier (under 100 leads/day):

• n8n: $0 (self-hosted) or $20/month (Cloud)
• SendGrid: $0 (up to 100 emails/day)
• Google Sheets: $0
• Slack: $0
• Total: $0-20/month

Growing (100-1000 leads/day):

• n8n: $0-20/month (same)
• SendGrid Essentials: $19.95/month (up to 50K emails/month)
• Total: $19.95-39.95/month

Compare to ConvertKit:

• 0-1,000 subscribers: $29/month
• 1,000-3,000: $49/month
• 3,000-5,000: $79/month

Savings with n8n: $29-79/month = $348-948/year

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Downloadable Workflow

I’ve created a ready-to-use workflow template you can import into n8n.

What’s included:

• Complete workflow JSON
• SendGrid template HTML
• Example opt-in form code
• Setup instructions

To use:

1. Download workflow JSON from this link
2. Import into n8n (Settings → Import)
3. Update credentials
4. Activate workflow

Customize:

• Change email template
• Add your lead magnet URL
• Adjust welcome sequence timing
• Connect your CRM instead of Sheets

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Advanced: Track Conversion Rate

Want to know how many leads turn into customers?

Add tracking:

1. Include unique ID in download URL
2. Track who clicks download link
3. Tag customers in your CRM
4. Calculate conversion rate weekly

n8n workflow addition:

Download clicked → HTTP Request (log click) → Update Google Sheet → Check if purchased

This tells you which lead magnets convert best.

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Real Results

My lead magnet stats (90 days):

• 487 opt-ins
• 94% email delivery rate
• 78% download rate
• 11 sales from follow-up sequence
• 2.26% conversion rate

Revenue generated: $1,287 Cost of system: $0 (under SendGrid free tier) ROI: Infinite

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Next Steps

1. Set up SendGrid account (5 minutes)
2. Create lead magnet (if you don’t have one)
3. Build n8n workflow (15 minutes)
4. Test with your own email (5 minutes)
5. Add opt-in form to website (5 minutes)
6. Drive traffic (the hard part)

Need n8n hosting? Read my n8n deployment guide.

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FAQ

Q: Can this work with MailChimp instead of SendGrid?

Yes! n8n has a MailChimp node. Setup is similar.

Q: What if I get more than 100 signups per day?

Upgrade SendGrid to Essentials ($19.95/month for 50K emails/month).

Q: Can I segment subscribers?

Yes! Add tags in Google Sheets or use Airtable for more advanced segmentation.

Q: How do I handle unsubscribes?

SendGrid handles this automatically. They’ll be marked as unsubscribed and won’t receive future emails.

Q: Can I use this for a course or membership?

Yes! Just replace the PDF link with your course/membership login page.

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About the author: I’m Mike Holownych, an automation consultant. I’ve set up lead magnet systems for 50+ entrepreneurs. Learn more →