How to Connect n8n or Zapier Workflows to Your Metrics Dashboard

When Your Tool Doesn't Have an API (or You Don't Want to Write Code)

TotalKPI connects directly to any JSON API. But sometimes the data you want to track lives in a tool that doesn't expose a clean API, or you want to combine data from multiple sources into a single metric before charting it, or you just don't want to deal with API authentication.

That's where n8n and Zapier come in. Both tools can pull data from hundreds of sources and push it to TotalKPI's inbound webhook endpoint. No code required.

How Inbound Webhooks Work

TotalKPI provides a webhook URL for your account. Any HTTP POST to that URL with a JSON body gets received, parsed, and mapped to your data sources. The flow:

1. n8n/Zapier triggers on a schedule or event
2. It pulls data from your source (CRM, email tool, ad platform, database, etc.)
3. It sends a POST request to your TotalKPI webhook URL
4. TotalKPI matches the payload structure to your configured template
5. The value is extracted and appended as a new data point

This means any tool that n8n or Zapier can connect to becomes a TotalKPI data source.

Setting Up With n8n

Step 1: Create an Inbound API Key

In TotalKPI's settings, create a new inbound API key. This gives you a webhook URL like:

https://totalkpi.com/api/inbound/your-api-key

Step 2: Build Your n8n Workflow

Create a new n8n workflow with:

1. Schedule Trigger - Set to run daily, hourly, or whatever interval makes sense
2. Data Source Node - Connect to whatever tool has your data (e.g., Mailchimp, HubSpot, a database, a Google Sheet)
3. HTTP Request Node - POST to your TotalKPI webhook URL with the data as JSON

Example payload:

{
  "metric": "email_subscribers",
  "value": 1523,
  "date": "2026-06-01"
}

Step 3: Map the Payload in TotalKPI

When the first payload arrives, TotalKPI shows it as an unmapped payload. Open the settings UI, create a JSON template that maps the value and date fields to a data source. All future payloads with the same structure are automatically processed.

Setting Up With Zapier

Step 1: Create an Inbound API Key

Same as above - create the key in TotalKPI settings.

Step 2: Build Your Zap

1. Trigger - Choose your data source app and trigger event (e.g., "New row in Google Sheets", "New subscriber in Mailchimp", scheduled trigger)
2. Action - Choose "Webhooks by Zapier" → "POST"
3. Configure - Set the URL to your TotalKPI webhook, content type to JSON, and map the data fields

Step 3: Map the Payload

Same as n8n - map the incoming payload structure to your data source in TotalKPI.

What This Unlocks

Track Metrics From Any Tool

n8n has 400+ integrations. Zapier has 6,000+. Any metric from any of these tools can flow into TotalKPI:

• Email marketing: Subscriber count from Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or Buttondown
• Social media: Follower count, engagement rate from Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram
• Support: Ticket volume from Zendesk, Intercom, or Freshdesk
• Advertising: Daily ad spend or conversion count from Google Ads, Meta Ads
• Custom databases: Any metric from your PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Airtable

Combine Multiple Sources Into One Metric

Sometimes the metric you want doesn't exist in a single tool. For example, "total community size" might be Twitter followers + Discord members + newsletter subscribers. Build an n8n workflow that pulls all three, sums them, and pushes the total to TotalKPI as a single data point.

Event-Driven Data Points

Instead of polling on a schedule, trigger on events:

• New customer signs up → push customer count to TotalKPI
• Support ticket closed → push resolution count
• Deploy completed → push deployment frequency

This gives you real-time data points without waiting for the next polling interval.

Example: Email Subscriber Count vs Revenue

A common use case for indie hackers and SaaS founders:

1. n8n schedule trigger runs daily
2. Mailchimp node fetches total subscriber count
3. HTTP request node pushes { "metric": "subscribers", "value": 4521, "date": "2026-06-01" } to TotalKPI
4. In TotalKPI, overlay subscriber count with Stripe MRR

The correlation tells you whether your email list growth actually drives revenue. If the correlation is strong with a 2-week lag, you know that growing your email list today means more revenue in two weeks.

n8n vs Zapier: Which to Use?

Both work equally well with TotalKPI's webhook endpoint. Choose whichever you already use or prefer.

Get Started

Start a free trial and create your first inbound API key. Connect it to an n8n or Zapier workflow and start pushing data from any tool into your metrics dashboard. No code, no API authentication hassle.