How to Build Daily Standup Reports from Basecamp to Slack with n8n

Workflows > + Create Workflow

Create new workflow in n8n

Log into your n8n instance and create a new workflow. Click the + icon in the top left to start fresh. Name it 'Basecamp Daily Standup' so you can find it later. The canvas opens with a trigger node already placed.

1. 1Click the + icon in the top navigation bar
2. 2Select 'Blank Workflow' from the template options
3. 3Click the workflow name at the top and rename to 'Basecamp Daily Standup'
4. 4Save the workflow with Ctrl+S or the Save button

Canvas > Start Node > Replace with Schedule Trigger

Configure schedule trigger

Click on the Start node and replace it with a Schedule trigger. Set it to run Monday through Friday at 9:00 AM in your team's timezone. This fires the workflow automatically each weekday morning to generate fresh reports.

1. 1Click the Start node to select it
2. 2Press Delete to remove it
3. 3Click the + button and search for 'Schedule Trigger'
4. 4Set Trigger Interval to 'Days'
5. 5Set Hour to 9 and Minutes to 0
6. 6Under 'Weekdays Only', toggle to enabled

Canvas > + > Basecamp 3

Add Basecamp credentials

Add a new Basecamp node and configure your API credentials. You'll need your Basecamp account ID and a personal access token from your Basecamp account settings. n8n stores these securely for reuse across workflows.

1. 1Click the + after the Schedule Trigger
2. 2Search for 'Basecamp 3' and select it
3. 3Click 'Create New Credential' next to the Credential field
4. 4Enter your Basecamp Account ID (found in your Basecamp URL)
5. 5Paste your Personal Access Token from Basecamp Settings
6. 6Click 'Save' to store the credential

Basecamp Node > Operation Settings

Fetch projects from Basecamp

Configure the Basecamp node to retrieve all active projects. Set the Operation to 'Get All' and Resource to 'Project'. This pulls the complete project list so you can filter for specific ones in the next step.

1. 1Set Resource dropdown to 'Project'
2. 2Set Operation dropdown to 'Get All'
3. 3Leave all other fields at default values
4. 4Click 'Execute Node' to test the connection

Canvas > + > Function

Filter for active projects

Add a Function node to filter out archived projects and focus on active ones. This reduces API calls and keeps reports relevant. The code checks each project's status field and only passes through active projects to the next step.

1. 1Add a Function node after the Basecamp node
2. 2Name it 'Filter Active Projects'
3. 3Paste the filtering code in the JavaScript Code field
4. 4Click 'Execute Node' to test the filtering

Canvas > + > Basecamp 3

Get tasks for each project

Add another Basecamp node to fetch to-dos for each active project. Set it to loop through projects using the 'Execute Once for Each Item' setting. This creates separate API calls per project to gather all task data.

1. 1Add a new Basecamp 3 node
2. 2Use the existing credential from the dropdown
3. 3Set Resource to 'To-do'
4. 4Set Operation to 'Get All'
5. 5Set Project ID to use expression: {{$json.id}}
6. 6Enable 'Execute Once for Each Item' in node settings

Canvas > + > Function

Process task data

Add a Function node to categorize tasks into completed yesterday, due today, and overdue buckets. This node also formats the data for clean Slack presentation and counts items in each category for the summary.

1. 1Add a Function node after the to-do fetching
2. 2Name it 'Categorize Tasks'
3. 3Paste the task processing JavaScript code
4. 4Set the node to process all items together (not per item)
5. 5Test with 'Execute Node' button

Canvas > + > Function

Format Slack message

Create another Function node that builds the formatted Slack message with task summaries. It creates sections for each category, uses Slack markdown formatting, and handles empty categories gracefully with appropriate fallback text.

1. 1Add a Function node named 'Format Slack Message'
2. 2Input the message formatting JavaScript code
3. 3Use Slack markdown syntax for bold headers and bullet points
4. 4Include task counts in the header line
5. 5Test the formatting with sample data

Canvas > + > Slack

Connect Slack credentials

Add a Slack node and configure it with a bot token that has chat:write permissions to your target channel. Create the bot in your Slack workspace and invite it to the standup channel before testing the workflow.

1. 1Add a Slack node to the canvas
2. 2Create new credential with your bot token
3. 3Set Resource to 'Message'
4. 4Set Operation to 'Post'
5. 5Select or enter your target channel name
6. 6Set Text field to use the formatted message expression

Workflow Controls > Execute Workflow

Test complete workflow

Run the entire workflow from start to finish using the 'Execute Workflow' button. Check each node's output to verify data flows correctly and the final Slack message appears in your channel with proper formatting and current task data.

1. 1Click 'Execute Workflow' button in the top toolbar
2. 2Watch each node execute in sequence
3. 3Check your Slack channel for the posted message
4. 4Verify task counts and formatting look correct
5. 5Save the workflow after successful test

Workflow Header > Active Toggle

Activate automation

Enable the workflow to run automatically by toggling the Active switch. The schedule trigger will now fire every weekday morning at 9 AM. Monitor the execution history for the first week to ensure consistent operation and adjust timing if needed.

1. 1Click the inactive toggle switch in the workflow header
2. 2Confirm activation in the dialog that appears
3. 3Check the 'Executions' tab to monitor automatic runs
4. 4Set up error notifications if desired
5. 5Document the workflow for your team

Add this JavaScript to the 'Categorize Tasks' Function node to handle timezone-aware date comparisons and group tasks by project priority. Paste it in the 'JavaScript Code' field replacing the default function.

const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
const yesterday = new Date(Date.now() - 86400000).toISOString().split('T')[0];
const completedYesterday = [];

const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
const yesterday = new Date(Date.now() - 86400000).toISOString().split('T')[0];

const completedYesterday = [];
const dueToday = [];
const overdue = [];

// Process all items from all projects
for (const projectData of $input.all()) {
  const projectName = projectData.json.name;
  const todos = projectData.json.todos || [];
  
  for (const task of todos) {
    const taskObj = {
      title: task.content || task.title || 'Untitled Task',
      project: projectName,
      assignee: task.assignee?.name || 'Unassigned',
      url: task.app_url
    };
    
    // Check completion status with timezone handling
    if (task.completed) {
      const completedDate = task.completed_at?.split('T')[0];
      if (completedDate === yesterday) {
        completedYesterday.push(taskObj);
      }
    } else if (task.due_on) {
      // Handle overdue and due today
      if (task.due_on === today) {
        dueToday.push(taskObj);
      } else if (task.due_on < today) {
        taskObj.dueDate = task.due_on;
        overdue.push(taskObj);
      }
    }
  }
}

// Sort overdue by date (oldest first)
overdue.sort((a, b) => a.dueDate?.localeCompare(b.dueDate));

return [{
  json: {
    completedYesterday,
    dueToday, 
    overdue,
    reportDate: today
  }
}];