Automate Incident Reporting & Alerts with Forms, Google Sheets and Gmail

Incident Reporting & Management Workflow (Form + Google Sheets + Email)

This workflow automates incident reporting and management for operations teams by connecting a public reporting form with real-time logging in Google Sheets and instant alert emails to your support team. Whenever an incident is reported via the n8n form/webhook, all details are saved securely and immediately and the right people are notified the moment issues occur. It's a fast, scalable solution for reliable incident handling.

Who’s It For Renewable energy operators (solar/wind/green energy). Facility and plant managers. Environmental, EHS and safety teams. Technical support and incident response crews. Maintenance & field operations teams. Anyone aiming for compliance-ready, audit-friendly digital issue reporting.

How It Works Form Submission: An n8n-powered form (or webhook endpoint) receives incident reports, capturing all key details: reporter info, contact, location, date/time, type, severity, actions taken, photos and more. Log to Google Sheets: Each report is instantly appended as a new row in a secure Google Sheet, creating a searchable, timestamped audit trail. Email Alert (Gmail): An automatic email with incident summary and critical details lands in the support team’s inbox seconds after submission—ensuring your response is always prompt. Workflow Automation: These nodes are linked in n8n, enabling no-code/low-code back-end automation for complete visibility and control.

How to Set Up Import Workflow: In n8n, use "Import from File" to upload the workflow JSON provided. Edit Configuration: Update form fields as needed (label, validations, options for severity/category). Enter your Google Sheet ID and sharing settings. Configure Gmail/SMTP credentials and recipient address (example: supportteam@mailinator.com or your own team). Deploy Webhook: Copy your n8n webhook URL and connect it to your reporting interface (form, app, device, etc.). Activate: Enable the workflow in n8n. Submissions are now handled in real time. Test: Submit a sample incident to make sure data logs in Google Sheets and the alert email arrives as expected.

Requirements | Tool | Purpose | |-----------------|-----------------------------------| | n8n Instance | Orchestrates the workflow | | Google Account | To access/use Google Sheets | | Gmail/SMTP | For sending incident alerts | | Incident Source | n8n Form, webhook, app or device|

How to Customize Form Fields**: Add/remove fields or validations in the n8n form for organization-specific needs (e.g., add photos, custom categories). Alert Routing**: Use IF nodes to send critical alerts via Slack, SMS or escalate to on-call teams based on severity/type. Backend**: Replace Google Sheets with Notion, Airtable, PostgreSQL or other databases. Reporting**: Add PDF nodes to auto-generate and send report summaries. Integrations**: Push incidents to ticketing, asset tracking or calendar scheduling workflows.

Add‑Ons (Optional Extensions) | Feature | Description | |------------------|------------------------------------------------------| | Slack Alerts | Instantly notify Slack channels on critical issues | | Database Logging | Store reports in SQL/NoSQL systems | | PDF Generation | Email ready-to-use incident reports as PDFs | | Calendar Events | Schedule follow-ups or deadline reminders | | AI Categorization| Auto-classify incidents by severity/type | | Task Creation | Open tickets in Jira, Trello, ClickUp or Asana |

Use Case Examples Field engineers report solar inverter faults with mobile forms. Security personnel log site intrusions, with photos and severity. IoT sensors auto-post equipment failures as incidents. Compliance or EHS teams capture safety observations in real time. Technicians submit maintenance or post-repair issues instantly.

Common Troubleshooting

| Issue | Possible Cause | Solution | |--------------------------|---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | Form not triggering | Webhook URL incorrect | Double-check webhook endpoint and method (POST) | | Email not delivered | Wrong SMTP/Gmail credentials | Re-enter credentials or verify SMTP access | | Google Sheets not updated| Sheets ID wrong/missing permissions | Use correct ID, share sheet with service account or make accessible | | Missing report fields in log | Form field names or types mismatched| Align JSON/form data keys with workflow node mappings | | Attachments not saved | Field not set for file type | Review form field definitions and adjust as needed |

Need Help? Want a tailored setup, advanced automations or powerful add-ons (AI, SLAs, PDF logs, ticketing integration)? Our n8n workflow experts at WeblineIndia are ready to help you engineer seamless incident management for any industry.

👉 Contact WeblineIndia — Your Automation partner for smart preventive maintenance and calendar-driven ops!