Prey Screenshot Idle Detection with Claude Vision (n8n Workflow)

Detect Prey idle state automatically using Claude Vision in n8n

This n8n workflow analyzes recent Prey screenshots and uses Claude Vision to determine whether a device is currently idle—returning a clean JSON verdict (idle true/false, plus a summary) with safeguards like a cooldown and minimum screenshot window.

What this workflow does

• Trigger execution via a POST request webhook (or run manually for testing) to start an idle-check.
• Enforce a configurable cooldown at the workflow level, stopping early if analysis ran too recently.
• Fetch recent device reports from Prey and keep only those with screenshots inside the configured time window.
• Validate data sufficiency: if there aren’t enough screenshots or they don’t span the minimum required time, the workflow returns idle: null.
• Evenly sample and download screenshots (up to a maximum number), assembling them in chronological order.
• Run Claude Vision using the Anthropic Messages API to assess whether meaningful on-screen changes indicate activity.
• Parse results from the model’s JSON response and output a final JSON verdict including idle status, a short summary, and analyzed report metadata.

Use cases

• Remote fleet management: flag potentially idle endpoints and reduce wasted compute or licensing usage.
• Operations automation: drive ticketing or alerts when users appear inactive based on on-screen change detection.
• SaaS monitoring: integrate a reliable device activity check into your internal dashboards and workflows.

Technical details

• Prey integration: fetch device reports and download screenshot images by device ID.
• Anthropic Claude Vision: screenshot set sent to the Anthropic Messages API for visual change/activity assessment.
• n8n nodes/tools referenced: webhook, if, set, code, no op, and sticky note.

Set your Prey API credential, choose the target device ID, add your Anthropic API credential, then configure your webhook route (e.g., /prey-idle-check) to begin receiving idle-check executions.