Searchbug People Trace to Google Sheets via n8n Form

Searchbug People Trace to Google Sheets—instantly from an n8n Form

This n8n workflow collects person details through an n8n Form, runs the best-match Searchbug People Trace lookup (via the api_trace endpoint), normalizes the results, and appends one row per record to Google Sheets—including validation errors and “skipped” notices when required fields are missing.

What this workflow does

• Receives form submissions from an n8n Form with optional SSN, name, and address fields.
• Selects the strongest search strategy available based on which inputs are present: SSN, address + city + state, or name combinations.
• Validates required fields. If the submission can’t support a required lookup path, the workflow marks the request as skipped and writes an error message.
• Calls the Searchbug People Trace API using a POST request to api_trace, continuing even if the API returns an error.
• Normalizes and formats output: produces one output row per returned record, formats values like dates and phone numbers, and masks SSN to the last 4 digits.
• Appends results to Google Sheets under your chosen tab, capturing success, no results, error, or skipped outcomes (including fields such as input_row_id, api_status, full_name, address, phone, and error_message).

Use cases

• Capture lead or case inputs in an n8n Form and enrich them with Searchbug People Trace results stored in a Google Sheet.
• Run automated validation: if a user submits insufficient data, record a clear “skipped” error row for auditability.
• Operational reporting: track api_status and trace outcomes over time by appending normalized records to a single tab.

Technical details

• Nodes/logic: if, set, code, sticky note, form trigger, http request
• External integration: Searchbug People Trace API (api_trace)
• Google Sheets: configurable spreadsheet ID and sheet/tab name for appending rows
• Credential parameters: add CO_CODE and PASS in the HTTP request body