# How do I get an n8n, Make or Zapier agent to transcribe with WhipScribe?

Use the platform's HTTP request step with one header, X-API-Key. Step one posts the recording's link to https://whipscribe.com/api/v1/transcribe/url and gets a job_id. Step two waits and polls the job until status is done. Step three fetches the transcript as text, SRT, VTT, DOCX or JSON. Add a balance check so the flow stops cleanly when credit runs out.

Checked 5 October 2026. HTML version: https://whipscribe.com/agents/n8n-make-zapier

## Steps

1. **Store the key as a credential.** Create the key (https://whipscribe.com/agents/api-key) and save it in the platform's credential store as a header credential: name X-API-Key, value the key.
2. **Submit the link.** HTTP request, POST, JSON body. Keep job_id from the response.

```
POST https://whipscribe.com/api/v1/transcribe/url
X-API-Key: <key>
Content-Type: application/json

{"url": "<link to the recording>"}
```

3. **Wait, then poll.** Add a wait step (10 to 30 seconds), then GET the job. Loop back to the wait while status is queued or processing. Do not hold one HTTP step open for the whole transcription; platform steps time out.

```
GET https://whipscribe.com/api/v1/jobs/<job_id>
X-API-Key: <key>
```

4. **Fetch the transcript.** When status is done, fetch the format the next step needs.

```
GET https://whipscribe.com/api/v1/jobs/<job_id>/result?format=txt
X-API-Key: <key>
```

5. **Branch on out-of-credit.** If the job carries "locked": true or the fetch answers 402, send yourself the top-up link (https://whipscribe.com/credits?sku=mini-4) and stop. The transcript is kept and opens once credit is added.

## Platform pages

Each platform has its own page with that platform's step timeout and the submit-then-poll shape that survives it: https://whipscribe.com/integrations/n8n, https://whipscribe.com/integrations/make and https://whipscribe.com/integrations/zapier.

## For AI-agent nodes

If the flow uses an AI agent node with tools, give it three HTTP tools (submit, get job, get result) and paste the rules from https://whipscribe.com/agents/instructions.md into its system message. Tell it the poll interval; left alone, agents poll too fast.

A balance tool is one more GET: https://whipscribe.com/api/v1/credits returns payg_hours_remaining.

## What we checked

On 5 October 2026 the same four requests ran from the command line with a fresh key and returned a transcript. The requests on this page are those requests.

## What needs a person

- Creating the account: sign-in is Google, or an email address plus a 6-digit code sent to that inbox. An agent with no access to the inbox has to ask the person for the code.
- Paying: the checkout asks for a card or PayPal. The person enters those details or approves the payment; an agent should hand this step over, not type card numbers.
- Keeping the key: an API key is shown once, when it is created. Whoever creates it stores it; nobody can look it up later.

## Questions

**Is there a native WhipScribe node or app on these platforms?**
Use the generic HTTP request step. It needs one header and JSON, so no custom node is required.

**Are there webhooks when a job finishes?**
Self-serve keys collect results by polling. Signed webhooks are available on request: contact@whipscribe.com.

**How do I avoid transcribing the same file twice when a flow retries?**
Send an Idempotency-Key header on the submit (for example the file's id). A retry with the same key returns the original job.

**What does it cost per run?**
Audio length only: $4 = 500 min · $8 = 1,000 min · $12 = 2,000 min · $24 = 5,000 min, credits never expire. The API key itself needs the $24 pack or Workspace. Failed jobs and recordings with no speech are not charged.

## Related

- Overview: https://whipscribe.com/agents/index.md
- Instructions for agents: https://whipscribe.com/agents/instructions.md
- How does an AI agent create a WhipScribe account?: https://whipscribe.com/agents/sign-up.md
- How does an AI agent buy WhipScribe credit?: https://whipscribe.com/agents/buy-credits.md
- How does an AI agent create a WhipScribe API key and keep it topped up?: https://whipscribe.com/agents/api-key.md
- How do I get Claude or Claude Code to transcribe with WhipScribe?: https://whipscribe.com/agents/claude.md
- How do I get ChatGPT to transcribe with WhipScribe?: https://whipscribe.com/agents/chatgpt.md
- How do I get Cursor or a coding agent to use the WhipScribe API?: https://whipscribe.com/agents/cursor.md
- How do I transcribe from an Apify Actor or an Apify-based agent?: https://whipscribe.com/agents/apify.md
- API docs: https://whipscribe.com/docs
- OpenAPI: https://whipscribe.com/openapi.json
- Pricing: https://whipscribe.com/pricing