Module 01 · Introduction

What is n8n?

Your complete introduction to the open-source workflow automation platform — what it does, how it works, and why it matters.

Beginner Friendly
~15 minutes
No coding required
The Problem

Your team does the same things over and over again.

Every business runs on repetitive tasks — copying data between systems, sending follow-up emails, generating reports, updating spreadsheets. Humans are expensive. Errors are costly. And the work never stops.

📋

Manual Data Entry

Copying data from one app to another, reformatting, updating records by hand.

🔁

Repetitive Processes

The same sequence of steps, day after day — send email, update CRM, file document.

⚠️

Human Errors

Typos, missed steps, forgotten follow-ups. The more manual the process, the more it breaks.

The Solution

n8n automates the work so you don't have to.

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is an open-source, visual workflow automation platform. You connect apps, define logic, and let it run — on your schedule, triggered by events, or on demand.

🔗

400+ Integrations

Gmail, Slack, Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, Notion, Stripe, HubSpot, and hundreds more. If it has an API, n8n can connect to it.

🧠

Built-in AI Nodes

Native LangChain-based AI nodes. Build AI agents, chat chains, vector stores, and RAG pipelines — visually.

🏠

Self-Hostable

Run it on your own server. Your data stays with you. No per-execution pricing. No vendor lock-in.

How It Works

Think in nodes and connections.

A workflow is a series of steps. Each step is a node. Nodes are connected together, and data flows from one to the next — like a pipeline.

⚡ Trigger
Starts the flow
→
📥 Fetch Data
From an API / DB
→
🔀 Filter / Transform
Shape the data
→
🤖 AI Agent
Process with LLM
→
✅ Output
Email / Slack / DB

💡 Key Insight

If you've used Make.com (Integromat), this will feel familiar. The mental model is the same — trigger → process → action. n8n just gives you more control, more power, and the option to own everything.

How n8n Compares

n8n in the automation landscape.

There are several workflow automation platforms. Here's how n8n stands apart.

Feature Zapier Make.com Power Automate n8n
Open source No No No Yes
Self-hostable No No No Yes
Native AI / LLM nodes Limited Limited Via Copilot Full
Custom code Limited JS module only Expressions only Full JS & Python
Pricing Per task Per operation Per flow / user Free (self-host)
Data residency Cloud only Cloud only Microsoft cloud Your choice
Visual builder Yes Yes Yes Yes
Why Self-Host?

Your data. Your rules. Your budget.

Self-hosting n8n isn't just a technical choice — it's a business decision. Here's why it matters.

☁️ Cloud / SaaS

  • Your data flows through third-party servers
  • Pay per execution or per operation
  • Vendor decides the pricing, features, and limits
  • Limited custom code capabilities
  • Instant setup, no maintenance needed
vs

🏠 Self-Hosted n8n

  • Data never leaves your infrastructure
  • Unlimited executions — zero marginal cost
  • Full control over versioning, uptime, and access
  • Install any npm package, run any code
  • You manage Docker, updates, and backups

🎯 Bottom Line

For SMEs running 10+ workflows processing sensitive data (client info, financials, internal ops), self-hosting pays for itself within weeks — both in cost savings and data sovereignty.

Self-Hosting in Practice

From zero to running in 4 steps.

Here's exactly what the self-hosting setup looks like on your machine — from Docker to a working n8n instance.

1 Docker Desktop
Docker Desktop showing n8n containers running
Docker Desktop showing the n8n-setup group with both containers (n8n + PostgreSQL) running with green status indicators.
2 Terminal Output
Terminal showing docker compose up output
The terminal output after running docker compose up -d — images pulled, network created, containers started.
3 n8n Welcome Screen
n8n welcome screen at localhost:5678
The first screen you see at localhost:5678 — your self-hosted n8n instance is live and ready.
4 n8n Workflow Editor
n8n workflow editor canvas
The n8n workflow editor — the canvas where you drag nodes, connect them, and build automations visually.
Vocabulary

10 terms to remember.

Master these and you'll understand any n8n conversation.

Workflow
The entire automation — a canvas of connected nodes that does a job.
Example "Pull sales data from Shopify, summarize with AI, email the report." That entire sequence is one workflow.
Node
A single step — fetch data, transform it, send a message, or run code.
Example A Gmail node reads emails. An AI node summarizes them. A Slack node posts the summary. Each is one node.
Trigger
The special node that starts a workflow — on a schedule, webhook, or event.
Example "Run every day at 9 AM" = Schedule Trigger. "Run when a form is submitted" = Webhook Trigger.
Connection
The line between two nodes. Data flows through connections left to right.
Example Drag a line from Gmail's output to the AI node's input — that line carries email data forward.
Execution
One complete run of a workflow from trigger to end, logged with status and timing.
Example Your report runs at 9 AM — that's one execution. Next day, same time = second execution.
Credential
A stored API key or OAuth token that lets n8n access an external service.
Example Set up your Google OAuth once as a credential, reuse it across all workflows that access Gmail.
Expression
Dynamic values using {{ }} syntax — referencing data from previous nodes.
Example Write New lead: {{ $json.name }} — n8n replaces it with the actual name.
Item
A single unit of data flowing through a workflow — like one row in a spreadsheet.
Example Pull 50 orders from Shopify = 50 items. Each flows through every node independently.
Webhook
A URL that n8n generates so other systems can trigger a workflow by sending data to it.
Example Stripe sends a webhook on payment success → n8n updates your DB and sends a thank-you email.
Community Node
A third-party node built by the community, installable from npm.
Example Need a niche CRM connector? Install it from Settings → Community Nodes — it appears in your palette.
Getting Started

Three ways to run n8n.

Choose based on your goal — learning, building, or deploying.

☁️

n8n Cloud

Sign up, start building. No setup needed. Free trial available. Best for trying it out quickly.

Fastest start Managed
RECOMMENDED
🐳

Docker (Self-Host)

Run on your own machine with Docker Compose. Full control, unlimited executions, your data stays local.

Your setup Free forever
📦

npm Install

Install globally via npm. Simpler but harder to manage. Uses SQLite by default. Good for quick experiments.

Lightweight Dev only
Possibilities

What can you build with n8n?

Here are real-world automations people build every day.

📧 Email → AI → CRM

Incoming emails are read by an AI agent, classified, summarized, and logged in your CRM — automatically.

📊 Weekly Report Generator

Every Monday, pull data from 4 sources, build a summary, and email a dashboard to leadership.

🔔 Competitor Monitor

Scrape competitor pricing pages daily, detect changes, and post alerts to Slack with a summary.

📝 Content Pipeline

Topic → AI-generated draft → human review queue → formatted post → scheduled to CMS and social media.

🎫 Support Ticket Triage

New tickets are classified by AI, assigned to the right team, and auto-replied with relevant docs.

💰 Invoice Processing

PDF invoices are extracted, matched to purchase orders, and pushed to your accounting system.

Recap

Now you know what n8n is.
Let's learn how to use it.

In this presentation, you learned:

✓  n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool

✓  It works with nodes, connections, and triggers

✓  You can self-host it for free using Docker

✓  Self-hosting setup: 4 steps from zero to running

✓  It has native AI/LLM integration built in

✓  How n8n compares to Zapier, Make.com & others

✓  10 key terms that power every conversation

Next: The n8n Editor →