Have you ever caught yourself doing one boring thing many, many times in a row? E.g. To pass data from one app to another, to send the same email on Monday morning or to update the same sheet on each new transaction? You are not alone. Monotonous actions take a huge piece of our working day and we even don’t notice it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s when n8n workflow enters the scene. N8n is an open source workflow automation tool which allows you to connect your applications, pass the data around, do an operation on it automatically and do many, many more even without ever touching the code (when it is needed). It can be compared to a personal assistant who will do all of the boring stuff for you while you focus on important matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, I will describe n8n, its workflow engine, benefits, and the actual scenarios that you may automate using it even being a beginner in the automation tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quick Answer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps, automate repetitive tasks, and move data between services without coding. Using triggers and actions, beginners can quickly build workflows such as sending notifications, updating records, or generating reports automatically. Its self-hosting option, wide integrations, and visual workflow builder make it a powerful starting point for anyone new to automation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n N8n is an open-source workflow automation tool, allowing you to create workflows and automate processes across applications. N8n has been around since 2019 and is now one of the best free and open-source automation software on the market. Despite there being many other cloud-based only and proprietary automation software on the market, n8n lets you host it on your own server and keep full control over your own data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At its core, the main idea behind how n8n works is that it is built on Triggers and Actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Triggers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A trigger is what starts your workflow. It could be something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An action is what happens after the trigger fires. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This linkage is enabled by a Graphical User Interface called the Workflow Builder, that uses a flowchart layout where nodes, or steps in an automation, are connected by an arrow. There are no configuration files to configure and no tab switching is needed. Another valuable component of n8n is branching, where a workflow may have more than one possible path depending on certain criteria. An example would be “if the amount of an order exceeds $500 send out a high priority email, otherwise write to a spreadsheet”. N8n is clearly much better than simply automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe you’re thinking – hey, I know other automation tools, e.g. Zapier, Make<\/a> (formerly Integromat). Why n8n then? Here are the benefits of choosing this tool. N8n<\/a> is a tool that is open source. The license for it is called a fair-code license which allows any user to download the software, then the user must install it on a computer, or install it on a server, and the user may use it without having to have a monthly subscription fee for using it. One of the largest benefits is that this software is totally free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. You Own Your Data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Self-hosting n8n has one huge benefit \u2013 your data remains in your network at all times. When dealing with sensitive customer data, accounting information or patient records it is less a benefit and more of a requirement. The 400+ supported services, like Gmail, Slack, Github, Notion, Hubspot, PostgresSql, Stripe etc, all have direct integration by default. Services that lack an official integration can be supported by making use of the custom HTTP request. But even if n8n is developed as a no-code tool, nothing prevents you from using code with it. You always have the option to incorporate any script written in JavaScript and Python in your node, if you want something more personalized. It’s a low-code tool that’s good for non-engineers and good for developers. There to help with support. Documentation is complete and includes examples and many community workflow templates<\/a> available to download and modify. It is an active community forum as well as a discord community channel available <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do check out HCL GUVI’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Course<\/a> to build advanced skills that complement workflow automation tools like n8n. This program offers hands-on projects, live mentor support, and industry-focused training designed to help learners gain practical AI and machine learning expertise in just a few months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The question that most often pops up from newcomers is, “What am I going to do with this?” The answer, to be frank, is many things. Here are a few applications you might consider: Let\u2019s consider an example: running a website that sells goods. Using n8n, each time a customer makes a purchase, we would be automatically able to send him a receipt, to generate an invoice in QuickBooks, to store the client in the CRM and to notify our team on Slack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.<\/strong> Data Integration and Reporting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For example if you’re collecting some information from a few disparate applications such as Google Analytics, a database, and a spreadsheet, n8n can pull in all the relevant data and compile this into a weekly report without you doing any extra work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Lead Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If someone fills out your contact form n8n will check if that person already exists in your CRM and if it doesn’t exist, will create it, assign him to one of your salespeople, send him an auto-mail welcoming him and will create an immediate follow-up task with him in a few seconds. N8n also catches on with developers for automating tasks associated with DevOps. You can easily create workflows for monitoring your GitHub repo<\/a>, running tests on pull requests, notifying you on slack, and even rollbacks if a condition is not met. Bloggers and content creators can also leverage n8n to automatically post to social networks, schedule blog posts, monitor RSS feeds, and receive alerts when their brand is mentioned on the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Is n8n and How Does It Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What Are the Benefits of Using n8n?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. It’s Open Source and Free to Self-Host<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. 400+ Built-in Integrations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Code When You Need It<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Active Community and Good Documentation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Types of Tasks Can You Automate With n8n (Integration) ?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. <\/strong>Business Automation<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
4.<\/strong> Developer Workflows<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
5.<\/strong> Social Media and Content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n