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Satoshi Kaminade
Satoshi Kaminade

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Getting Started with n8n: A Non-Developer's Complete Guide

#n8n #automation #tutorial #beginners

Getting Started with n8n: A Non-Developer's Complete Guide

I've used Zapier, Make.com, and n8n. Only one of them gave me full control without a monthly bill that scales with usage. This guide is about that one.

What is n8n?

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n" or "nodemation") is a workflow automation tool. Think of it like Zapier or Make.com, but:

  • Free to self-host — you own the infrastructure
  • No per-operation pricing — run 1 million automations for $0 (if self-hosted)
  • AI-native — built-in Claude, GPT-4, and LangChain nodes
  • Open source — community-built integrations, fully customizable

For content creators and small businesses, the combination of free self-hosting + AI nodes is a game-changer.

Option 1: n8n Cloud (5 minutes, easiest)

If you want to start immediately without any server setup:

  1. Go to n8n.io and click "Get started free"
  2. Sign up with email
  3. You get a 14-day free trial, then it's $20/month for the Starter plan

Best for: Complete beginners, testing before self-hosting

Option 2: Self-Host with Docker (30 minutes, recommended)

This is how I run n8n. It's free forever.

Prerequisites

  • A computer or VPS with Docker installed
  • Docker Desktop (Mac/Windows) or Docker Engine (Linux)

Step 1: Install Docker Desktop

Download from docker.com

Step 2: Start n8n

Open Terminal and run:

docker run -it --rm \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Step 3: Open n8n

Visit http://localhost:5678 in your browser. You'll see the n8n setup wizard.

Step 4: Create your account

Set email + password. This is just for local login.

That's it. n8n is running. 🎉

Your First Workflow: RSS → Email Alert

Let's build something real in under 10 minutes: a workflow that checks a website for new content and emails you.

Step 1: Create a new workflow

Click + New Workflow in the top right.

Step 2: Add the RSS trigger

  1. Click the + button
  2. Search for "RSS"
  3. Select RSS Feed Read
  4. In URL, enter: https://n8n.io/blog/rss.xml (or any blog's RSS feed)
  5. Set Poll interval: Every hour

Step 3: Add a filter (only new items)

  1. Add a Filter node after the RSS node
  2. Add condition: isoDate → Is after → {{ $now.minus(1, 'hour') }}

This ensures you only get items published in the last hour.

Step 4: Add email notification

  1. Add a Gmail or Send Email node
  2. Connect your Gmail account (follow the OAuth prompts)
  3. Set:
    • To: your email
    • Subject: New post: {{ $json.title }}
    • Body: {{ $json.title }}\n\n{{ $json.contentSnippet }}\n\nRead: {{ $json.link }}

Step 5: Test and activate

  1. Click Test workflow — check that data flows correctly
  2. Click the toggle to Active
  3. Done. You now have an automated news alert.

Understanding n8n's Core Concepts

Nodes

Everything in n8n is a node — a step that does something. Examples:

  • Trigger nodes — start the workflow (Schedule, Webhook, Gmail trigger)
  • Action nodes — do something (Send email, Create Airtable row, Call API)
  • Logic nodes — make decisions (IF, Filter, Switch)
  • Data nodes — transform data (Code, Set, Merge)

Connections

The arrows between nodes are connections. Data flows through them. Each node passes its output data to the next node.

The $json object

Inside any node, $json refers to the current item's data. If the previous node returned {title: "Hello", url: "..."}, you access it as {{ $json.title }}.

5 Workflows to Build Next

Once you're comfortable with the basics, these are the most useful workflows for creators:

1. YouTube to Newsletter

New YouTube video → auto-generate newsletter draft → save to Beehiiv as draft
Time saved: 45 min/video
Template: Download free

2. Email Auto-Categorizer

New Gmail → AI categorizes (Sponsorship/Support/Spam/etc.) → applies label → Slack alert for important ones
Time saved: 15-30 min/day
Template: Download free

3. Social Media Scheduler

Airtable content queue → AI optimizes for each platform → schedules via Buffer
Time saved: 2 hours/week
Template: Download free

4. Competitor Monitor

RSS feeds of competitors → filter new content → AI analysis → Slack digest
Time saved: 1 hour/day (if you monitor competitors manually now)
Template: Download free

5. Lead Capture + AI Scoring

Form submission → Claude scores lead (HOT/WARM/COLD) → Airtable CRM → Slack alert for hot leads
Time saved: Depends, but the AI scoring adds value you can't do manually at scale
Template: Download free

Common Beginner Mistakes

1. Activating without testing
Always test with real data before activating. n8n's "Test" mode is your best friend.

2. Not handling errors
Add an Error Trigger workflow that notifies you via Slack when any workflow fails. You'll thank yourself later.

3. Using console.log in Code nodes
n8n doesn't show console output. Use the built-in debug panel or return test data from the Code node to inspect it.

4. Mixing up $json and $item
$json = current item's data. $items = all items. $item(0) = first item. Learn this early.

5. Building too much at once
Start with 2-3 nodes. Get that working. Add complexity gradually.

n8n vs Zapier vs Make.com

Feature n8n (self-hosted) Zapier Make.com
Cost Free $20-$600/mo $9-$299/mo
AI nodes Built-in (Claude, GPT) Basic Basic
Custom code Full JavaScript None Limited
Operations limit Unlimited 750-50K/mo 1K-300K/mo
Learning curve Medium Easy Medium
Best for Developers, power users Simple automations Visual builders

My verdict: Start with n8n Cloud to learn. Move to self-hosted once you have 5+ active workflows.

Resources to Go Deeper

What's Next

Now that you have n8n running, the fastest path to value is:

  1. Identify 1 repetitive task you do every week (checking email, posting to social media, monitoring something)
  2. Find if there's an n8n template for it (check the template library or my GitHub)
  3. Import and customize — most templates work with 10-15 minutes of setup
  4. Document what you saved — knowing you saved 2 hours/week is motivating

The goal isn't to automate everything at once. It's to automate one thing well, then add another.

In 3 months, I went from manual everything to automating about 60% of my content creation pipeline. The other 40% is the creative work that still requires me.

That's the point. Automation should give you more time for the work only you can do.

Liked this? I publish practical n8n tutorials every Thursday on dev.to.
Free workflow templates (including this article's workflows): github.com/kaminade/n8n-automation-templates
Newsletter with weekly automation case studies: AI Automation Weekly

Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links. They cost you nothing and help me keep creating free content.

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