n8n: Workflow Automation
Tools · 8 min
n8n is a powerful workflow automation tool. It connects apps, services and APIs — without programming.
Why n8n?
Advantages
- Self-hosted - all data stays local
- Open Source - free
- 400+ integrations
- Code nodes for custom logic
Disadvantages
- More setup than cloud tools
- You are responsible for hosting
- Steeper learning curve
Installation
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
ports:
- "5678:5678"
volumes:
- n8n_data:/home/node/.n8nBasic Concepts
Nodes are the building blocks. Each node does one thing.Workflows connect nodes into chains.Expressions like {{$json.name}} manipulate data.
Useful Nodes
- HTTP Request - API calls
- IF - Conditional branching
- Set - Transform data
- Function - Custom JavaScript code
- Slack / Team-Chat - Send messages
- Ollama - Local LLMs
Practical Examples
# Stripe Payment → E-Mail
Webhook (Stripe) → IF (success) → Email Send
# RSS → Newsletter
RSS Read (daily) → Slack → Email Send
# Form → AI → Save
Webhook → Ollama → Notion → SlackBest Practices
- Start small - first simple, then expand
- Add error handling
- Use test mode
- Check logs for debugging
Related articles: n8n Workflow Bundle · Ollama Tutorial
For implementation support, find resources at ai-engineering.at.
Next step: ship workflows that stay operable
Use proven n8n patterns, templates and integrations for workflows that stay local, documented, and auditable.
Why AI Engineering
- Local and self-hosted by default
- Documented and auditable
- Built from our own runtime
- Made in Austria
Not legal advice.