n8n for Beginners: Automation with a Liiittle Programming

How much time do you spend on repetitive tasks every day? Copying data between systems, sending reminders, updating spreadsheets... There's a better way.

n8n is a tool that lets you automate almost anything. And while understanding a bit of programming helps, you can get very far without it.

What is n8n?

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is an automation platform where you build workflows visually. Instead of writing code, you drag and drop "nodes" that connect together.

Think of it like building with LEGO. Each piece has a function, and together they create something powerful.

What Does It Cost?

Here's the deal: n8n Cloud is not free. The Starter plan costs 20 euros per month after your trial period.

But there are alternatives:

• Self-hosted: Completely free if you run it on your own server. Requires some technical knowledge. Read n8n's setup guide
• Lenny's Product Pass: Highly recommended! For $200 per year you get n8n plus 18 other tools. Incredible value for money. Check it out here

Why Automation?

Let me give you some concrete examples of what can be automated:

• New leads → CRM: When someone fills out a form on your website, a contact is automatically created in your CRM
• Invoice reminders: The system checks unpaid invoices and sends reminders after X days
• Social media → Summary: Mentions of your company are collected in one document
• Meeting bookings → Calendar + CRM: When someone books a meeting, both the calendar and customer card are updated

Each automation might only save a few minutes. But multiply that by every day, every week. Suddenly we're talking hours.

Getting Started

Option 1: n8n Cloud (easiest)

1. Go to n8n.io
2. Click "Start for free"
3. Create an account
4. You're ready to build!

Option 2: Self-hosted (free, but technical)

You can run n8n completely free on your own computer or server. It requires some technical knowledge, but n8n has excellent documentation that walks you through the process.

Read n8n's official installation guide

Build Your First Workflow

Let's create something simple but practical: an automation that sends you an email every morning with the weather.

Step 1: Create a new workflow

Click "Create new workflow" in n8n.

Step 2: Add a trigger

Search for "Schedule" and add a Schedule Trigger. Set it to run every day at 7:00 AM.

Step 3: Fetch weather data

Add an "HTTP Request" node and connect it to the trigger. We'll use wttr.in, a free weather API that works without an API key:

• URL: https://wttr.in/New+York?format=3
• Method: GET

This fetches the weather for New York. Want a different location? Just replace "New+York" with your city name (use + for spaces).

Click "Test step" to verify it works. You should see something like "New+York: 🌨 +1°C".

Step 4: Connect Gmail

Now we'll send the weather via email. Add a "Gmail" node and connect it to the HTTP node.

The first time you use Gmail in n8n, you need to connect your account:

1. Click "Credential to connect with"
2. Select "Create New Credential"
3. Click "Sign in with Google"
4. Log in with your Google account and give n8n permission to send emails

Step 5: Configure the email

Once Gmail is connected, fill in the email settings:

• To: your email address
• Subject: Today's weather in New York
• Message: {{ $json.data }}

Click "Test step" to send a test email. Check your inbox!

Step 6: Activate

Click "Save" and then "Active". Now you have your first automation that sends you the weather every morning!

Next Steps: Connect Your Tools

Now that you've built your first automation, it's time to think bigger. The real power of n8n comes when you connect the tools you already use every day.

Here are some examples of what you can do:

Google Sheets can become the hub of your automation. Read data automatically, write results back, or trigger entire workflows when something changes in a spreadsheet.

Slack and Gmail become smarter with automation. Send notifications to the right channel, sort incoming emails, or create automatic replies to common questions.

Notion works great as a database. Create new pages automatically when something happens, or update existing records based on data from other systems.

Calendly + Stripe are powerful together. When someone books a meeting, you can automatically send an invoice, update your CRM, and add them to your mailing list.

Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

1. Starting too big Build simple flows first. Add complexity gradually.

2. Forgetting error handling What happens if a step fails? Add an "Error Trigger" to get notifications.

3. Not testing properly Use "Execute Workflow" to test before activating. Make sure everything works with real data.

4. Hardcoding sensitive information Use n8n's credentials system for API keys and passwords. Never write them directly in the nodes.

AI + Automation = Superpower

This is where it gets really interesting. n8n has nodes for AI services like OpenAI and Claude. That means you can:

• Have AI summarize incoming emails and sort them by priority
• Automatically generate responses to common questions
• Analyze documents and extract key information
• Translate content to multiple languages

The combination of automation and AI is where the magic happens.

Resources to Learn More

• n8n.io/workflows – Hundreds of ready-made templates
• community.n8n.io – Active forum with helpful users
• YouTube – Search "n8n tutorial" for video walkthroughs

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Want help automating your workflows? Book a consultation and let's build something that saves you time every day.