Getting Started with n8n: Setup, Nodes & Your First Workflow

What is n8n?

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is an open-source workflow automation platform with 400+ integrations. Think of it as LEGO blocks for automation — you snap together nodes (triggers, actions, logic) to build workflows that run themselves.

Unlike Zapier, n8n is open-source, self-hostable, and significantly cheaper at scale.

Setting Up n8n

Two ways to get started: n8n Cloud (fastest) or self-hosted on a VPS (most control).

Option A: n8n Cloud

1. Go to n8n.io/cloud and sign up.
2. Open the workflow editor from your dashboard.
3. Done. You're ready to build.

Option B: Self-Host on Hostinger VPS

1. Buy a VPS on Hostinger (KVM 1 plan works fine to start).
2. During setup, pick Ubuntu 24.04 with the n8n template — this pre-installs Docker and n8n automatically.
3. Once the VPS is live, open http://your-vps-ip:5678 in your browser.
4. Create your admin account on first login.
5. You're in the editor. Start building.

Tip: The n8n template handles Docker setup for you. No terminal commands needed.

Cloud vs Self-Hosted

| | n8n Cloud | Self-Hosted (VPS) | | -------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------- | | Cost | From ~$24/month | Just VPS cost (~$5-10/month) | | Setup time | 2 minutes | 10 minutes | | Control | Limited | Full (your server, your data) | | Best for | Quick start, small teams | Privacy-focused, cost-conscious | | Scaling | Upgrade plan | Upgrade VPS specs |

Understanding Nodes

A node = one action in your workflow. You chain nodes together to build automations.

| Node Type | What It Does | Examples | | -------------- | ------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Trigger | Starts the workflow | Webhook, Schedule, Manual Trigger | | Action | Performs a task | Send Email, Slack message, HTTP Request | | Flow/Logic | Controls the path | IF, Switch, Merge, Loop | | Code | Runs custom code | JavaScript or Python via Code node |

Think of it like a kitchen: the trigger is the order coming in, action nodes are the cooks doing tasks, and flow nodes are the head chef deciding what goes where.

Build Your First Workflow

We'll build a simple workflow: fetch a random quote every morning and email it to yourself.

Schedule Trigger → HTTP Request (quote API) → Send Email

Step 1: Create a New Workflow

1. Click "Add Workflow" (top-right) in the n8n editor.
2. Name it Daily Quote Email.

Step 2: Add the Schedule Trigger

1. Click "Add first step" in the canvas.
2. Search for Schedule Trigger and select it.
3. Set Trigger Interval to Every Day at your preferred time (e.g., 8:00 AM).

Step 3: Add the HTTP Request Node

1. Click the "+" button on the Schedule Trigger node.
2. Search for HTTP Request and select it.
3. Set Method to GET.
4. Set URL to https://api.quotable.io/random.
5. Click "Test step" — you should see a JSON response with content and author fields.

Step 4: Add the Send Email Node

1. Click "+" on the HTTP Request node.
2. Search for Send Email and select it.
3. Configure the fields:
   • To: your-email@example.com
   • Subject: Your Daily Quote
   • Body (Expression): Click the ⚡ icon next to the body field and enter:

{{ $json.content }}

— {{ $json.author }}

4. Set up your SMTP credentials (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) under the Credential dropdown.

Tip: Use {{ $json.fieldName }} to reference data from the previous node. This is n8n's expression syntax.

Step 5: Test & Activate

1. Click "Test workflow" in the top bar to run the full flow manually.
2. Check your inbox — you should have a quote email.
3. Toggle the workflow to Active (top-right switch) to run it on schedule.

What's Next?

You've set up n8n, learned how nodes work, and built a working automated workflow.

In Part 2, we'll build a real-world multi-step workflow with conditional logic, multiple branches, and error handling.

👉 Read Part 2: Building Real-World Workflows with n8n