If you work in the world of servers, websites, and cloud services, you’ve probably heard of various automation tools. One of the very powerful tools that has gained a lot of popularity among developers and server administrators is n8n.
In this article, we will fully introduce this system and then provide a step-by-step guide to installing and setting up n8n locally on your personal system.
What is n8n?
n8n is a powerful tool for building automation systems and designing intelligent workflows that helps you automate repetitive tasks without complex programming. The name n8n is derived from the term “nodemation,” a combination of the words Node and Automation, which accurately reflects the nature of this tool; a system that performs various tasks intelligently and structurally with the help of Nodes and automation flows. n8n is a fully Open Source project, and this feature has allowed developers and server administrators to expand it according to their needs and use it without limitations.
One of the reasons for n8n’s rapid popularity is that, unlike commercial competitors such as Zapier and Make, this tool has no limitations regarding the number of workflows, automation executions, or its self-hosted nature. You can run it on your personal system, a Virtual Private Server (VPS), or even a Docker container, giving you complete control over your data. This is particularly important for businesses with high sensitivity regarding data security or privacy, as all information is processed on your own server, eliminating dependency on external services.
What does n8n do?
In its simplest definition, n8n is a connector between various services, tools, and systems. By using pre-built nodes, you can design a workflow that receives data from one service, performs the necessary processing, and then sends it to another service. All these steps are carried out in a very smooth and visual graphical environment, which even people without programming experience can work with.
For example, imagine that when a user registers on your WordPress website, their information is automatically saved to Google Sheets, a welcome message is sent to Telegram for the support team, and simultaneously a welcome email is sent to the user. All of these operations will be performed without the need for coding, simply by connecting a few Nodes together. This level of automation can save time, reduce human errors, and make workflows faster and more accurate.
The Importance of n8n Being Open-Source
The open-source nature of n8n is one of its most important features, distinguishing it from competitors. With commercial tools, you typically need to purchase expensive subscriptions to build more workflows, run scheduled automations, or use advanced features. However, n8n is offered completely free of charge and without limitations. You can not only run it on your own server or VPS, but you also have the ability to edit the code, develop custom Nodes, add new features, and build a completely tailored system for your business. This is particularly valuable for hosting companies, technical teams, and organizations that have internal infrastructure, as full control over the backend and data is maintained.
How Does n8n Work?
The architecture of n8n is based on a few core concepts. The first are Nodes. Each Node performs a specific task. For example, the Telegram Node is responsible for sending messages, the WordPress Node retrieves information from your site, the MySQL Node stores data in the database, and the Webhook Node handles receiving requests from external sources. You arrange these Nodes like puzzle pieces to build your workflow.
The second are Workflows. A Workflow is a collection of connected Nodes that execute a complete process. This Workflow can be run manually, scheduled, or triggered by a specific event. Triggers are essentially the starting point of a Workflow. For instance, a Workflow can begin when a new email is received, a new order is placed, a website receives a new form submission, or your API is called by a Webhook.
During the execution of a Workflow, data is transferred between Nodes via Data Flow. n8n stores and processes data at each step, allowing you to filter, format, and analyze it. Behind this process is the n8n execution engine, or Execution Engine, which manages the execution of Nodes, logs events, performs retries in case of errors, and ensures the stability of the Workflow.
Tutorial: Installing n8n Locally on Your Personal System
Installing n8n locally is ideal for those who want to test and experiment with n8n before deploying it to their production server.
Installation Prerequisites
- Node.js version 18 or higher
- npm (installed with Node)
- Operating System: Windows, Linux, or macOS
To verify your Node installation, run the following command in your terminal:
node -v
Step 1: Installing n8n via npm
After installing Node.js, simply execute the following command:
npm install n8n -g
This command installs n8n globally on your system.
Step 2: Running n8n
After the installation is complete, run the application with the following command:
n8n
Once running, n8n will display a local address similar to the following:
http://localhost:5678
By entering this address in your browser, you will see the n8n graphical interface.
Step 3: Creating Your First Workflow
After logging into the n8n environment:
- Click on the Create Workflow option
- Select the desired service from the extensive list of Nodes
- Connect the Nodes to each other using Drag & Drop
- Test the Workflow and then activate it (set to Active)
Installing n8n with Docker
If you are looking for more stable performance (especially for VPS, Cloud Server, or a development environment), Docker is the best option.
Step 1: Install Docker and Docker Compose
If not already installed, install the latest version of Docker. Please note that the Docker installation process varies depending on your operating system.
Step 2: Create the docker-compose.yml file
Create the following file in a new folder:
version: '3'
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n
ports:
- 5678:5678
volumes:
- ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n
Step 3: Run n8n
docker-compose up -d
You will then be able to access the tool via the previous address:
http://localhost:5678
n8n is a powerful, open-source, and reliable tool for building automated workflows that can execute complex processes in a simple and graphical manner.
Due to its open-source nature, self-hosting capabilities, and a vast number of integrations, this tool is an excellent choice for website administrators, DevOps teams, hosting companies, and developers.
If you intend to create more advanced automations, we recommend deploying n8n on a VPS after testing the local version, to take full advantage of its features.