n8n Automation Guide: From Zero to Automated Workflows

n8n is quietly becoming the secret weapon for businesses that want serious automation without enterprise pricing. Unlike Zapier or Make, n8n can be self-hosted—meaning unlimited workflows for a fixed cost.

Here's everything you need to know to get started.

What is n8n?

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is a workflow automation tool. Think of it as a visual way to connect apps and automate tasks.

Example: When someone fills out your contact form → add them to your CRM → send a Slack notification → trigger an email sequence. All automatic.

Why n8n Over Zapier or Make?

Cost: Zapier charges per task. At scale, that's thousands per month. n8n self-hosted is ~$20/month for unlimited everything.

Flexibility: n8n lets you write custom code when needed. Zapier keeps you in their sandbox.

Data privacy: Self-hosted means your data never leaves your servers. Critical for some industries.

AI integration: n8n has native nodes for OpenAI, and you can build custom AI workflows that would be impossible (or expensive) elsewhere.

Getting Started: Cloud vs Self-Hosted

n8n Cloud: Easiest to start. Free tier available. Good for testing.

Self-hosted: More setup, but unlimited workflows. I recommend Railway or DigitalOcean for hosting.

For beginners, start with n8n Cloud. You can always migrate later.

Your First Workflow: Lead Notification

Let's build something useful: get notified when someone submits a form.

Step 1: Create a webhook trigger

• Add a "Webhook" node
• Set it to receive POST requests
• Copy the webhook URL

Step 2: Add a Slack notification

• Add a "Slack" node
• Connect your Slack workspace
• Configure the message: "New lead: {{$json.name}} - {{$json.email}}"

Step 3: Test it

• Send a test POST request to your webhook
• Watch Slack light up

Total time: 10 minutes.

Five Workflows Every Business Needs

1. Lead Capture to CRM

Trigger: Form submission

Action: Create contact in HubSpot/Pipedrive, send welcome email, notify sales team

2. Meeting Follow-ups

Trigger: Calendar event ends

Action: Create follow-up task, send thank-you email, update CRM

3. Social Media Scheduling

Trigger: New blog post published

Action: Generate social posts with AI, schedule across platforms

4. Invoice Reminders

Trigger: Invoice overdue (check daily)

Action: Send reminder email, escalate after X days

5. AI-Powered Support Triage

Trigger: New support ticket

Action: Analyze with GPT, categorize, route to right team, send initial response

Integrating AI with n8n

This is where n8n really shines. Here's a practical example:

Workflow: Intelligent Lead Scoring

• Webhook receives new lead
• OpenAI node analyzes the message for intent and urgency
• If-then logic routes based on score
• High-intent leads go to sales immediately
• Others enter nurture sequence

The AI analysis that would cost hundreds in custom development? Done in an afternoon with n8n.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Over-automating too soon: Start with one workflow. Get it solid. Then expand.

Ignoring error handling: Add error triggers. You need to know when things break.

Not documenting: Future you will forget why you built something. Add notes to every workflow.

Skipping testing: Test with real data before going live. Edge cases will surprise you.

Next Steps

• Sign up for n8n Cloud (free tier)
• Build the lead notification workflow above
• Identify your most repetitive task
• Automate it

If you want help designing a comprehensive automation strategy, book a call and we'll map out what's possible for your business.

Or take our AI Readiness Assessment to see where automation can have the biggest impact.