About the course
This intensive, two-day workshop introduces professionals from all business backgrounds to the power of workflow automation using the visual, low-code platform n8n. You will learn the fundamental concepts of automation, data flow, and task scheduling without writing a single line of code.
The course is deeply practical, focusing on connecting the apps you use every day (like Google Sheets, email, and Slack) and transforming data between them. Crucially, you will also be introduced to AI agent creation, enabling n8n to perform intelligent, conditional actions, such as generating summaries, classifying customer inquiries, and routing tasks automatically.
You will leave equipped to immediately implement time-saving automations in your daily work.
Instructor-led online and in-house face-to-face options are available - as part of a wider customised training programme, or as a standalone workshop, on-site at your offices or at one of many flexible meeting spaces in the UK and around the World.
-
- Understand Core Concepts: Define workflow automation, triggers, nodes, and how data flows through a pipeline.
- Connect Applications: Confidently connect and authenticate common business applications (e.g., MS Teams, Google, Slack, internal APIs) using n8n's visual interface.
- Manipulate Data: Apply simple logic, transformations, and filters to condition the flow of data within a workflow.
- Schedule and Trigger: Set up workflows to run automatically based on time schedules (Cron) or external application events (Webhooks).
- Build Simple AI Agents: Integrate large language models (LLMs) via n8n to perform intelligent, conditional tasks, such as text summarization and categorization.
- Implement Error Handling: Add basic error detection and notification nodes to ensure workflows are reliable and robust.
-
This course is ideal for Business Analysts, Marketing Managers, Operations Specialists, Project Managers, and anyone who needs to automate repetitive, manual tasks between web services but has little or no programming experience.
-
There are no prerequisites for this course. Attendees should have general comfort navigating web applications and be ready to participate in hands-on exercises.
-
This n8n fundamentals course is available for private / custom delivery for your team - as an in-house face-to-face workshop at your location of choice, or as online instructor-led training via MS Teams (or your own preferred platform).
Get in touch to find out how we can deliver tailored training which focuses on your project requirements and learning goals.
-
Introduction to Workflow Automation
Defining the business problem: What is automation and why is it essential?
Introducing n8n: The visual, node-based approach to building workflows.
Core concepts: Workflows, Nodes, Triggers, and Credentials.
Navigating the n8n interface.
Triggers and Basic Connectivity
Hands-on Lab: Setting up the two most common triggers: Webhooks (external events) and Time-Based Triggers (Cron).
Connecting essential services: Setting up Credentials for applications like Google Sheets, Email (SMTP), and Slack.
Hands-on Lab: Building a basic workflow to send an email notification when a webhook is triggered.
Transforming and Managing Data
Understanding the flow: How data moves from one node to the next (JSON).
Using the Set Node to rename, add, or remove data fields.
Using the Filter Node to apply conditional logic (e.g., "Only continue if the order value is over $100").
Hands-on Lab: Building a sales lead workflow that filters new entries based on criteria and formats the message.
Integration Deep Dive
Connecting to specialized services (e.g., Trello, Airtable, HubSpot, or common internal tools).
Using the HTTP Request Node to interact with services that don't have a dedicated n8n node.
Handling repetitive tasks with the Split In Batches node.
Introducing AI Capabilities
How to integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) into n8n via dedicated AI nodes (e.g., OpenAI, Gemini, or a custom API).
Understanding the role of the AI node: Generation, Classification, and Summarization.
Hands-on Lab: Building an AI workflow to receive a customer email, use the LLM to summarize the request, and classify its urgency (high, medium, low).
Creating Intelligent Agents
Using Conditional Logic based on AI output (e.g., if urgency is "high," send to a premium Slack channel).
Using the Code Node for simple JavaScript snippets (optional, for advanced users).
Techniques for creating effective, reliable prompts for your AI agent.
Error Handling and Reliability
Understanding common workflow failures.
Implementing Error Workflow nodes to catch issues.
Setting up notifications (email/Slack) when a workflow fails.
Hands-on Lab: Testing a workflow to intentionally fail, ensuring the error notification system works.
Production and Scaling
Organizing workflows into folders and proper naming conventions.
Monitoring workflow history and debugging past runs.
Best practices for migrating from development to production environments.
Licensing and deployment options for n8n.
-
Core n8n Platform Resources
n8n Official Documentation The primary source for understanding nodes, features, and configuration. The getting started and core concept guides are excellent. https://docs.n8n.io/
n8n Community Forum The most active place to find solutions to complex problems, ask questions, and share custom workflows. Invaluable for real-world support. https://community.n8n.io/
n8n Node Reference List A complete list of all built-in nodes, including detailed usage and parameter explanations for all major applications covered in the course (e.g., Google Sheets, Slack, CRM tools). https://n8n.io/integrations/
n8n Workflow Templates A collection of pre-built, ready-to-use workflow examples that attendees can examine, reverse-engineer, and quickly deploy. https://n8n.io/workflows/
AI and Advanced Integration Resources
n8n AI Agents Documentation Specific guides on setting up the AI-focused nodes, including prompt structuring and connecting to external LLM services. https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/ai-agents/
OpenAI API Documentation Since many developers integrate with OpenAI, this documentation is key for understanding API keys, rate limits, and model parameters when setting up AI nodes in n8n. https://platform.openai.com/docs/api-reference
Webhook Tester A simple, external tool for testing and debugging Webhook triggers, which are critical for event-driven workflows (covered on Day 1). https://webhook.site/
Development Environment
n8n Desktop App While cloud hosting is an option, the desktop application is an excellent, private environment for initial learning, development, and testing the workflows. https://n8n.io/desktop/
VS Code (Visual Studio Code) Helpful for attendees who use the optional Code Node in Module 6, as it provides a clean environment for testing JavaScript snippets before pasting them into n8n. https://code.visualstudio.com/
Trusted by
