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n8n-io/n8n

★ 186,883TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5License

TLDR

n8n is a workflow automation platform that lets you connect apps and services together visually or with code, with 400+ integrations and AI agent capabilities.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((n8n))
    What it does
      Visual workflow builder
      Connect 400+ apps
      Drop into code
      AI agent workflows
    How to use
      Self-host or cloud
      Browser-based editor
      Docker or Node.js
      Adapt templates
    Use cases
      Internal automations
      Data pipeline tasks
      AI-powered workflows
      Custom integrations
    Tech stack
      TypeScript
      Node.js
      JavaScript/Python
      LangChain
    Audience
      Technical teams
      DevOps engineers
      Automation builders

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Automate repetitive tasks across multiple apps without writing custom code.

USE CASE 2

Build AI agent workflows that process your own data using LangChain and custom models.

USE CASE 3

Create internal data pipelines that move information between databases, APIs, and services.

USE CASE 4

Deploy self-hosted automations on your own infrastructure for compliance or data privacy.

Tech stack

TypeScriptNode.jsJavaScriptPythonLangChainDocker
Self-host under the Sustainable Use License (fair-code); commercial cloud offering available. You can use, modify, and deploy freely for internal use, but commercial redistribution requires a license.

In plain English

n8n is a workflow automation platform aimed at technical teams — a tool you use to wire different apps and services together so that actions in one trigger actions in another, without having to write a full custom integration each time. The pitch is that it gives you the flexibility of code with the speed of no-code: you can build automations visually by connecting nodes, but also drop into JavaScript or Python and pull in npm packages whenever the visual interface isn't enough.

It works by letting you compose workflows out of building blocks — there are 400+ integrations with external APIs, plus 900+ ready-made workflow templates you can adapt. It has native AI capabilities, including building AI agent workflows based on LangChain with your own data and models. You can self-host it under its fair-code license (Sustainable Use License) or use the n8n cloud offering. Enterprise features include advanced permissions, single sign-on, and air-gapped deployments.

You'd use n8n when you want internal automations or AI-powered workflows that you control end-to-end, especially if you need to keep data on your own infrastructure or extend the platform with your own nodes. Getting started is just running npx n8n with Node.js installed, or deploying it via a Docker container, then opening the editor in your browser. The codebase is TypeScript. The name "n8n" is short for "nodemation" — node plus automation — and is pronounced n-eight-n.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to create a workflow in n8n that triggers when a new email arrives and saves attachments to cloud storage.
Prompt 2
How do I build an AI agent workflow in n8n using LangChain that answers questions about my company's documents?
Prompt 3
Walk me through deploying n8n on Docker and creating a workflow that syncs data between two APIs every hour.
Prompt 4
How can I extend n8n with a custom node that calls my own Python script as part of a workflow?
Prompt 5
Show me how to set up n8n with single sign-on and role-based permissions for my team.
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.