Published on October 01, 2025 by Jelle Brink

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In a world where automation is a necessity, not just a trend, n8n offers a distinctive approach to workflows, data integration, and process automation. This guide dives into what n8n is, how it works, its pros and cons, how to deploy it! 

Table of Contents

• What is n8n?
• How n8n works (architecture & under the hood)
• How n8n differs from alternatives
• Key features & modules
• Hosting, deployment, and scalability
• Practical use cases (by sector)
• Pros and cons
• The future of automation with n8n
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is n8n?

n8n is a workflow automation platform that lets you visually connect applications, APIs, data sources, and services so they work together. It’s designed to automate repetitive tasks, build integrations, route or transform data, and streamline processes.

Core aspects:

• Open / fair-code model: source available with a Sustainable Use License.
  

• Flexible & extensible: use built-in nodes, custom code, API calls, or your own nodes.
  

• Visual editor: build automations via drag-and-drop.
  

• Self-hosted and cloud options: run on your own infrastructure or choose a managed cloud.

How n8n works (architecture & under the hood)

Workflows & nodes

A workflow is a visual process made up of:

• Trigger nodes — start the workflow (e.g., webhook, schedule, new email, file added).
  

• Action/transform/filter nodes — process input, perform actions (store data, call APIs, send emails), and route execution via conditions/loops.
  
  Custom code/expressions — add JavaScript/expressions for formatting, conditional logic, and complex transformations.
  
  

Dataflow & conditions

Workflows can branch (If/Switch), loop, and follow multiple paths. Nodes take input from previous nodes, transform or filter it, and pass output forward.

Execution mode

For larger workloads, use queue mode / worker executors to place jobs in a queue handled by multiple workers—enabling horizontal scaling.

Licensing

n8n uses a Sustainable Use License (SUL): core code is visible; commercial use has conditions.

How n8n differs from alternatives

Key features & modules

• Large integration library (hundreds of nodes): Slack, Google Sheets, Airtable, HTTP, MySQL, Trello, GitHub, and more.
  

• Function/Code nodes: run JavaScript for data transforms and custom logic.
  

• Conditional logic: If, Switch, Merge, loops, and branches for dynamic flows.
  

• Webhooks & API-first: receive/send data via APIs; real-time integrations.
  

• Error handling: continue-on-error, fallbacks, alerts, and logging.
  

• AI/Agent integrations: build Q&A/RAG and other AI-driven workflows.
  

• Templates: reusable, prebuilt workflow blueprints.
  

• Audit & logging: execution history, debugging insights.
  

• Self-hosting & scalability: Docker/Kubernetes support; queue/worker mode.
  
  

Hosting, deployment, and scalability

Self-hosted

• Run on your own server, VPS, Docker, or Kubernetes.
  

• Full control over updates, security, and data.
  

• Requires your own maintenance, monitoring, and scaling.
  

Managed cloud (n8n.cloud)

• Team handles updates, infrastructure, and scaling.
  

• You pay for convenience and support.
  

Scalability

• Use queue mode + multiple workers for parallel processing.
  

• Scale horizontally; monitor CPU/RAM; respect rate limits and timeouts.
  
  

Practical use cases (by sector)

Marketing & Sales

• Enrich leads via external APIs and push to CRM.
  

• Trigger email campaigns based on behavior.
  

• Schedule social posts automatically.
  

E-commerce

• Sync orders with accounting.
  

• Notify customers on status changes (email/SMS/chat).
  

• Monitor stock and auto-reorder.
  

IT / DevOps / Ops

• Pipe alerts/monitoring into incident tools.
  

• Automate backups and storage.
  

• Bridge internal tools; centralize logs and dashboards.
  

HR / Operations

• Onboarding flows (accounts, emails, checklists).
  

• Leave/expense requests integrated with internal systems.
  

• Generate and distribute reports.
  

AI / Data workflows

• Document Q&A using vector stores (RAG).
  

• Text analysis, sentiment, extraction pipelines.
  

• Chatbot backends connected to FAQs/knowledge bases.
  

Pros and cons

Pros

• Open and extensible.
  

• Powerful flexibility.
  

• Lower barrier than full custom builds.
  

• Data ownership when self-hosted.
  

• Strong community and growing ecosystem.
  

Cons / challenges

• Learning curve for beginners.
  

• Self-hosting overhead.
  

• Updates can introduce breaking changes to nodes.
  

• Production hardening needed (auth, rate limiting, monitoring).
  

• License nuances may require review for commercial offerings.
  

The future of automation with n8n

Automation and integration are table stakes for scalable growth. With AI, agent tech, and robust APIs rising, the winners are platforms that are both flexible and extensible. n8n sits at this intersection, combining low/no-code accessibility with real technical depth. Expect continued investment in AI features, real-time streams, serverless patterns, and more out-of-the-box integrations - while keeping the UX simple as complexity grows under the hood.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is n8n really free? What does it cost?
A: Yes, self-hosting is free aside from your infrastructure. The managed n8n.cloud option is paid.

Q: What license does n8n use, and what does it mean?
A: n8n uses a Sustainable Use License (SUL). The code is visible; some commercial/distribution uses are restricted. Review the license if you plan to resell or embed it.

Q: How do I scale n8n for heavy workloads?
A: Enable queue mode and add worker executors. Scale horizontally with more workers, and watch infra (CPU/RAM), rate limits, timeouts, and error handling.

Q: Can I build AI/Q&A workflows with n8n?
A: Yes. Use AI nodes (e.g., retrieval/Q&A) with vector stores or LLM providers to implement RAG and agent-style flows.

Q: What happens if a node fails (e.g., API timeout)?
A: Add robust error handling: continue-on-error where appropriate, fallback routes, notifications, and logging.

Q: Why doesn’t process.env.N8N_VERSION show the version anymore?
A: In newer releases this environment variable may no longer be exposed in some setups. Use alternative introspection (e.g., available endpoints or runtime metadata) to retrieve the running version.

Q: My trigger says “No data with the current filter could be found.” What now?
A: You’re likely testing against an empty source (e.g., empty folder). In production, wait for real events or add a fallback path/conditional branch.

Q: How do I support follow-up questions in a single chatbot session?
A: Carry a session ID through your workflow so context persists across turns.

Q: In a Notion + Slack AI agent, I only fetch metadata, not page content. Why?
A: Your flow probably queries the database list only. Extend it to fetch each page’s content (and consider a RAG pattern) instead of just the listing.

Q: How fast is support?
A: Community forums are active and quick for most issues. Managed/enterprise customers also get direct support via the vendor.