Overview

What Is By-Example

This tutorial teaches n8n through 85 heavily annotated workflow examples that you can copy, run, and modify immediately. Unlike traditional tutorials that explain concepts before showing code, we show working workflows first and explain through inline annotations.

Target audience: Experienced developers who prefer learning through working code rather than narrative explanations. You should be comfortable with APIs, JSON, and basic programming concepts.

What 95% Coverage Means

This tutorial covers 95% of n8n features needed for production workflow automation:

Included (the 95%):

• Core workflow concepts and node types
• Trigger mechanisms (webhook, schedule, manual)
• Data transformation and expressions
• Error handling and retry strategies
• HTTP requests and API integration
• Database operations (PostgreSQL, MongoDB)
• File processing and manipulation
• Conditional logic and routing
• Loops and batch processing
• Sub-workflows and modularity
• Authentication patterns
• Production deployment
• Performance optimization
• Monitoring and debugging

Excluded (the remaining 5%):

• Rare edge case nodes
• Platform internals and source code
• Specialized integrations outside common use
• Deprecated features
• Deep n8n core contribution workflows

How to Use This Tutorial

Setup Requirements

All examples use Docker-based execution for reproducibility:

# Start n8n in Docker
docker run -it --rm \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n

# Access n8n at http://localhost:5678

Example Format

Every example follows a five-part format:

1. Brief explanation (2-3 sentences) - What, why, when
2. Mermaid diagram (30-50% of examples) - Visual workflow representation
3. Annotated workflow JSON - Copy-paste-runnable with // => annotations
4. Key takeaway (1-2 sentences) - Core insight and production guidance

Self-Containment

Examples are self-contained within their level:

• Beginner: Each example is completely standalone
• Intermediate: Assumes beginner concepts, but runnable independently
• Advanced: Assumes beginner + intermediate knowledge, still fully runnable

Golden rule: You can copy any example, paste it into n8n, and run it immediately without referring to other examples.

Reading Annotations

Workflow JSON annotations use // => notation to show data flow and state changes:

{
  "parameters": {
    "url": "https://api.example.com/users" // => HTTP GET request to API
  },
  "position": [250, 300] // => Visual position in n8n editor
}

Key annotation patterns:

• // => Output: {...} - Shows node execution result
• // => Data transformed: {...} - Shows data transformation
• // => Conditional: true/false - Shows condition evaluation
• // => Error: ... - Shows error handling

Tutorial Structure

Beginner (Examples 1-30, 0-40% coverage)

Focus: n8n fundamentals and core workflow concepts

Topics: Installation, first workflow, manual triggers, basic nodes (HTTP Request, Set, IF), credentials, webhook triggers, schedule triggers, data inspection, basic expressions, simple error handling, testing workflows

Diagram frequency: ~30%

Intermediate (Examples 31-60, 40-75% coverage)

Focus: Production patterns and advanced nodes

Topics: Advanced data transformation, complex expressions, loops and iterations, switch/router nodes, merge patterns, function nodes, database operations, file processing, email automation, webhook authentication, error workflows, retry strategies, environment variables

Diagram frequency: ~40%

Advanced (Examples 61-85, 75-95% coverage)

Focus: Expert mastery and optimization

Topics: Sub-workflows, workflow composition, advanced error handling, performance optimization, batch processing, API rate limiting, custom functions, queue patterns, monitoring strategies, production deployment, debugging techniques, security patterns, scaling patterns, best practices

Diagram frequency: ~50%

Example Count Distribution

Why Docker-Based Examples

All examples use Docker deployment because:

• Reproducible: Same environment for all users
• Isolated: No conflicts with system packages
• Portable: Works on Linux, macOS, Windows
• Production-like: Docker is common n8n deployment method
• Clean: Easy to reset and start fresh

Learning Path

Recommended progression:

1. Start with beginner - Even if experienced, understand n8n concepts
2. Work sequentially - Examples build conceptual knowledge
3. Run every example - Learning happens through execution
4. Modify examples - Change parameters and observe results
5. Reference advanced - Jump to specific patterns as needed

Not recommended:

• Skipping to advanced without basics
• Reading without running
• Memorizing workflows
• Using as reference without understanding

Next Steps

Ready to build production workflows? Start with Beginner examples to understand n8n fundamentals, then progress to Intermediate for production patterns, and finally Advanced for optimization and scaling.

Additional Resources

• n8n Official Documentation
• n8n Community Forum
• n8n Workflow Templates
• n8n GitHub Repository