Initial Setup

Get n8n installed and create your first workflow automation. This guide walks you through installation and building your first automated workflow.

🎯 What You’ll Accomplish

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have:

• ✅ n8n installed and running locally
• ✅ Access to the n8n workflow editor
• ✅ Your first workflow automation created

📋 Prerequisites

• Node.js 18.10 or later installed
• Basic familiarity with your computer’s terminal/command line
• No prior n8n experience required

💾 Step 1: Install n8n

Install via npm (Recommended)

npm install -g n8n

Install via Docker

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

Verify Installation

n8n --version

Expected output:

1.x.x

🚀 Step 2: Start n8n

n8n start

n8n will start and you’ll see:

n8n ready on http://localhost:5678

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost:5678.

🔧 Step 3: Create Your First Workflow

Set Up Owner Account

On first launch, you’ll create an owner account:

1. Enter your email and password
2. Set your name
3. Click “Get Started”

Create a Simple Workflow

Let’s create a workflow that runs on a schedule:

1. Click “Add Workflow” or “Create New Workflow”
2. Click the “+” button to add your first node
3. Search for “Schedule Trigger” and select it
4. Configure the schedule (e.g., every 5 minutes)
5. Click “Add Node” (+) after the trigger
6. Search for “HTTP Request” and select it
7. Configure:
   • Method: GET
   • URL: https://api.github.com/zen
8. Click “Execute Node” to test
9. You should see a random Zen message from GitHub
10. Click “Save” and give your workflow a name
11. Activate the workflow using the toggle switch

Your first automation is now running!

✅ Verification Checklist

Before moving forward, verify:

• n8n --version shows n8n installed
• n8n UI loads at http://localhost:5678
• You can create and save a workflow
• You can execute nodes and see results

🎉 You’re Done!

You’ve successfully installed n8n and created your first workflow. You’re ready for more advanced automations.

📚 What’s Next?

Quick learner: n8n Quick Start

• Learn core concepts and workflow patterns
• Understand enough to build practical automations

Code-first learner: n8n By Example

• Practical workflow examples covering common automation patterns

• Best for learning through real-world use cases

• Progressive learning path from beginner to advanced

• Deep understanding of n8n’s capabilities

🆘 Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

Problem: “Port 5678 is already in use”

Solution: Either stop the existing n8n instance or use a different port:

n8n start --port 5679

Permission Errors

Problem: “EACCES: permission denied”

Solution: On Linux/macOS, you may need to use sudo for global npm installations, or use a Node version manager like nvm.

Docker Issues

Problem: Docker container doesn’t start

Solution: Verify Docker is running and you have permission to run Docker commands. Try:

docker ps