Building an Automated Workflow Platform With n8n

on Aug 23, 2025, tagged translations, n8n, ai (share this post, e.g., on Mastodon or on Bluesky)

1. Introduction to n8n

n8n is a node-based, visual workflow automation tool that allows you to connect different services and applications via drag-and-drop. It supports 200+ integrations, including various AI services, databases, APIs, and more.

Key features of n8n:

Open source and free: Completely open source and free to use
Visual design: Create complex workflows via drag-and-drop
Rich integrations: Supports 200+ services and applications
Local deployment: Supports local deployment to protect data privacy
Powerful customization: Supports custom nodes and functions

2. n8n Use Cases

Scenario	Traditional Approach	n8n Solution
Receive form submissions, send notifications, and store data	Manual operation	n8n automates the process
Daily scheduled API data fetching	Write scripts	n8n timer + HTTP request
Automatically push new project issues to a group chat	Manual transfer	n8n listens to webhooks
Multi-platform data synchronization (e.g., CRM, ERP)	Manual or expensive custom development	n8n visual integration
Implement intelligent workflows with AI APIs	High-barrier development	n8n integrates with OpenAI, etc.

3. Installing and Deploying n8n

Pull the image:

docker pull n8nio/n8n:1.108.1

Run the container:

// Create directory
cd /Users/admin/program/docker/instance/n8n
mkdir -p ./n8n

// Run
docker run -d -p 5678:5678 --name n8n \
-v $PWD/n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
n8nio/n8n:1.108.1

4. Accessing the n8n Interface

After installation, open your browser and visit http://localhost:5678. You will see the n8n login interface.

On your first visit, you will need to:

Create an admin account
Set a password
Select a workspace

5. Creating Your First AI Workflow

Let’s create a simple AI workflow to experience n8n’s basic functionality.

Step 1: Create a Workflow

After logging in to n8n, click New Workflow to create a new workflow. Give it a name, such as “AI Workflow.”

Step 2: Workflow Orchestration

Click the + button on the canvas and select On chat message, then click Back to canvas. You should now see a new node in the center of the canvas:

Click the + on the right side of the node and select Ollama Chat Model. Click Select Credential, and set the Ollama Base URL to: http://localhost:11434.
(For Docker deployments, use: http://host.docker.internal:11434)

Next, click Save. You should see a green message: “Connection tested successfully.”

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Step 3: Run the Workflow

Click Chat at the bottom and enter “Hello.” The workflow will run automatically and output the response.

With this, the n8n setup and your first AI workflow are complete. You can now explore more complex use cases.

(This post is a machine-made, human-reviewed, and authorized translation of xuxueli.com/blog/?blog=ai/n8n-workflow.)