[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"glossary-n8n::en":3,"gloss-cluster-n8n::en":22,"gloss-next-n8n::en":8},{"slug":4,"category":5,"name":4,"definition":6,"meta_desc":7,"faq":8,"schema_markup":8,"related":9},"n8n","no-code","n8n (pronounced \"n-eight-n,\" short for \"nodemation\") is an open-source workflow automation platform offering the same visual, node-based automation-building experience as Zapier or Make, but with a key structural difference: it can be self-hosted on a company's own infrastructure (or used as n8n's managed cloud offering), giving builders full control over data residency and eliminating the per-task\u002Fper-operation billing model that makes high-volume automation on Zapier or Make expensive at scale. Why it matters: n8n has become the go-to choice for technically capable teams — often those with at least one developer comfortable with basic server maintenance — who need Zapier-level automation flexibility but either can't send certain data to a third-party SaaS platform (data residency, compliance, or security requirements) or run high enough automation volume that per-task pricing becomes a significant recurring cost. It's also popular in the AI-agent-building community specifically, because n8n has invested heavily in native AI\u002FLLM nodes (calling models like Claude or GPT directly, chaining multiple AI calls, building basic agentic workflows) alongside its traditional app-to-app automation capability, making it a common choice for builders prototyping AI-powered automations without writing a full custom backend. How it works: like Make, n8n represents workflows as a node-based canvas — nodes for triggers (webhooks, schedules, or app-specific events), actions (HTTP requests, database operations, or 400+ pre-built app integrations), and logic (IF\u002FSwitch nodes for branching, Merge nodes for combining data streams, Loop nodes for iterating over arrays). Self-hosting typically means running n8n via Docker on a VPS or Kubernetes cluster, connecting it to a Postgres database for workflow storage, and managing your own uptime\u002Fbackups — trading the \"someone else's problem\" simplicity of a SaaS platform for full control and (usually) significantly lower cost per execution at scale. Worked example — a self-hosted n8n workflow that classifies and routes support emails using AI: Node 1 (Trigger): \"IMAP Email\" node watches a support inbox for new messages. Node 2 (AI node): sends the email body to an LLM with a prompt \"Classify this support email into one of: Billing, Technical, Sales, Other. Respond with only the category.\" Node 3 (Switch node): branches based on the AI's classification — Billing routes to a finance Slack channel, Technical creates a ticket in a self-hosted Zammad instance, Sales notifies an AE, Other gets a generic auto-reply. Because this runs entirely on the company's own server, the potentially sensitive email content never passes through a third-party automation vendor's servers — a common deciding factor for teams choosing n8n over Zapier or Make for anything touching regulated or sensitive customer data.","n8n is an open-source, self-hostable workflow automation platform offering Zapier\u002FMake-style visual automation with full data control and no per-task pricing.",null,[10,13,16,19],{"slug":11,"name":12},"api","API",{"slug":14,"name":15},"automation-platform","Automation Platform",{"slug":17,"name":18},"conditional-logic","Conditional Logic",{"slug":20,"name":21},"workflow-automation","Workflow Automation",[23,27,31,34,35,38,41,42,45,48,51,54],{"slug":24,"category":5,"name":25,"updated_at":26},"action","Action","2026-08-24T02:46:36+00:00",{"slug":28,"category":5,"name":29,"updated_at":30},"aggregator","Aggregator","2026-08-24T02:46:37+00:00",{"slug":32,"category":5,"name":33,"updated_at":26},"airtable","Airtable",{"slug":11,"category":5,"name":12,"updated_at":26},{"slug":36,"category":5,"name":37,"updated_at":26},"api-key","API Key",{"slug":39,"category":5,"name":40,"updated_at":30},"approval-workflow","Approval Workflow",{"slug":14,"category":5,"name":15,"updated_at":26},{"slug":43,"category":5,"name":44,"updated_at":26},"automation-recipe","Automation Recipe",{"slug":46,"category":5,"name":47,"updated_at":26},"backend-as-a-service","Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS)",{"slug":49,"category":5,"name":50,"updated_at":30},"backfill","Backfill",{"slug":52,"category":5,"name":53,"updated_at":26},"bubble","Bubble",{"slug":55,"category":5,"name":56,"updated_at":26},"business-logic","Business Logic"]