Getting Started with N8n: Build Your First Automation

N8n is a powerful workflow automation tool that lets you connect different services and automate repetitive tasks. In this guide, we'll walk through setting up N8n on your VPS using Docker and creating your first automation workflow.

Prerequisites

• •A VPS with Docker installed
• •Basic understanding of APIs
• •A Telegram bot token (we'll use this for notifications)

Step 1: Install N8n with Docker

The easiest way to run N8n is with Docker Compose. Create a `docker-compose.yml` file with the N8n service, PostgreSQL for data persistence, and proper environment variables.

Step 2: Create Your First Workflow

Once N8n is running, access the editor at your domain. We'll create a simple workflow that: 1. Triggers on a schedule (every hour) 2. Fetches data from an API 3. Processes the data 4. Sends a summary to Telegram

Step 3: Add Error Handling

Always add error handling to your workflows. Use the Error Trigger node to catch failures and send alerts to your Telegram admin chat.

Conclusion

You now have a working N8n setup with your first automation. From here, you can explore more complex workflows, connect additional services, and build powerful automation systems.