Welcome to Essentials: Your First Workflows

This is the first course in the n8n Foundations program! This course is your starting point for learning n8n, the workflow automation platform that lets you connect apps, move data, and automate tasks without writing code for every step.

By the end of this course, you'll be comfortable navigating the n8n canvas, building workflows from scratch, and working with the data that flows through them.

In this course, you will learn how to:

• • Navigate the n8n interface and canvas
  • Understand how nodes, connections, and executions work
  • Build and run your first workflow
  • Use triggers and scheduling to start workflows automatically
  • Understand how data is structured in n8n
  • Map, transform, and merge data between nodes

No prior experience with n8n is required. Just bring your curiosity and we'll take it from there. 

This course is split into two sections. Section 1: Getting started with n8n covers platform orientation, triggers and credentials. Section 2: Data flow & Transformation covers n8n data structures, data transformations, expressions and binary data. 

What you'll need

• An n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted)

To follow along with the exercises in this course, you'll need access to a publicly accessible n8n instance. You can use an n8n Cloud account (free trial available) or a self-hosted instance. We'll be building and running workflows throughout, so make sure your instance is set up before you start. 

All exercises use practice APIs hosted by the n8n Academy, so no external accounts or API keys are needed for this course.

How grading works

There are three components to grading for this course. Section quizzes, hands-on workflow exercises and a final exam. Some questions are conceptual, others require a working workflow or agent to answer. Complete the workflow exercises before attempting the quizzes. 

Grading breakdown 

You will need a total of 70% to pass this course.

About the n8n Foundations Program

This course is part of the n8n Foundations program, which includes three courses:

• • N8N101 Essentials: Your First Workflows (this course) - Learn the n8n interface and how data moves through workflows
  • N8N102 Integrations: APIs & Connected Workflows - Connect n8n to external services, control workflow logic, and build complete integrations
  • N8N103 In Practice: AI, Testing & Best Practices - Build AI-powered workflows, debug effectively, and organise your work for production

Each course can be taken on its own, but they're designed to build on each other. If you're brand new to n8n, you're in the right place.

FAQ

Do I need to pay for n8n?
n8n Cloud has a free trial. You can also self-host n8n for free.

How long does the course take?
Most learners finish in 2 to 4 hours.

When do I get my badge?
As soon as you receive a passing grade, your badge will be automatically assigned. If this is your first badge, you will receive an email from our badges platform. 

Is this a certification?
No, this is not a certification, you will recieve a badge and a certificate of completion.  Our certification program will be launched later in the year.