•5 min
Building Practical Automations with n8n
Create low-code workflows to connect APIs, webhooks, and background jobs.
n8n is a flexible, open-source automation tool. It connects services—HTTP, databases, queues—without heavy code.
How I use it:
- Webhook trigger → transform payload → call external API → store in DB.
- Cron trigger → fetch analytics → send Slack summary.
Why it's nice:
- Visual, yet scriptable with Code nodes.
- Self-hosted, so data stays with you.
- Marketplace nodes cover common services.
Best practices:
- Keep credentials in vaults, not in nodes.
- Add retry and error branches.
- Use sub-workflows for reuse.
If you have repetitive tasks (syncing, alerts, enrichment), n8n lets you ship value fast with guardrails.