How2AI – AI 101 Learning Platform

What is n8n?

n8n is a powerful workflow automation platform that connects your apps and services with a visual, node-based interface. Think of it as Zapier on steroids – with the ability to self-host, write custom code, and build complex conditional logic. When combined with AI, n8n becomes a game-changer for ecommerce automation.

Why n8n for Ecommerce?

🔓 Open Source & Self-Hostable

Full control over your data and workflows. No vendor lock-in, complete transparency, and ability to customize everything.

🧩 Hundreds of Integrations

Connect Shopify, WooCommerce, email platforms, CRMs, databases, AI services, and more out of the box.

💻 Code When Needed

Visual workflow builder with the flexibility to add custom JavaScript/Python code for complex logic.

🤖 AI-Native Features

Built-in nodes for OpenAI, Anthropic, Hugging Face, and vector databases. Perfect for AI-powered automation.

Core Workflow Concepts

Nodes

Individual steps that perform actions (trigger events, transform data, call APIs)

Connections

Links between nodes that pass data from one step to the next

Executions

Individual runs of your workflow with full logging and debugging

Workflow Flow: Trigger → Process → Transform → Action → Response

Essential Node Types for Ecommerce

⚡

Trigger Nodes

Start workflows based on events or schedules

Webhook: API calls, form submissions

Schedule: Cron jobs, intervals

Email: Incoming messages

💾

Data Nodes

Store, retrieve, and manipulate data

Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB

Spreadsheet: Google Sheets, Airtable

Code: JavaScript, Python

🧠

Logic Nodes

Control flow and make decisions

IF: Conditional branching

Switch: Multiple paths

Loop: Iterate over items

🤖

AI Nodes

Leverage AI for intelligent automation

OpenAI: GPT-4, embeddings

Anthropic: Claude models

Vector DB: Pinecone, Weaviate

Getting Started with n8n

Installation Options

☁️ n8n Cloud

Fastest way to start - hosted solution

app.n8n.cloud↗

🐳 Docker

Self-host with one command

docker run -it --rm \
-p 5678:5678 \
n8nio/n8n

📦 npm

Install globally via npm

npm install n8n -g
n8n start

Your First Workflow

1
Create a new workflow
Click "New Workflow" in the dashboard
2
Add a trigger node
Start with a webhook or schedule trigger
3
Connect your services
Add nodes for your ecommerce platform, email, etc.
4
Add AI capabilities
Include OpenAI or other AI nodes for intelligence
5
Test and deploy
Use test mode, then activate your workflow

Workflow Best Practices

✅ DO:

• Use environment variables for API keys
• Implement proper error handling
• Add logging for debugging
• Test workflows with sample data first
• Document complex logic with notes
• Set up monitoring and alerts
• Version control workflow exports
• Use sub-workflows for reusable logic

❌ DON'T:

• Hardcode sensitive credentials
• Create infinite loops without limits
• Ignore rate limits on APIs
• Skip error handling on critical paths
• Make workflows too complex (split instead)
• Forget to set execution timeouts
• Process large datasets in memory
• Deploy without thorough testing

Resources & Learning

Master 80% of n8n in 36 Minutes

Learn how to master 80% of n8n in one video. We’ll start from scratch and build real automations step by step. From a simple daily weather email to a full sponsorship intake workflow with forms, Google Sheets, and conditional logic. Then we’ll take it further and create a personal AI assistant inside n8n using the AI Agent node.

Futurepedia and AI Agent Lab

Tutorial

Master 80% of n8n by Learning Just These 17 Nodes

In this video, Michele cuts through the noise and show you the 17 essential n8n nodes that make up 80% of all automations.

Michele Torti