Module 1: What n8n Is and Why It Matters
07. Your First Look: Exploring n8n
Capsule overview
Your account is ready. In the previous lesson you created it, confirmed your email, and entered n8n Cloud for the first time. Now comes the moment you were waiting for: you're going to open n8n for real, explore what you see, and understand what each thing means. You won't build anything yet — you're going to observe, explore, and connect what you see on the screen with the vocabulary you learned in lesson 04.
Think of it this way: if in lesson 04 you learned to read an architectural blueprint (workflow, node, trigger, action, connection, execution, credential), now you're going to step onto the ground where you'll build. Not to lay bricks — to walk the ground, look at where the walls go, where the door will be, where the pipes run. It's your first tour of the place where all the magic happens.
In this lesson you're going to do three concrete things: create an empty workflow to see the blank canvas, explore the template library to discover workflows made by others, and import a real template to identify triggers, nodes, actions, and connections in a functional workflow. By the end, the n8n interface will stop being an unknown screen — it will be a space where you recognize each element by its name.
Open n8n and Create an Empty Workflow
Step 1: Enter n8n
Open your browser and go to app.n8n.cloud. Log in with the email and password you set up in lesson 06. If you logged out, simply enter your details again.
Once inside, you'll see the dashboard — n8n's main screen. Depending on whether it's your first time, it may look slightly different, but you'll always find these elements:
- A left side menu with options like Workflows, Templates, Credentials, Executions
- A central area that shows your workflows (empty if it's your first time)
- A button to create a new workflow — it may say "Add Workflow", "Create New", or simply show a "+" icon
Don't worry if the interface looks a bit different from what I describe here. n8n updates frequently and buttons may change place or name. The fundamental elements are always there: side menu, workflow list, button to create.
Step 2: Create Your First Empty Workflow
Click the button to create a new workflow. That click takes you to the canvas — the workspace where you build workflows. For now it's empty, and that's perfect. Let's understand what you're looking at.
What You See: The Empty Canvas
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [← Workflows] My workflow [💾 Save] [▶ Execute] │
│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ + │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────┘ │
│ Add first step... │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│ [🔍 -] [⊡ Fit] [🔍 +] │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Let's go through each zone of this screen:
Top bar:
- 📂 "← Workflows" arrow — Takes you back to the dashboard where all your workflows are
- 📝 Workflow name — Says "My workflow" by default. Click to change it. Change it right now to "My First Look"
- 💾 Save button — Saves your workflow. Use it often
- ▶️ Execute button — Runs the complete workflow. Don't press it yet
The canvas (central area):
- 🔲 Grid background — It's an infinite grid where you'll place your nodes. You can zoom and move freely
- ➕ Central "+" button — It's your invitation to add the first node. When you click it, the node selection panel opens
Bottom bar:
- 🔍 Zoom controls — To zoom in, zoom out, or fit the view to all nodes
Step 3: Rename Your Workflow
Click on the text "My workflow" in the top bar. Type "My First Look" and press Enter. Click Save.
Congratulations — you just created and saved your first workflow in n8n. It's empty, but it exists. It's yours.
Vocabulary in Action
Pause for a moment and connect what you see with what you learned in lesson 04:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ What you see → What it IS (lesson 04) │
│ │
│ The whole canvas → A WORKFLOW (empty, but real) │
│ The "+" button → Where your first NODE will go │
│ The "Execute" button→ What will create an EXECUTION │
│ No lines yet → No CONNECTIONS yet │
│ No first step → No TRIGGER yet │
│ No steps → No ACTIONS yet │
│ │
│ Your workflow exists, but it does nothing. │
│ It needs at least one trigger to come to life. │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
This empty canvas is like a recipe without ingredients, like a cookie factory without stations. The structure is there — the space, the controls, the name — but the steps (nodes) and the start signal (trigger) don't exist yet. You'll build that in later modules. For now, what matters is that you recognize where each thing goes.
Explore the Template Library
Now that you've seen an empty workflow, let's look at a full one. But instead of building it from scratch (that comes in Module 4), you're going to use a template — a pre-built workflow you can import with one click.
What Templates Are
Templates are workflows created by the n8n team and by the community, ready to use. Think of them as cooking recipes that someone already tested and shares with you. You can use them as is, modify them to your taste, or simply study them to learn how workflows are built.
There are templates for all kinds of automation:
- Send notifications by email or Slack
- Sync data between Google Sheets and other apps
- Post to social media automatically
- Manage leads from forms
- Create weekly reports
- And hundreds more
How to Find Templates
Option 1: From the n8n dashboard
- Go back to the dashboard (click the "← Workflows" arrow in the top bar)
- Look in the left side menu for the "Templates" option
- Click — the template library opens
Option 2: From the n8n website
- Open a new tab in your browser
- Go to n8n.io/workflows
- Here you can explore all the available templates, with descriptions and previews
Option 3: From an empty workflow
- When you're on an empty canvas and click the "+" button
- n8n may suggest relevant templates as a starting point
Any of the three options works. Use the one that feels most natural to you.
Navigating the Library
When you enter the template library, you're going to see:
- 🔍 Search bar — To search by name or keyword ("email", "sheets", "slack")
- 🏷️ Categories or filters — To browse by type (marketing, sales, productivity, etc.)
- 📋 Template list — Each one shows a title, a brief description, and how many nodes it has
- ⭐ Popularity or usage — Some templates show how many people have used them, which gives you an idea of which are the most tested
Take a few minutes to browse without rushing. It's like walking into a bookstore: you're not going to read all the books, but you want to see what sections there are, what titles catch your attention, and what kind of solutions exist. Each template you see represents a process that someone used to do manually and that a machine now does for them.
THE TEMPLATE LIBRARY IS LIKE A RESTAURANT MENU
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ You don't need to order everything. │
│ You don't need to understand every dish. │
│ │
│ You only need to: │
│ 1. See what kind of options exist │
│ 2. Find something that catches your eye │
│ 3. Try it (import it to your account) │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Recommended Templates for Your First Look
You don't have to review the hundreds of templates that exist. For this exercise, look for one of these simple templates (or a similar one):
- 📧 "Send email notification when Google Form is submitted" — When someone fills out a form, send an automatic email
- 💬 "Post Slack message on schedule" — Every so often, post a message on Slack
- 📁 "Save Gmail attachments to Google Drive" — When an email with an attachment arrives, save it to Drive
- 📊 "Weekly summary from Google Sheets" — Every week, generate a summary of data from a spreadsheet
Choose the one that catches your attention most. If none appears with that exact name, look for any template that has 3-5 nodes — that's enough to see the structure without it being overwhelming.
Import and Examine a Template
This is the central part of the lesson. You're going to import a template, open it in your canvas, and analyze each component using the vocabulary from lesson 04.
Step by Step: Import a Template
- In the template library, choose one (for example, one that sends email notifications when a form is received)
- Click the template to see its detailed description
- Look for the "Use this template" or "Try it out" button
- n8n will create a copy of the template in your account as a new workflow
- It will open automatically in your canvas — now you'll see nodes, connections, and the whole structure
If the button says something slightly different, don't worry. The idea is always the same: copy that workflow to your account so you can explore it.
Anatomy of the Template: Applying the Vocabulary
Let's use as an example a classic template: "When someone fills out a form, save data in Google Sheets and send a confirmation email." Your template may be different — what matters is that you apply the same analysis.
This is the workflow you would see in your canvas:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Workflow: "Form Submission Handler" [💾] [▶] │
│──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ 📋 Form │──────▶│ 📊 Google │──────▶│ 📧 Gmail: │ │
│ │ Trigger │ │ Sheets: │ │ Send Email │ │
│ │ │ │ Add Row │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
│ NODE 1 NODE 2 NODE 3 │
│ (TRIGGER) (ACTION) (ACTION) │
│ │
│ ◄────────────► ◄────────────► │
│ CONNECTION 1 CONNECTION 2 │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Now let's break down what you see, piece by piece:
The TRIGGER (Node 1):
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 📋 Form Trigger │
│ │
│ Type: TRIGGER │
│ Function: Starts the │
│ workflow when someone │
│ submits a form │
│ │
│ Lesson 04: "The trigger │
│ is the WHEN — when │
│ this should start" │
└─────────────────────────────┘
This is the first node of the workflow. Always. The trigger is on the left of the canvas because it's where everything begins. In lesson 04 we compared it to the start button of the cookie factory, to the doorbell, to the first domino tile. Here it is, live: the node that says "when this happens, turn on everything else."
The first ACTION (Node 2):
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 📊 Google Sheets: Add Row │
│ │
│ Type: ACTION │
│ Function: Takes the form │
│ data and adds it │
│ as a new row │
│ in Google Sheets │
│ │
│ Lesson 04: "The action is │
│ the WHAT — what I do │
│ with what happened" │
└─────────────────────────────┘
This node receives data from the trigger (the form data) through the connection, and saves it in a spreadsheet. It's an action — it does something concrete with the information.
The second ACTION (Node 3):
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 📧 Gmail: Send Email │
│ │
│ Type: ACTION │
│ Function: Sends a │
│ confirmation email to the │
│ person who filled out the │
│ form │
│ │
│ Lesson 04: "Actions are │
│ all the nodes that come │
│ after the trigger" │
└─────────────────────────────┘
After saving the data, the workflow sends an email. Another action, another node, another automated step.
The CONNECTIONS:
Do you see the lines between the nodes? Those are the connections. In lesson 04 we compared them to water pipes: they not only define the order (this first, then that), but they transport data. The form data travels along connection 1 to Google Sheets, and then along connection 2 to Gmail. Without those connections, the nodes would be islands that don't communicate.
The CREDENTIALS (you don't see them, but they're there):
For this workflow to work, n8n would need permissions to access your Google Sheets and your Gmail. Those permissions are the credentials from lesson 04. You're not going to configure them now (that's the topic of Module 5), but it's important to know they're there, behind each node that connects to an external service.
The EXECUTION (when you press ▶):
Every time someone fills out the form and the workflow runs from start to finish — form → Sheets → email — that's an execution. A complete run. If 10 people fill out the form today, there will be 10 executions.
Reading Each Node: What You See When You Click
Click on any node of the template. A side panel or configuration window will open where you can see the node's details. This is what you'll find:
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 📊 Google Sheets │
│────────────────────────────────────────│
│ │
│ Resource: Spreadsheet │
│ Operation: Append Row │
│ │
│ Spreadsheet: [Select spreadsheet] │
│ Sheet: [Select sheet] │
│ │
│ Columns to fill: │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Column A ← {{ $json.name }} │ │
│ │ Column B ← {{ $json.email }} │ │
│ │ Column C ← {{ $json.message }} │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Credential: [Not connected] │
│ │
│ [INPUT] [OUTPUT] │
│────────────────────────────────────────│
│ [❌ Delete] [✅ Execute] │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘
What you see when you click a node:
- 🏷️ Node name — At the top, with an icon of the service (Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack, etc.)
- ⚙️ Configuration fields — The specific options of that node. For Google Sheets: which sheet to use, which columns to fill. For Gmail: who to send to, what subject to put. Each service has its own options
- 🔑 Credential — Where you would connect your account for that service. You'll see "Not connected" if you haven't configured credentials yet
- 📥 INPUT / OUTPUT — Tabs that show what data enters the node (input) and what data leaves it (output). This is key to understanding how data flows between nodes
- ▶️ Execute — A button to run only THAT node (not the whole workflow)
You don't need to understand every configuration field now. Module 3 covers nodes in depth, and Module 4 guides you step by step to configure them. For now, the goal is for you to know that clicking a node lets you see what it does and how it's configured.
Connecting the Concepts: Reference Table
Here's the complete bridge between what you see on the n8n screen and the vocabulary from lesson 04. This table is your "Rosetta Stone" — the translation between the visual interface and the concepts you already know:
| What you see in n8n | Concept (Lesson 04) | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| The full canvas with all its nodes | Workflow | The complete automated process |
| Each box/rectangle in the canvas | Node | An individual piece that does one thing |
| The first node (generally on the left) | Trigger | The WHEN — what event starts everything |
| The nodes that come after the trigger | Actions | The WHAT — the tasks that run |
| The lines that connect one node with another | Connections | Define order and transport data |
| The ▶ "Execute" button in the top bar | Starts an Execution | A complete run of the workflow |
| The "Credential" section inside a node | Credential | Permission to access a service |
| The "Executions" sidebar | History of Executions | Record of each time it ran |
If lesson 04 was learning the language, this lesson is traveling to the country where it's spoken. Now the language has real context.
The Complete Flow in One Image
To make it crystal clear, this is how the 7 concepts work together in the template you imported:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WORKFLOW: "Form to Sheets + Email" │
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ CONNECTION 1 ┌─────────┐ CONNECTION 2 ┌────────┐ │
│ │ TRIGGER │─────────────▶│ ACTION │─────────────▶│ ACTION │ │
│ │ (node) │ data flows │ (node) │ data flows │ (node) │ │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └────────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ ▼ ▼ │
│ CREDENTIAL: CREDENTIAL: CREDENTIAL:│
│ (n/a, Google Sheets Gmail │
│ it's internal) (permission) (permission)│
│ │
│ Every time it runs from start to finish = 1 EXECUTION │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The 7 concepts, all present, all working together. Nothing extra, nothing missing. This is how all automation works in n8n — from the simplest to the most complex.
What NOT to Do Yet
It's tempting to start touching everything. Resist the temptation — there's an order with a reason behind it. This is what you should NOT try yet and when you'll do it:
| Don't do this yet | Why | When you'll do it |
|---|---|---|
| Build a workflow from scratch | First you need to understand nodes and connections in detail | Module 4 |
| Configure credentials | It requires understanding authentication and permissions per service | Module 5 |
| Run an imported template | Without configured credentials, it will error | Module 5 |
| Try to fix errors | Debugging has its own method | Module 6 |
What you SHOULD do now:
- ✅ Observe — Look at the structure of the templates
- ✅ Explore — Click nodes, look at their configurations
- ✅ Identify — Name each component using the vocabulary from lesson 04
- ✅ Navigate — Get familiar with the menu, the canvas, the controls
You're in explorer mode, not builder mode. And that's perfect. The best builders are the ones who first understand the ground.
A Moment of Perspective
Think about what you've achieved just in this module:
Lesson 01: You understood the structure of the guide
Lesson 02: You discovered what automation is and why it matters
Lesson 03: You compared n8n with Zapier and Make — and chose n8n
Lesson 04: You learned the 7 fundamental concepts
Lesson 05: You saw real use cases
Lesson 06: You created your n8n Cloud account
Lesson 07: You opened n8n, created a workflow, and analyzed a template
← YOU ARE HERE
Lesson 08: You're going to map YOUR business processes
In 7 lessons you went from "I don't know what n8n is" to being inside the tool, identifying triggers and actions in real workflows. That progress is not minor. Each module that comes (Interface, Nodes, Your First Workflow) is going to build on this foundation you already have.
Troubleshooting
"I can't find the Templates section"
Look in the left side menu. If it doesn't appear directly, it may be under a dropdown menu or at the bottom of the menu. You can also access it from n8n.io/workflows directly in your browser — from there you can import any template to your account.
"The template doesn't import"
Verify that you're logged into your n8n Cloud account. Some templates require you to click "Use this template" while logged in. If you import from the website, make sure it redirects you to your n8n Cloud instance and not to a local version.
"I don't understand what a node does"
Click on the node. In the configuration panel, look for the service name (Gmail, Slack, Google Sheets) and the operation (Send Email, Post Message, Append Row). That tells you what service it uses and what action it performs. If it's still not clear, don't worry — Module 3 covers nodes in depth, with detailed explanations of the most common ones.
"The canvas or the interface looks different from what you describe here"
n8n updates frequently, and the visual elements may change location, size, or name. The fundamentals are always the same: there's a canvas where nodes go, connections that join them, a button to execute, and a button to save. If something looks different, explore with confidence — you can't break anything by navigating the interface. Workflows don't run on their own unless you explicitly activate them.
"I clicked Execute and got an error"
Don't worry. It's completely normal. Imported templates need configured credentials to work. Without credentials, n8n can't connect to Gmail, Google Sheets, Slack, or any external service, and that produces errors. In Module 5 you're going to learn to configure credentials correctly. For now, close the error message and keep exploring the workflow's structure.
Exercises
Exercise 1: Create and Save an Empty Workflow
Create a new workflow in n8n. Rename it to "My First Workflow". Save it.
Steps:
- Go to the n8n dashboard
- Click the button to create a new workflow
- Click on the workflow name in the top bar
- Type "My First Workflow"
- Click Save
Verification
You should see:
- An empty canvas with the "+" button in the center
- The name "My First Workflow" in the top bar
- The workflow appears in your workflow list when you go back to the dashboard
If you see all of that, you did it. You just created your first workflow in n8n. It's empty, but it exists and is saved in your account.
Exercise 2: Import a Template
Import any template from the n8n library. Don't run it — just import it and open it.
Steps:
- Go to the Templates section (side menu or n8n.io/workflows)
- Look for a simple template (3-5 nodes)
- Click "Use this template" or equivalent
- Observe how it opens in your canvas with nodes and connections already configured
Verification
You should see:
- A canvas with several nodes (rectangles/boxes) already placed
- Lines connecting the nodes to each other
- A first node on the left (the trigger)
- One or more nodes after the trigger (the actions)
- Each node has an icon and a name that indicates which service it uses
If you see nodes and connections in your canvas, the import was successful. Now you have a real workflow you can explore.
Exercise 3: Identify the 7 Components in the Template
Open the template you imported in the previous exercise. Identify each of the 7 concepts from lesson 04. Complete this table on paper or in a document:
MY TEMPLATE ANALYSIS: "[template name]"
1. WORKFLOW: What's it called? What does it do?
→
2. TRIGGER: What's the first node? What event activates it?
→
3. ACTIONS: How many actions are there? What does each one do?
→ Action 1:
→ Action 2:
→ Action 3:
4. NODES: How many nodes does it have in total?
→
5. CONNECTIONS: How many connections are there? From where to where does each one go?
→
6. CREDENTIALS: Which services would need permissions?
→
7. EXECUTIONS: If this workflow ran 5 times a day,
how many executions would there be per month?
→
See solution (example with form template)
Using as an example a "Save form responses in Google Sheets and send email" template:
MY TEMPLATE ANALYSIS: "Form to Sheets + Email"
1. WORKFLOW: "Form to Sheets + Email"
Saves data from a form and sends a confirmation by email
2. TRIGGER: "Form Trigger" node — activates when someone
submits a form (external event trigger)
3. ACTIONS: 2 actions:
→ Action 1: Google Sheets — Add a row with the form data
→ Action 2: Gmail — Send a confirmation email to the user
4. NODES: 3 nodes in total (1 trigger + 2 actions)
5. CONNECTIONS: 2 connections:
→ Connection 1: Form Trigger → Google Sheets
→ Connection 2: Google Sheets → Gmail
6. CREDENTIALS: 2 credentials needed:
→ Google Sheets (to write to the sheet)
→ Gmail (to send the email)
7. EXECUTIONS: 5 times/day × 30 days = 150 executions/month
Your template may be different, and that's fine. What matters is that you were able to identify each of the 7 concepts. If you were able to fill in the table, the vocabulary from lesson 04 now has real context.
Exercise 4: Explore 3 More Templates
Go back to the template library and look for 3 templates that could solve real problems in your work or business. Don't import them all — just read them, look at their structure, and note the following for each one:
TEMPLATE 1: [name]
- What problem does it solve?
- How many nodes does it have?
- What services does it use?
- Would it be useful to me? Why?
TEMPLATE 2: [name]
- What problem does it solve?
- How many nodes does it have?
- What services does it use?
- Would it be useful to me? Why?
TEMPLATE 3: [name]
- What problem does it solve?
- How many nodes does it have?
- What services does it use?
- Would it be useful to me? Why?
Guide to finding relevant templates
Use these tips to search for templates that serve you:
- If you're an entrepreneur or freelancer: Look for templates with words like "lead", "form", "client", "invoice", "notification"
- If you're in marketing: Look for "social media", "email", "newsletter", "content", "analytics"
- If you're in operations: Look for "report", "schedule", "sync", "backup", "inventory"
- If you work in sales: Look for "CRM", "deal", "pipeline", "follow-up", "proposal"
You don't need to find the perfect template. The goal is to see the variety of possible automations and start connecting your day-to-day needs with real workflows.
Save these notes — you're going to use them in lesson 08 when you map your business processes for automation.
Summary
In this lesson you took your first real step inside n8n. You went from knowing the concepts to seeing them on the screen:
- You created an empty workflow — You saw the canvas, the top bar, the zoom controls. You understood that an empty workflow is like a recipe without ingredients: the structure exists, but the content is missing.
- You explored the template library — You discovered that there are hundreds of pre-built workflows you can import, study, and eventually adapt to your needs.
- You imported and analyzed a template — You identified the trigger, the actions, the nodes, the connections, the necessary credentials, and you estimated executions. The 7 concepts from lesson 04 stopped being theory.
- You clicked on nodes — You saw the configuration panels, the input/output fields, and the credential options. You understood that each node is configurable.
The vocabulary you learned in lesson 04 now has shape, color, and location on a real screen. When someone says "trigger," you'll mentally see that first node on the left of the canvas. When they say "connection," you'll think of the lines that transport data between nodes. That's exactly what you need for what's coming.
Next lesson: Mini-Project — you're going to map 3 processes from your own business that are candidates for automation. Everything you learned in this module (what automation is, why n8n, the 7 concepts, the first look) is going to combine so that you identify real opportunities in your day-to-day.
Resources
- n8n Templates Library — Complete library of templates. Explore by category, search by service, and discover workflows for your industry
- n8n Docs — Editor UI overview — Official documentation for n8n's interface: canvas, panels, controls, and navigation
- n8n Docs — Using templates — Official guide to importing, using, and customizing templates
- n8n YouTube — Getting Started — Official n8n videos for visual learners. Seeing the canvas in motion complements what you read here
- n8n Community Forum — Community where you can ask questions and see how others use n8n
- n8n Docs — Key concepts — Official review of the fundamental concepts you applied in this lesson