Stage 2 of 8 · 8 lessons · ~5 weeks

n8n in depth

Learn n8n properly: nodes and items, expressions, credentials, the Code node, n8n Cloud versus self-hosting with Docker, the fair-code licence and how executions are billed.

Start: Nodes, connections and items

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

Do this

Install Docker and start n8n with a named volume so your workflows survive restarts.
Finish the free n8n Academy Essentials course and earn its badge.
Build a workflow that takes a webhook, calls a public API and writes to a sheet.
Write three expressions that clean data: trim, lowercase and a fallback for empty values.
Reshape an array of items in a Code node and return it in the item format n8n expects.
Store every key as a credential and check none appears inside a node field.
Read the licence page and write one sentence on what you may and may not do for clients.

Start with

CourseFree
n8n Academy
n8n · Beginner
Free official courses from Essentials to APIs and AI, each with a certificate and badge

Practise

n8n Workflow Templates
Open community templates: import one, then rebuild it yourself from scratch

Keep handy

n8n Documentation
Node reference, expressions, the Code node, hosting and licence pages

Before moving on: A self-hosted n8n in Docker (or an n8n Cloud trial) running a four-node workflow: a webhook trigger, an HTTP request to a public API, a Code node that reshapes the result and a Google Sheets or Slack action, all using stored credentials.

Tauseef's advice

Run n8n in Docker on your own machine first: it costs nothing, and breaking it teaches you what a client server needs. Learn how items flow between nodes before anything else; nearly every confusing n8n bug is one item where you expected many, or many where you expected one. Use the Code node only when an expression or built-in node cannot do the job.