Free n8n tutorials for small business
Updated · Last checked
Short answer: To learn n8n step by step, start with the n8n for Beginners path: 11 free lessons, about 101 minutes, from triggers and your first workflow to schedules, Google Sheets, If and Switch rules and a first OpenAI step. Then build your first AI agent in the n8n AI agent tutorial (12 minutes). Every lesson runs in a practice copy of n8n in your browser, so nothing touches your real accounts.
n8n is a visual workflow automation tool. You connect a trigger, an AI Agent node, a chat model, memory and tools like Google Sheets, and the workflow does the work on its own. These 56 free modules teach it by building real projects, not by reading about features: n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets, Lovable + n8n: Build a Web App with an AI Backend, AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8n and n8n AI Email Responder: Draft Gmail Replies Automatically, and more.
The n8n modules cover AI Automation for Beginners, Business Automations, HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing and Sales and more. Every module runs in a practice copy of n8n, so you can learn it without an account, then set it up for real.
56 modules
n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google SheetsBuild an AI agent for BrightPath Marketing that generates social media post ideas and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent, system prompt, model…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Lovable + n8n: Build a Web App with an AI BackendBuild a contact form in Lovable and connect it to an n8n workflow — webhook trigger, AI Agent, Google Sheets, Gmail, and a Respond node that ties it all together.
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8nDrop a photo of a receipt into an n8n chat. An AI agent reads it, pulls out the date, vendor and amount, picks a category, and adds a row to Google Sheets.
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
n8n AI Email Responder: Draft Gmail Replies AutomaticallyBuild an n8n agent that watches your Gmail, reads each new customer email, and writes a reply as a draft in the same thread, ready for you to check and send.
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Daily Job Alerts: Email Each Tech Their Jobs from Google Sheets with n8nEvery morning at 7, n8n reads a plumbing company's jobs sheet, skips anything not assigned yet, and emails each job to the tech it's assigned to — customer, address…
Free · Live ~10 min Intermediate
Gmail AI Triage: Auto-Label Every Email and Draft RepliesBuild an n8n workflow that reads each new email, sorts it as a lead, a client or an invoice with a Text Classifier, adds the matching Gmail label, and drafts a reply to…
Free · Live ~18 min Advanced
A Support Agent That Answers from Your Own DocsTurn an n8n chat agent into a support agent that answers only from your policies in a Google Doc, refuses what it should, and hands off to a person by email.
Free · Live ~13 min Advanced
Build an AI Follow-Up Agent for HVAC Service CallsBuild an AI agent for Cedar Ridge Heating & Air that writes follow-up messages for completed service calls and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Build an AI Service Request Form for Your HVAC CompanyBuild a service request form in Lovable for Cedar Ridge Heating & Air and connect it to n8n — the AI agent sorts each job into repair, maintenance, install or…
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Build an AI Job Follow-Up Agent for ElectriciansBuild an AI agent for Oak & Wire Electric that writes follow-up messages after completed jobs and tracks them in Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent, system prompt…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Build an AI Quote Request Form for Electrical ContractorsBuild a quote request form in Lovable and connect it to an n8n workflow — webhook trigger, an AI Agent that drafts an initial estimate note, Google Sheets, Gmail, and a…
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Build an AI Customer Follow-Up Agent for PlumbersBuild an AI agent for Blue Maple Plumbing that writes personalized follow-up messages after service calls and tracks them in Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Build an AI Emergency Request Form for Your Plumbing CompanyBuild an emergency service-request form in Lovable and connect it to an n8n workflow — webhook trigger, AI Agent that prioritizes the job, Google Sheets, Gmail, and a…
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Build an n8n AI Agent That Writes Deal Follow-UpsBuild an AI agent for Northwind Scheduling Software that writes follow-up messages for your open deals and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent, system…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Build an AI Demo Request Form That Qualifies LeadsBuild a "Book a demo" form in Lovable for Northwind Scheduling Software and connect it to n8n — the AI agent rates each lead hot, warm or nurture, saves it to Google…
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Speed-to-Lead Agent: Answer Every Web Lead in 60 SecondsBuild an n8n workflow that scores every website lead with AI, emails a personal first reply within seconds, and pings Slack only when a lead is hot.
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Build an n8n AI Agent That Plans Your Content CalendarBuild an AI agent for Harbor & Pine Coffee Roasters that turns one campaign theme into a two-week email and content calendar in Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Build a Lead Magnet Signup Form with an AI Welcome EmailBuild a "Get the free guide" signup form in Lovable for Harbor & Pine Coffee Roasters and connect it to n8n — the AI agent tags each lead by interest, saves it to…
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Post to Every Channel Daily from One Sheet using n8n + BlotatoCopying the same post into every social app can take half an hour a day, and on busy days nothing goes out. Plan a week of posts in one Google Sheet; every morning n8n…
Free · Live ~14 min Advanced
Build an AI Vendor Follow-Up Agent in n8nBuild an AI agent for Ridgeline Supply Co. that writes follow-up messages for late or pending purchase orders and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Build an AI Maintenance and IT Request FormBuild an internal maintenance and IT request form in Lovable for Ridgeline Supply Co. and connect it to n8n — the AI agent sets the priority, assigns a team, saves the…
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Build an AI Agent That Categorizes Business ExpensesBuild an AI agent for Maple Street Bookkeeping that sorts business expenses into categories, writes a short note for each and saves them to Google Sheets — chat…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Build an Expense Reimbursement Form With AI Policy ChecksBuild an expense reimbursement form in Lovable for Maple Street Bookkeeping and connect it to n8n — the AI agent checks each request against the policy, saves it to…
Free · Live ~15 min Advanced
Invoices from Your Inbox to Google Sheets, with ApprovalBuild an n8n workflow that reads each vendor invoice PDF from Gmail with AI, logs the vendor, invoice number and total in Google Sheets, and emails the owner an Approve…
Free · Live ~14 min Advanced
n8n: What Is n8n? Build Your First WorkflowWhat n8n is and how it thinks, then your first workflow: a client inquiry form that catches every request and writes a one-line summary. No code, no accounts to connect.
Free · Live ~8 min Beginner
AI Workflow Automation for Beginners: Sort Every Client Inquiry and Draft the Reply using n8nAI workflow automation for beginners: a form catches each client inquiry, an AI step sorts it and drafts the reply, and an If rule flags the urgent ones. Real n8n, free…
Free · Live ~12 min Beginner
n8n: Items, JSON and Expressions, Explained by DoingSee how n8n holds data: pin five fake invoices, read them as items, Table and JSON, then write one reminder per invoice and a late fee with drag-and-drop expressions.
Free · Live ~9 min Beginner
n8n: Run a Workflow on a Schedule (Every Monday at 8am)Use the n8n Schedule Trigger to run a workflow by itself: every Monday at 8am, a timesheet reminder. Set the interval, test it now, and check the time zone.
Free · Live ~6 min Beginner
n8n: Send Form Answers Straight to Google SheetsBuild a consultation request form in n8n (required fields, email, dropdown), test it, and add every answer as a new row in Google Sheets. No webhook, no form tool to…
Free · Live ~10 min Beginner
n8n: Summarize Customer Emails with OpenAIYour first AI step in n8n: send each customer email to OpenAI with one prompt and get a one-line summary plus the next step. No agent needed, about a cent of API use.
Free · Live ~9 min Beginner
Find and Use n8n TemplatesSkip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it into your workspace, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form…
Free · Live ~9 min Beginner
Litescrape in n8n: Swap SerpApi for a Cheaper Search APISwitch a weekly n8n competitor-price workflow from SerpApi to Litescrape's Google Shopping API: change the HTTP Request URL, move the key into a Bearer Auth credential…
Free · Live ~7 min Advanced
ProLevelMax in n8n: Keep Your Reddit Workflow Alive After the RSS ShutdownReddit switches off its RSS feeds on November 13. Swap the RSS Read node in your n8n workflow for one HTTP Request node that pulls the newest subreddit posts from…
Free · Live ~9 min Advanced
Make Your Handbook Searchable for an AI Helpdesk using Pinecone + n8nCreate a free Pinecone index, then build an n8n workflow that reads your handbook from Google Drive, cuts it into chunks, turns them into embeddings and stores them in…
Free · Live ~14 min Advanced
◷n8n: Execute Step, Execute Workflow and PublishLearn the buttons in today's n8n editor: run one node with Execute step, pin test data, run everything with Execute workflow, then Publish and copy the Production URL.
Free · Live ~6 min Beginner
Webhooks and Forms in n8n: Capture Data from AnywhereStop losing quote requests between inboxes. Build a form n8n hosts for you, catch entries from your own website with a webhook, and save every request to one Google…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Answer Staff Questions from Your Own Docs using n8n + PineconeBuild an n8n chat agent that searches your handbook in Pinecone before every answer, cites the page it came from, and says "I don't know" instead of guessing.
Free · Live ~13 min Advanced
IF and Switch in n8n: Route Work by RulesSend each request where it belongs. Use an If node to split big jobs from small ones, then a Switch with named outputs and a fallback to route by service.
Free · Live ~10 min Beginner
◷n8n: Talk to Your Google Sheets with ChatGPT, from Zero (Free Credits or API Key, Google, Sheet, Chat)Start from nothing: copy n8n template 7639, use n8n's free credits (or your own OpenAI API key), connect Google, make your own sheet, then ask it questions in plain…
Free · Live ~16 min Beginner
Get Your Daily Revenue Total by Email, Automatically, using n8nStop spending 20 minutes every evening adding up the day by hand. In n8n, a Schedule Trigger runs at 5pm, Google Sheets pulls today's jobs, Summarize totals the revenue…
Free · Live ~9 min Intermediate
◷n8n: Read, Add and Update Google Sheets Rows with an AI StepLearn n8n's three core Google Sheets moves on a made-up request list: read the rows, add a new one without duplicates, then let an AI step write a description and…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
n8n AI Agent with Tools: Check Google Calendar, Book It and Log ItStop playing phone tag over appointments. Give an n8n chat agent three tools: check Google Calendar for a free hour, book it, and log the booking in Google Sheets.
Free · Live ~11 min Advanced
Get Alerted When an n8n Automation Fails, and Let It Retry by ItselfA silent failure means a stale price sheet and wrong quotes. In n8n, build an error workflow that emails you, make a flaky step retry by itself, send its failures down…
Free · Live ~10 min Intermediate
◷n8n: Weekly Client Status Emails from a Google Sheet, Written by AIBuild an n8n workflow that wakes up every Monday, reads your client tracker in Google Sheets, has AI write a friendly update for each client and saves it as a Gmail…
Free · Live ~14 min Intermediate
n8n + Signatoro: AI Drafts Every Reply, Signatoro Signs ItStop leaving client emails waiting. A Gmail Trigger starts it, OpenAI writes a personal reply, one HTTP Request node fetches the sender's real signature from Signatoro…
Free · Live ~10 min Intermediate
n8n + Felo: A Monday Research Brief With a Source for Every AnswerStop spending Monday morning searching. Every week n8n sends your questions to Felo's AI search API, gets back answers with their sources, and emails you one brief…
Free · Live ~9 min Intermediate
n8n + ProLevelMax: Weekly Review Themes From Trustpilot to Google SheetsStop reading reviews one by one. Every Friday n8n asks ProLevelMax for a company's newest Trustpilot reviews, AI sums up the top complaints and praise, and one row…
Free · Live ~10 min Intermediate
◷n8n: Turn Meeting Notes into Action Items in a Google SheetBuild an n8n workflow that reads your meeting notes from a sheet, has AI pull out who agreed to do what by when, and adds one row per task to an Action Items sheet.
Free · Live ~15 min Intermediate
n8n: Call Any API with the HTTP Request NodeConnect n8n to any app with an API: GET a CRM's client list, filter it with a query parameter, then POST a note back using an expression. Free practice API, no key…
Free · Live ~9 min Intermediate
◷Build an n8n AI Agent That Turns Showing Feedback into a Seller UpdateBuild an AI agent in n8n for Meridian Realty Group that turns buyer agents’ showing feedback into one row per showing in Google Sheets, with interest, price feedback…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Collect Job Applications in Google Sheets with an n8n Form and a Careers-Page WebhookStop losing applicants between job boards and your careers page. An n8n form plus a careers-page webhook put every application in one Google Sheet.
Free · Live ~12 min Advanced
An AI Resume Screener, with a Fairness Step (Recruiting & HR)Have n8n read each applicant’s PDF resume, score it against the job’s must-haves with the evidence quoted, and rank it in Google Sheets, while a person makes every…
Free · Live ~14 min Advanced
◷Meeting to Action: Recap, Tracker Rows and a Kickoff Deck (ChatGPT, n8n, Gamma)Turn rough meeting notes into a checked recap in ChatGPT, four action-item rows in a Google Sheet through n8n, and a five-slide kickoff deck in Gamma.
Free · Live ~14 min Intermediate
◷Build an n8n AI Agent That Turns a Lawyer's Rough Notes into Time EntriesBuild an AI agent in n8n for Calloway & Brandt LLP that turns a lawyer’s rough end-of-day notes into one time entry per task in Google Sheets, with the matter, the…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
◷Build an n8n AI Agent That Tracks Every New Hire's OnboardingBuild an AI agent in n8n for Fernway Logistics that turns scattered onboarding updates from IT, managers and new hires into one row per item in Google Sheets, with the…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
◷Build an n8n AI Agent That Logs Certificate of Insurance RequestsBuild an AI agent in n8n for Harborview Insurance Group that turns clients’ certificate of insurance requests into one row per request in Google Sheets, with the…
Free · Live ~12 min Intermediate
Prefer to watch or read? 29 of these modules have a video walkthrough or a screenshot guide
- n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets: Watch the video
- Lovable + n8n: Build a Web App with an AI Backend: Watch the video
- AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8n: Watch the video
- Daily Job Alerts: Email Each Tech Their Jobs from Google Sheets with n8n: Watch the video · Read the guide
- Gmail AI Triage: Auto-Label Every Email and Draft Replies: Watch the video
- A Support Agent That Answers from Your Own Docs: Watch the video · Read the guide
- Build an AI Follow-Up Agent for HVAC Service Calls: Watch the video
- Build an AI Service Request Form for Your HVAC Company: Watch the video
- Build an AI Job Follow-Up Agent for Electricians: Watch the video
- Build an AI Quote Request Form for Electrical Contractors: Watch the video
- Build an AI Customer Follow-Up Agent for Plumbers: Watch the video
- Build an AI Emergency Request Form for Your Plumbing Company: Watch the video
- Build an n8n AI Agent That Writes Deal Follow-Ups: Watch the video
- Build an AI Demo Request Form That Qualifies Leads: Watch the video
- Speed-to-Lead Agent: Answer Every Web Lead in 60 Seconds: Watch the video · Read the guide
- Build an n8n AI Agent That Plans Your Content Calendar: Watch the video
- Post to Every Channel Daily from One Sheet using n8n + Blotato: Watch the video
- Build an AI Vendor Follow-Up Agent in n8n: Watch the video
- Invoices from Your Inbox to Google Sheets, with Approval: Watch the video · Read the guide
- Find and Use n8n Templates: Watch the video
- Litescrape in n8n: Swap SerpApi for a Cheaper Search API: Read the guide
- ProLevelMax in n8n: Keep Your Reddit Workflow Alive After the RSS Shutdown: Read the guide
- Make Your Handbook Searchable for an AI Helpdesk using Pinecone + n8n: Read the guide
- Answer Staff Questions from Your Own Docs using n8n + Pinecone: Read the guide
- IF and Switch in n8n: Route Work by Rules: Watch the video · Read the guide
- n8n + Signatoro: AI Drafts Every Reply, Signatoro Signs It: Read the guide
- n8n + Felo: A Monday Research Brief With a Source for Every Answer: Read the guide
- n8n + ProLevelMax: Weekly Review Themes From Trustpilot to Google Sheets: Read the guide
- An AI Resume Screener, with a Fairness Step (Recruiting & HR): Watch the video · Read the guide
Compare tools
Side-by-side comparisons, with prices and features checked against the vendors’ own pages.
n8n, Make AI Agents, Zapier Agents, Relevance AI and Lindy compared for small business: how each builds agents, and keeps a person in charge.
⇆AI email drafts: Gmail filters vs an n8n agent vs ChatGPTGmail filters, an n8n AI agent or ChatGPT for email replies? What each one does, the real costs as of October 2026, and which suits your inbox.
⇆Best Zapier Alternatives for Small Business (2026)The best Zapier alternatives in 2026: Make, n8n, Power Automate, Activepieces and Pipedream, compared on how they build, count usage and handle AI.
⇆Jotform AI Agent vs n8n AI Agent: which should an office start with?Jotform AI Agent vs n8n AI Agent as of October 2026: a quick chat assistant you teach with answers, or a workflow you build node by node.
⇆n8n Cloud vs self-hosted n8n: which one should you use?n8n Cloud vs self-hosted n8n: what each costs as of October 2026, what self-hosting asks of you, and why most offices should start on n8n Cloud.
⇆n8n vs Make: Which Automation Tool Fits You (2026)n8n vs Make (or Make vs n8n): October 2026 prices, credits vs executions, free plans, AI agents, self-hosting, and which alternative to learn first.
⇆n8n vs Zapier vs Make for a small business: which to start with for AI automationn8n vs Zapier vs Make for a small business: how each adds AI, how each charges, free plans and prices as of October 2026, and which to learn first.
⇆n8n vs Zapier: Which Is Better for Small Business (2026)n8n vs Zapier (or Zapier vs n8n) with October 2026 prices: tasks vs executions, free plans, AI agents, self-hosting, and which to pick first.
⇆The best AI for accountants and bookkeepers in 2026The best AI accounting assistant for your firm: ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini and n8n compared for accountants and bookkeepers on data, price and job.
⇆The best AI for small business in 2026The best AI tools for a small business as of November 2026: which assistant to buy for your team, what it costs per user, and when to add automation.
⇆The best AI form builders for client intake and surveys in 2026The best AI form builders as of October 2026: Jotform, n8n forms, Typeform, Google Forms, Microsoft Forms and Tally, what their AI does, and a free lesson.
⇆The best AI tools for customer support teams in 2026The best AI tools for customer support as of October 2026: Chatbase, Guardian, ProLevelMax, Signatoro, tawk.to, Jotform AI Agents and n8n, free lessons.
⇆The best AI tools for operations managers in 2026The best AI tools for operations managers as of October 2026: Screenpipe, Airia, Guardian, n8n, Docparser and SunSed, with a free lesson for each.
⇆The best AI tools for project managers in 2026The best AI tools for project managers as of October 2026: Routine, Runable, Kosuke, CoHear, n8n and Gamma, with a free lesson for each.
⇆The best AI tools for real estate agents in 2026The best AI tools for real estate agents as of October 2026: Mixo, Chatbase, ChatGPT, n8n, Manychat and Captions, with a free lesson for each.
⇆The best AI tools to extract data from invoices and PDFs in 2026The best AI document data extraction tools as of October 2026: Docparser, n8n, Parseur, Nanonets, Google Document AI and Azure Document Intelligence.
⇆The best no-code AI agent builders for business teams in 2026The best no-code AI agent builders as of October 2026: Airia, Lindy, Jotform AI Agents, n8n, Copilot Studio, Zapier Agents and Metis AI, compared.
⇆The best workflow automation tools for office work in 2026The best workflow automation tools as of October 2026: n8n, Zapier, Make and Power Automate, plus Guardian for approvals, with free lessons for each.
Frequently asked questions
- Are these n8n tutorials free?
- Yes. All 56 live n8n lessons here are free, and you can start without signing up. Each one is a real project you build step by step in a practice copy of n8n that checks your work.
- Where should a beginner start with n8n?
- Start with n8n: What Is n8n? Build Your First Workflow, about 8 minutes. Every step shows you where to click, and "Do it for me" finishes any step you get stuck on.
- Do I need my own n8n account to practice?
- No. The lessons run in a practice copy of n8n in your browser, so nothing touches your real accounts. To build the same workflow for real afterwards you need your own n8n account; check n8n's current pricing first.
Related
More terms on this topic
How every module works
Each step is shown on the left, with a cursor pointing to exactly where to click. You do the same thing on the right, in a practice copy of the real tool. Get it right and it moves on. Nothing touches your real accounts until you're ready to build it for real.
Start learning free