This NADN Mastery Course covered everything from initial onboarding with the N8N automation platform through to advanced workflow building, practical business automations, deep dives into expressions and JavaScript object notation (JSON), using essential N8N nodes and functions, and self-hosting deployments.
The session offered side-by-side comparisons between N8N and make.com, detailed cost analysis, and provided actionable advice for using N8N in business operations.
Participants are now equipped to use triggers, actions, integrations, AI modules, and custom code within N8N to build effective automations, and to choose appropriate hosting and pricing models for their needs.
Attendees are encouraged to join the Maker School community for further applied learning, accountability, and business-focused templates.
Action Items
User: Practice creating at least three N8N workflows using triggers, actions, and AI modules as demonstrated in the course.
User: Explore the N8N template library and bookmark useful workflows for future reference.
User: Review the JSON, string/array/object/boolean/date functions in N8N using the documentation and the in-app function browser.
User: If intending to self-host, choose a preferred provider (Render, Railway, DigitalOcean, Heroku, Docker, Hostinger) and deploy a personal N8N instance following the steps covered.
User: Compare current automation needs against both N8N and make.com offerings to select the best tool and plan for business objectives.
User: (Optional) Join Maker School for additional business resources, templates, and community coaching.
N8N Introduction and Onboarding
Goal: Enable absolute beginners to become proficient in automation and workflow building using N8N for business purposes.
Walkthrough included: Signing up with N8N’s cloud offering, understanding the dashboard (projects, credentials, admin panel), using the template library, and creating initial workflows.
Key tip: Bookmark the resource and use provided timestamps to navigate topics as needed.
Building Workflows: Triggers and Actions
Demonstrated onboarding, workflow creation, and use of triggers (manual, app event, schedule, webhook, form submission, called by another workflow, chat message, etc.).
Practical examples: Manual trigger to send an email, then enhancing with AI-powered email customization, form-based workflows, AI summarization and paraphrasing.
Emphasized documentation within workflows using sticky notes for clarity and maintainability.
Showcased real-life business flows, including calendar event handling (e.g., cal.com bookings), CRM integration (e.g., ClickUp), and onboarding forms.
Demonstrated referencing variables from previous nodes and handling output from complex integrations.
Taught best practices for testing, activating production workflows, and leveraging AI for custom responses.
Working with Expressions and JSON
Detailed exploration of N8N’s expressions: always favor expressions over fixed fields for flexibility and dynamic data use.
In-depth tutorial on JSON structure, types (string, number, boolean, array, object), and how N8N structures its data as arrays of objects.
Covered referencing node data, mapping fields, and key gotchas (e.g., correct indexing, dealing with empty fields, naming conventions).
Using Foundational Nodes and Functions
Covered nodes such as HTTP request, webhooks, OpenAI/AI nodes, filters, merges, splits, batches, and limiters.
Demonstrated building a practical workflow for processing journalist requests (SOS/Help a Reporter Out), including advanced parsing, filtering, and AI-drafted responses.
Provided hands-on approach for iterating through data, batching, and executing function chains efficiently.
Advanced Functions and Data Manipulation
Surveyed all major function types: string, number, array, object, boolean, and date/datetime functions.
Explained map, filter, reduce, find, compact, unique, merge, pluck, random item, and more—with use cases and syntax.
Included practical guides for code-based operations, regular expressions, type conversions, and date math.
Self-Hosting N8N: Deployment Options
Guided through self-hosting using Render, Railway, DigitalOcean, Heroku, Docker (local), and Hostinger, with step-by-step deployment for each.
Explained configuration options, environment variables, and DNS/domain setup as relevant.
Highlighted self-hosting as a cost-effective, scalable, and privacy-conscious alternative to N8N’s cloud plans.
N8N vs. make.com Comparison
Evaluated both on module availability, JSON/code integration, flow control, testing tools, connection/authorization flows, webhooks/mailhooks, AI features, sharing/collaboration, hotkeys, documentation, and financial models.
N8N stronger for advanced, AI-driven, and operationally intensive automations; make.com easier for simple, pre-integrated workflows and rapid prototyping.
Self-hosted N8N offers significant cost advantages for high-volume or advanced use cases.
Decisions
Preferred use of expression fields over fixed fields in N8N — For maximum flexibility and maintainability.
Recommendation to self-host N8N for scalable, cost-effective automation — Particularly above five workflows or high operational volumes.
Advise joining a structured community (e.g., Maker School) for business success — Direct access to proven templates, coaching, and peer support.
Choose platform (N8N or make.com) based on business needs and project complexity — Make.com for quick starts/small scale, N8N for advanced/business-critical ops.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
None stated. For further technical or business-specific questions, consider engaging with the N8N/Maker School community or consulting the official documentation.