Lesson 2 of 12 Phase 1 · Getting Started

Setting Up N8N:
Cloud vs Self-Hosted

There are three ways to get N8N running: the managed cloud service, self-hosting with Docker, or running it locally via npm. In this lesson you will set up N8N, explore all three methods, and take a tour of the full interface — canvas, node panel, execution history, and credentials manager.

☁️
Cloud
Instant trial
🐳
Docker
Self-hosted
📦
npm
Local dev
🌐
:5678
Default port
Section 1

Option 1 — N8N Cloud (Fastest Start)

N8N Cloud at n8n.cloud is the managed hosted version. You sign up, and N8N is ready within seconds — no server setup, no Docker, no port configuration. It comes with a free trial so you can explore everything before committing.

☁️
Best for: Beginners, teams that want zero maintenance, and anyone who wants to start building workflows immediately. The cloud version handles all updates, backups, and scaling automatically.
1
Go to n8n.cloud
Visit n8n.cloud and click "Start for free". Enter your email and create a password. No credit card required for the trial.
2
Create your workspace
Give your workspace a name. N8N provisions a dedicated subdomain (e.g. yourname.app.n8n.cloud) within about 30 seconds.
3
Access the canvas
You land directly on the N8N canvas — your visual workflow editor. The interface is identical to self-hosted N8N.
Section 2

Option 2 — Self-Hosted with Docker

Docker is the most popular way to self-host N8N. It packages N8N with all its dependencies into a single container. Your data stays on your server, executions are unlimited, and you have full control.

🐳
Install
Docker Desktop
→
▶️
Run
docker run cmd
→
🌐
Open
localhost:5678
→
✅
Ready
N8N Running
Docker Command 
docker run -it --rm \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n

Breaking down the flags: -p 5678:5678 maps the container port to your machine, -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n mounts a volume so your workflows persist when the container restarts.

💾
Important: The -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n volume flag is critical. Without it, all your workflows and credentials are lost when the container stops. Always include it.
Section 3

Option 3 — Self-Hosted with npm

If you have Node.js installed, you can run N8N directly via npm. This is the simplest approach for local development and testing.

Install Globally
npm install n8n -g
Start N8N
n8n start

After running n8n start, open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5678. N8N will guide you through the initial account setup.

☁️Managed
N8N Cloud
  • No setup required
  • Auto-updates included
  • Free trial available
  • Global CDN, 99.9% uptime
  • Monthly subscription cost
  • Data on N8N servers
🐳Recommended
Docker
  • Full data control
  • Unlimited executions
  • Easy to upgrade
  • Runs on any VPS
  • Requires Docker knowledge
  • Manual update process
📦Dev / Local
npm
  • Simplest install
  • Good for local testing
  • No Docker needed
  • Fast to get started
  • Not ideal for production
  • Requires Node.js v18+
Section 4

Interface Tour: The 4 Key Areas

Once N8N is running, you will see the main editor. It has four primary areas you need to understand before building your first workflow:

🗺️
The Canvas
The main workspace. Drag nodes here, connect them with arrows, zoom in/out, and pan around. This is where your workflow lives visually. Press Ctrl+Shift+Alt+N to create a new workflow.
🔍
Node Panel
Click the + button or press Tab to open the node search panel. Search by name or browse by category: Core Nodes, Apps, Triggers. Drag any node onto the canvas.
📋
Execution History
Found in the left sidebar under "Executions". See every time your workflow ran, whether it succeeded or failed, and inspect the full data at each node step by step.
🔑
Credentials Manager
Store API keys, OAuth tokens, and passwords here. Credentials are encrypted and referenced by name. Connect Gmail, Slack, or any other service from this panel.
⌨️
Keyboard shortcuts: Press Tab to add a node, Ctrl+Enter to execute the workflow, Ctrl+Z to undo, and Ctrl+D to duplicate a selected node.
🔄
Workflow List
The left sidebar shows all your saved workflows. Toggle active/inactive, duplicate, or delete workflows from here.
⚙️
Settings
Configure N8N timezone, execution retention, environment variables, and community node installations.
📊
Dashboard
Overview of active workflows, recent executions, error rates, and system health at a glance.

🧠 Setup Knowledge Check

1. Which N8N setup method gives you unlimited executions with your own data stored on your server?
2. What does the -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n flag do in the Docker command?
3. Where in the N8N interface do you store API keys and OAuth tokens?
Finished Lesson 2?

Mark it complete and move on to building your first real workflow.

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