Section 1
The Workflow You'll Build
This workflow fetches the latest post from a public JSON API, extracts the title and body, then emails you a summary. It is simple enough to understand in one sitting, but uses all the essential N8N patterns you will use in every workflow you build.
1
👆
Trigger
Manual Trigger
Click to start
→
2
🌐
HTTP Request
Fetch JSON
jsonplaceholder API
→
3
✏️
Set Node
Transform Data
Extract title + body
→
4
📧
Action
Send Email
Gmail node
💡
Why this workflow? It demonstrates the three pillars of every automation: getting data (HTTP Request), transforming data (Set node), and acting on data (Gmail send). Once you understand this pattern, you can build any workflow.
Section 2
Adding Nodes & Connecting Them
Follow these steps to build the workflow on your N8N canvas. Each step builds on the last:
1
Create a New Workflow
Click "New Workflow" in the sidebar. Give it a name like "My First Workflow". You will see a blank canvas with a "+" prompt in the center.
2
Add Manual Trigger Node
Click the "+" button or press Tab. Search for "Manual Trigger" and select it. This node starts the workflow when you click "Execute Workflow" — perfect for testing.
3
Add HTTP Request Node
Hover over the Manual Trigger node and click the "+" that appears on its right edge. Search for "HTTP Request". Set Method to GET and URL to: https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1
4
Add Set Node
From the HTTP Request node, add a "Set" node. Use it to create two new fields: "subject" mapped to the API's "title" field, and "message" mapped to "body".
5
Add Gmail Node
Add a "Gmail" node from the Set node. Configure To, Subject (use expression: {{ $json.subject }}), and Message (use: {{ $json.message }}). Connect your Gmail credentials.
Section 3
Node Configuration Reference
Here is the exact configuration for each of the 4 nodes. Open each node by double-clicking it on the canvas and match these settings:
Node Type
n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger
Config
No configuration needed
Purpose
Click "Execute Workflow" to fire
URL
https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1
Authentication
None (public API)
Field 1 Value
{{ $json.title }}
Field 2 Value
{{ $json.body }}
Subject
{{ $json.subject }}
Message
{{ $json.message }}
Section 4
Testing, Executing & Reading Output
Once all 4 nodes are configured and connected, you are ready to execute. Here is what to expect at each stage:
▶️
How to execute: Click the orange "Execute Workflow" button at the bottom of the canvas, or press Ctrl+Enter. You will see green checkmarks appear on each node as they run successfully.
After execution, click any node to see the data that flowed through it. The HTTP Request node will show the raw JSON from the API:
{
"userId": 1,
"id": 1,
"title": "sunt aut facere repellat provident",
"body": "quia et suscipit\nsuscipit recusandae..."
}
The Set node transforms it, and the Gmail node sends the email. Check your execution history in the left sidebar — you will see the full run with status, timing, and data at every step.
✅
Green = Success
A green badge on a node means it ran without errors. Click the node to inspect its output data.
🔴
Red = Error
A red badge means something went wrong. Click the node to read the error message and fix the configuration.
📊
Data Panel
The bottom panel shows Input and Output tabs for the selected node — JSON data structured as "items" array.
🧠 Workflow Building Check