Summary
n8n is a source-available workflow automation platform released under a fair-code license. Using a visual, node-based editor, it lets teams connect applications, APIs, databases, and services into automated workflows—triggered by events, schedules, or webhooks—without writing a full integration for each connection. It can be self-hosted, which keeps data and execution under your own control.
What is n8n?
In n8n, a workflow is a chain of nodes: a trigger starts it, and subsequent nodes call APIs, transform data, branch on conditions, or perform actions in other systems. It ships with a large library of integrations, and custom logic or code can be added where needed. Because it is fair-code and self-hostable, organisations can run it on their own infrastructure rather than depending on a hosted SaaS automation tool.
n8n is increasingly used for AI and agentic automation—calling large language models, chaining prompts, and orchestrating steps that combine AI with existing systems and data, including secrets managed in tools like Vault or OpenBao. This makes it a practical bridge between traditional integration work and AI-driven workflow automation.
Why is n8n relevant?
- Visual automation: Connect apps, APIs, and services without bespoke integrations for each
- Self-hostable: Run on your own infrastructure to keep data and execution under your control
- Open and extensible: A large integration library plus custom code where needed
- AI-ready: Increasingly used to build AI-powered and agentic workflows over existing systems