Getting Started with n8n
A series on n8n as a self-hosted workflow and agent platform — from the first container to a production-ready pipeline with AI classification and SAP integration.
In May 2026, SAP took a strategic stake in n8n and embedded the platform into Joule Studio. Mercedes-Benz is rolling out n8n as a global automation platform and cites digital sovereignty as a key selection criterion. This series takes both events as a starting point and works through n8n from the ground up — self-hosting with Docker, the item model, AI agent nodes, error handling, observability, and the bridge into the SAP world. The demo project is a triage system for support tickets. Code lives openly on Codeberg, with a tag per article to follow along. Nine articles plus a prologue.
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Why n8n, why now — Prologue to the Getting-Started Series
SAP has taken a strategic stake in n8n and embedded it in Joule Studio. Mercedes-Benz is rolling out the platform globally. A prologue to the n8n getting-started series.18. May 2026 - 1
n8n in Overview — Architecture, Item Model, and Demo Repo
What n8n actually is under the hood: editor, execution engine, task runners, workflows as JSON. Plus the item array as the central data model and where n8n fits in the integration landscape.20. May 2026 - 2
Self-Hosting with Docker Compose — n8n, Postgres, and Caddy
Self-hosting n8n in a production-grade setup: Docker Compose, Postgres instead of SQLite, Caddy with auto-HTTPS, persistent volumes, and the environment variables that actually matter.21. May 2026 - 3
Test Data, Because Real Data Is Off the Table
Why a real ticket dataset has no place in a public repo, and how a hybrid generator using local models and Claude produces realistic test data with a reproducible distribution.22. May 2026 - 4
Nodes, Expressions, and the First Workflow Without AI
Building a rule-based ticket classifier in n8n: the item model in practice, writing expressions correctly, choosing between Set and Code nodes — and where the classifier predictably fails.26. May 2026 - 5
Webhooks, HTTP, and Credentials — the Production Entrance
How an n8n workflow gets an authenticated webhook endpoint, how credentials are stored securely, and how classifier logic is extracted into a sub-workflow.27. May 2026 - 6
AI Classification Without the Cloud — the Ticket Workflow Gets a Brain
How an n8n workflow classifies tickets with a local language model: structured output, two backends without a cloud key, deterministic language detection, and a benchmark that exposes its own weakness.1. Jun 2026