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. Thirteen 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 - 7
When the Workflow Learns to Fail — Error Handling and Observability in n8n
The AI classifier runs, but what happens when the model goes down? A global error workflow with a Telegram alert, an observability stack of Prometheus, Loki and Grafana, and a silent fallback that wants to be made visible.8. Jun 2026 - 8
One Entry Point, Two Classifiers — Merging the AI Pipeline into the Live Path
Until now two separate paths ran side by side: the rule-based ingest and the AI classification. This article merges them into one pipeline, makes classification a swappable stage, and positions the rule-based classifier as a deliberate fallback behind the model.9. Jun 2026 - 9
Two Models, One Entry Point — Round-Robin and Failover over Local AI Backends
A single AI backend degrades to the rule-based emergency exit on failure. This article builds real redundancy from two local models: round-robin in normal operation, automatic failover on a single outage, rule-based only when both are down.10. Jun 2026 - 10
n8n Meets SAP — the Bridge over OData and HTTP
The pipeline now enriches its tickets with master data from a SAP backend. This article shows the OData binding over HTTP, SAP's own error format, graceful degradation on an unknown customer, and where AIF stays complementary.13. Jun 2026 - 11
n8n in Queue Mode — Main, Worker and Redis
Operation goes production-ready. This article moves the single-process instance to queue mode: main accepts webhooks and enqueues executions in Redis, workers run them. With worker scaling, queue metrics, a production checklist, and a note on what queue mode does not do.15. Jun 2026 - 12
n8n or SAP Integration — Not an Either-Or
Eleven articles covered what n8n can do. This one places where it does not belong: against SAP Cloud Integration with its EAI heritage and the Edge Integration Cell with its data boundary. With a decision tree instead of a tool takedown.15. Jun 2026 - 13
n8n Authenticates Against SAP BTP — OAuth Against a CAP Service
The series finale: n8n binds to its own service on SAP BTP with a real OAuth flow. Client Credentials against the xsuaa token endpoint, a CAP service as a SAP-native stand-in, the n8n OAuth2 credential, and a workflow that enriches a ticket with a case ID from BTP.19. Jun 2026