How-To Guide

How to deploy your first n8n workflow

n8n is the most cost-effective workflow orchestrator at SMB scale — unmetered runs on a $5/month VPS. This guide gets you from zero to first workflow live in under 30 minutes.

Time30min

Cost$5/month (VPS) or free (n8n.cloud trial)

Steps7

Tools you'll need

n8n.cloud or self-hosted n8nYour existing tools (Slack, Gmail, Stripe, etc.)

Steps

1
Choose hosting: cloud or self-hosted
Cloud: n8n.cloud free trial, then $20/month. Self-hosted: $5/month VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner) + Docker compose. Self-hosted wins on cost at any scale; cloud wins on zero-setup.
2
Sign up + verify email
Cloud: sign up at n8n.cloud. Self-hosted: docker pull n8nio/n8n + docker-compose up. Either way, you should reach the workflows dashboard within 5 minutes.
3
Import a starter workflow
Aiprosol's free starter pack includes 25 n8n .json files. Download → Workflows → Import from File → pick the matching .json (e.g. Stripe-charge-to-HubSpot.json).
4
Connect credentials
Each workflow shows 'REPLACE_ME' placeholders for credentials. Workflows → Credentials → Create new → pick the provider (Slack, Gmail, Stripe) → OAuth or API key. n8n stores these encrypted.
5
Test with sample payload
Use n8n's Test mode → click Execute Workflow. Each node lights up green/red. Fix any red nodes (usually a missing field or wrong credential).
6
Activate the workflow
Toggle Active → workflow listens for triggers. Test by firing a real event (e.g. test Stripe charge). Verify the downstream action happened (CRM updated, Slack message sent).
7
Set up failure alerts
Settings → Error Workflow → create or import an error-handler workflow that posts to Slack on any execution failure. Never run a production workflow without error notifications.

Steps

Choose hosting: cloud or self-hosted

Cloud: n8n.cloud free trial, then $20/month. Self-hosted: $5/month VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner) + Docker compose. Self-hosted wins on cost at any scale; cloud wins on zero-setup.

Sign up + verify email

Cloud: sign up at n8n.cloud. Self-hosted: docker pull n8nio/n8n + docker-compose up. Either way, you should reach the workflows dashboard within 5 minutes.

Import a starter workflow

Aiprosol's free starter pack includes 25 n8n .json files. Download → Workflows → Import from File → pick the matching .json (e.g. Stripe-charge-to-HubSpot.json).

Connect credentials

Each workflow shows 'REPLACE_ME' placeholders for credentials. Workflows → Credentials → Create new → pick the provider (Slack, Gmail, Stripe) → OAuth or API key. n8n stores these encrypted.

Test with sample payload

Use n8n's Test mode → click Execute Workflow. Each node lights up green/red. Fix any red nodes (usually a missing field or wrong credential).

Activate the workflow

Toggle Active → workflow listens for triggers. Test by firing a real event (e.g. test Stripe charge). Verify the downstream action happened (CRM updated, Slack message sent).

Set up failure alerts

Settings → Error Workflow → create or import an error-handler workflow that posts to Slack on any execution failure. Never run a production workflow without error notifications.