n8n is a workflow automation tool that links apps, code and AI models into automated flows, and can run on n8n's cloud or on your own servers.
In plain words
In n8n you build a workflow on a visual canvas: each step is a node, such as receiving an email, calling an API or asking a language model a question. You can drop in your own code where the ready-made nodes fall short. For AI, n8n connects to model providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, and lets you add tools and memory to build agents. Its source code is public, under a fair-code licence called the Sustainable Use License.
A quick example
Imagine a small team that wants every new support email sorted. A workflow receives the email, sends its text to a language model to pick a category, and posts it into the right team chat channel. Each of those steps is one node on the canvas.
Where you'll meet it
- Automating business processes between apps.
- Building AI agents with tools and memory.
- Teams that want to self-host their automation.
Related
Sources
- Docsn8n Docs, n8n · read 29 Sept 2026
- Docsn8n-io/n8n, GitHub · read 29 Sept 2026
- DocsIntegrate AI, n8n Docs · read 29 Sept 2026
- DocsChoose how to use n8n, n8n Docs · read 29 Sept 2026
Checked by WhatIsAI against the sources above · 29 Sept 2026. Spotted an error? Report it.