Node-Bench
Start learning

Build Your First Workflow

Difficulty
2/10
Tags
EssentialsForm TriggerEdit Fields (Set)Conditional RoutingExpressions

You've set up n8n. You're staring at an empty canvas and probably have no idea where to start. The UI is pretty confusing when you first open it. That's normal.

If you've never seen n8n in action, watch the video below. Max (who posts a lot of content on the official n8n YouTube channel, which is a great resource) builds a complete workflow from scratch in about 20 minutes. Watching someone else do it once makes the whole thing less intimidating. If you already have some experience, skip the video and go straight to the challenge below.

Watching someone else is a good start, but it's not how you actually learn this. I mentioned in the first guide that I spent a lot of time watching tutorials without building anything. It didn't stick. So right after the video, get into the doing.

The challenge below asks you to adapt the form-to-message pattern to something in your own life. The best way to learn n8n is by thinking about real ways to integrate it into your day-to-day. Maybe you always need to send a Slack message when something happens. Maybe you want a reminder at a certain time. Think about it. Form to message is a good place to start because probably everybody has some version of this that would be useful.

If you don't have a work Slack account, no problem. WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord all work exactly the same way. Swap out the Slack node for whatever messenger you actually use. You could have friends RSVP to a party and get a WhatsApp notification, for example.

We're not going to cover setting up credentials for these services in detail. The n8n docs do a great job of that, and getting comfortable with the docs is part of learning n8n. If you want to connect Slack, for example, check the Slack credentials page. If you get stuck on any step, just paste the entire docs page into ChatGPT and ask it to walk you through it.

What you'll practice:

  • Setting up a Form Trigger with text, dropdown, and checkbox fields
  • Using an IF node for conditional routing
  • Mapping data between nodes with expressions
  • Creating structured output with Edit Fields

Your Task

  1. 1Copy the exercise below
  2. 2Paste into your n8n editor (Ctrl+V)
  3. 3Solve it — use hints if you get stuck
  4. 4Check the solution when done

Build a party RSVP workflow:

  1. A Form Trigger with three fields:
    • "Your name" (text, required)
    • "How are you joining?" (dropdown: In person / Remotely / Can't make it)
    • "Bringing a plus-one?" (checkbox)
  2. An IF node that checks whether someone is bringing a plus-one
  3. True branch: an Edit Fields node that outputs the guest's name, attendance type, and headcount of 2
  4. False branch: an Edit Fields node that outputs the same fields but with headcount of 1

Run the workflow, fill out the test form, and verify the correct branch fires.

Get the exercise workflow

Create a free account to copy exercises into your n8n editor.

Hints

  1. Double-click the canvas or click "+" to open the node panel
  2. Search for "Form Trigger" and add it. Set the form title to "Party RSVP"
  3. Add three form fields: text for the name, dropdown for attendance type, checkbox for the plus-one question
  4. Click "Execute step" to test the form. Fill it out and submit
  5. Add an IF node. The checkbox value comes back as an array, so check if equals "Yes"
  6. Connect an Edit Fields node to the true branch. Map the guest name and attendance from the form, and set headcount to 2
  7. Add another Edit Fields node to the false branch with headcount of 1
  8. Pro tip: pin the test data in the form trigger so you don't have to fill out the form every time

Explanation

What you built:

  1. Form Trigger created a web form with three different field types. When someone submits it, the form data becomes JSON that flows into the next node.
  2. IF node checked a condition on the incoming data. The checkbox field returns an array (like "Yes"), so you accessed the first element with 0.
  3. Edit Fields nodes on each branch created structured output. You mapped values from the form using expressions like .

The pattern: Trigger, check a condition, do different things based on the result. Every workflow you build is some version of this.

Copy the Solution

Paste into n8n with Ctrl+V to compare with your approach.

How was this lesson?

Get the solution workflow

Create a free account to copy solutions into your n8n editor.

Related Content

Continue your learning journey with these related lessons and guides:

Connect n8n to Any API: Understanding HTTP Requests

Learn how to use the HTTP Request node in n8n to connect to any API. This guide covers all HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE), sending data, and handling responses.

essentialshttp-requestapi
Guide
Next Steps Preview

Congratulations on completing Section 1. See what's coming next and preview the skills you'll build in the rest of the course.

essentials
Guide
Trigger Workflows from Emails

Learn how to trigger n8n workflows from incoming emails using Gmail Trigger and extract key email fields for processing.

Beginnergmail-triggeredit-fieldsgmail
Lesson
Filter Data by Condition in n8n

Learn how to filter products by multiple conditions in n8n. Practice using the Filter node to keep only items that match specific criteria.

Beginneressentialsfilter-nodehttp-request
Lesson
Fetch Data from an API

Learn to fetch JSON data from an API endpoint using n8n's HTTP Request node.

Beginneressentialshttp-requestapi
Lesson