✨ n8n Local Installation — Part A | by Riki Graha

📚 Mini Series — Beginner Friendly

📚 For absolute beginners who want to install n8n locally and run automation on their own machine.

✨ Introduction — The Moment You Realize You Need Automation… And Control

There's a very specific moment when someone decides:

"Okay… I need automation. And I want it to run on my machine."

Usually, it happens after one of these things:

You got tired of repetitive digital chores.
You found out Zapier costs more than your groceries.
You discovered automation is fun but you don't want to rely on the cloud.
You're curious about building something real on your laptop.
You want automations that run even if the internet dies.
Or — like most of us — you simply want to feel like a hacker in your bedroom.

Whatever the reason is, today is the day you learn:

How to install n8n locally and run your own automation engine on your own infrastructure.

And don't worry — I'm going to explain everything like a friend sitting next to you, not like a professor lecturing at you.

Let's get into it.

🌟 Section 1 — What Does "Local Installation" Even Mean?

Before we click or install anything, let's break down what "local installation" actually means in real human language.

🍪 Example 1

Imagine you buy a coffee machine and keep it in your house. You own it. You control it. You use it anytime. That's local installation.

🍪 Example 2

Compare that with going to Starbucks. You depend on them. They own the machines, the cups, the milk, the process. That's like cloud automation.

🍪 Example 3

Local installation means your automation runs even when:

Your internet is unstable
The cloud service is down
You want full privacy
You're experimenting and breaking stuff

In other words:

Local installation = Your machine. Your rules. Your playground.

n8n is perfect for this because it's extremely flexible and friendly.

📚 Pros & Cons — Local Installation (Beginner Level)

✔️ Pros

Full control Everything runs on your hardware. No limits, no rules.
Zero monthly cost Free forever unless you choose to self-host on a server.
Safe to break things Make mistakes without messing up production.

❌ Cons

Your machine must stay on If your laptop sleeps, your automation sleeps too.
You must handle updates Local = you maintain.
Requires basic terminal knowledge Don't worry — we'll explain every step.

🔧 Section 2 — Three Ways to Install n8n Locally

There are 3 common installation methods. Each has pros and cons depending on your skill level, OS, and comfort.

🌳 Method A — Node.js Installation

Install n8n through Node.js using npm.

📦 Method B — Docker Installation

Run n8n inside a container. (Recommended for most people.)

🧰 Method C — Desktop App (easiest)

n8n Desktop App — the simplest but limited for production-like behavior.

In Part A, we'll focus on Node.js installation first, because it teaches beginners how n8n actually works under the hood.

Then in Part B we'll do install for:

🪟 Windows
🍎 macOS
🐧 Linux

And in Part C we'll do:

💾 Docker installation
Environment variables
Folder structure
Running n8n as a service

Let's begin with the fundamentals.

📂 Section 3 — Before Installing: What You Need (Beginner Friendly)

You don't need much. But you do need these three things:

📌 1. Node.js installed (Version 18 or later recommended)

Check Node version:

node -v

If you see something like:

v18.17.1

If you see something like:

If not, download Node.js from:

👉 https://nodejs.org

📌 2. Basic Terminal Access

You don't need to be a Linux guru. You just need to type simple commands like:

cd folder
ls
npm install

If you can type that, you're ready.

📌 3. At least 1 GB RAM free

n8n doesn't eat too much, but it appreciates some breathing room.

✔️ Pros of Node.js Installation

| Pros                     | Why it matters       |
| ------------------------ | -------------------- |
| ✔️ Very flexible         | Customize everything |
| ✔️ Lightweight           | Perfect for learning |
| ✔️ No extra dependencies | Simple and clean     |

❌ Cons of Node.js Installation

| Cons                       | Explanation                |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| ❌ Not ideal for production | Better to use Docker later |
| ❌ Need to install Node.js  | Extra step for beginners   |
| ❌ Must use terminal        | No visual installer        |

But trust me — learning this method teaches you a lot.

🎨 Section 4 — Installing n8n Locally Using Node.js (Step-by-Step)

Let's do this step by step like a tutorial your best friend would show you while sitting on your couch.

📝 Step 1 — Create a Project Folder

Pick any folder. Example:

mkdir n8n-local
cd n8n-local

This folder will store your credentials and workflows.

📦 Step 2 — Install n8n

Now install it globally:

npm install n8n -g

This tells your computer:

"Make n8n available everywhere."

Wait for installation. It may take 1–2 minutes.

🚀 Step 3 — Run n8n

The magic moment. Type:

n8n

If everything works, you'll see something like:

n8n ready on localhost:5678
Editor is now available at: http://localhost:5678/

Open your browser and go to:

👉 http://localhost:5678

Boom. Your own n8n instance. Running locally. Running because YOU installed it.

Feel the power.

🌟 Section 5 — What Happens After You Install?

Once n8n is running locally, several good things happen:

🍪 You are in full control.

Your workflows stay on your machine. Nothing leaves unless you send it.

🍪 You can break things safely.

Learning by breaking is the best.

🍪 You can explore all nodes freely.

Try email, Slack, API calls, Google Sheets, everything.

🍪 You can do real projects.

Backup, monitoring, automations, scraping — all possible.

📋 Pros & Cons — Running n8n Locally

✔️ Pros

Local = fast & private
No internet dependency
Perfect sandbox to learn automation

❌ Cons

Laptop must stay awake
No auto-scale
Not ideal for team workflows

But for beginners? Local installation is perfect.

📚 Section 6 — Understanding Local Data Storage (Beginners Often Miss This)

By default, n8n stores your stuff in:

📁 On Windows

C:\Users\<YourName>\.n8n\

📁 On macOS

/Users/<YourName>/.n8n/

📁 On Linux

/home/<your-user>/.n8n/

This folder contains:

| File             | Purpose                          |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------- |
| `credentials.db` | Stores credentials encryptically |
| `n8n.sqlite`     | Stores workflows                 |
| `.env`           | Environment variables            |
| `config`         | Optional config                  |

🔐 Security Tip for Beginners

Your credentials are encrypted. BUT…

If someone accesses your laptop, they can still decrypt them.

So protect your machine with:

a good password
disk encryption (Bitlocker, FileVault)

📦 Section 7 — Using Environment Variables (Beginner Level)

This is how you customize your n8n installation.

To use env variables, create a file:

.n8n/.env

Examples:

N8N_PORT=5678
N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5678
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=yourpassword

Restart n8n:

n8n stop
n8n start

🔍 Section 8 — Simple Automation Example You Can Build Locally

Let's build your first local automation.

A simple one:

When a new file appears in a folder, send yourself a Telegram alert.

Why this example? Because it shows how automation can interact with your local filesystem, which is something cloud services cannot do easily.

📂 Step 1 — Add "Read Binary Files" Node

Set folder path, for example:

/Users/alex/Documents/inbox

🎨 Step 2 — Add Function Node to Format Message

return [{
  json: {
    text: `📁 A new file has been added: ${$binary.data.fileName}`
  }
}];

📤 Step 3 — Add Telegram Node

Message:

{{$json["text"]}}

💡 Now test it

Drop a file into the folder. Within seconds, you get a Telegram alert.

That's local automation in action.

📊 Summary Table

| Icon | Section          | Key Concept            | Beginner Value          |
| ---- | ---------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------- |
| ✨   | Intro            | Why local installation | Ownership of automation |
| 📚   | Requirements     | Node.js, terminal      | Low barrier to entry    |
| 🔧   | Install          | `npm install n8n -g`   | Simple & fast           |
| 🍪   | Examples         | Local workflows        | Practical learning      |
| 📦   | Env vars         | Customization          | Control & security      |
| 📂   | Local folders    | Where files stored     | Safe management         |
| 🎨   | Example workflow | Filesystem automation  | Easy & fun              |

🏁 Conclusion

You've just learned the fundamental concepts of local installation:

What it means
Why it's useful
How to install n8n via Node.js
How to run it
Where data is stored
How to customize it
A real example workflow

You're no longer "someone who wants to learn automation." You're now "someone who has n8n running locally."

That's a huge step.

👉 Ready for PART B?

Part B will cover:

🪟 Windows installation 🍎 macOS installation 🐧 Linux installation 🔐 Basic security 📤 Running n8n as a background service 📂R Real complex examples 🎨R Debugging & Troubleshooting

❓ Need Help?

n8n Official Docs: https://docs.n8n.io
Free Templates: https://n8n.io/workflows
Community Discord: https://discord.gg/n8n

And if you build something cool? Share it. The automation community thrives on doers like you.

Enjoyed this? Clap, follow, or share with a friend drowning in manual tasks. No fluff. Just real automation.

You've made it this far 👏 — which means you're serious about learning and leveling up your skills. If you want to dive deeper into related topics, I've created several CheatSheet series and curated lists on Medium. These collections are like mini roadmaps designed for beginners and self-learners who want step-by-step guidance.

Here's where you can explore more:

👉 n8n Series
👉 n8n
👉 Git CheatSheet
👉 HTML
👉 HTML CSS CheatSheet
👉 HTML CSS JavaScript CheatSheet
👉 Tailwind CSS
👉 JavaScript
👉 JavaScript CheatSheet
👉 TypeScript Series (Upcoming)
👉 TypeScript CheatSheet
👉 ReactJS CheatSheet
👉 NextJS CheatSheet
👉 NodeJS Series
👉 Front-End
👉 Informative Stories
👉 Visual Studio Code
👉 Web3
👉 AI

✨ n8n Local Installation — Part A

🌟 Run Automation on Your Own Infrastructure

✨ Introduction — The Moment You Realize You Need Automation… And Control

🌟 Section 1 — What Does "Local Installation" Even Mean?

🍪 Example 1

🍪 Example 2

🍪 Example 3

📚 Pros & Cons — Local Installation (Beginner Level)

✔️ Pros

❌ Cons

🔧 Section 2 — Three Ways to Install n8n Locally

🌳 Method A — Node.js Installation

📦 Method B — Docker Installation

🧰 Method C — Desktop App (easiest)

📂 Section 3 — Before Installing: What You Need (Beginner Friendly)

📌 1. Node.js installed (Version 18 or later recommended)

📌 2. Basic Terminal Access

📌 3. At least 1 GB RAM free

🎨 Section 4 — Installing n8n Locally Using Node.js (Step-by-Step)

📝 Step 1 — Create a Project Folder

📦 Step 2 — Install n8n

🚀 Step 3 — Run n8n

🌟 Section 5 — What Happens After You Install?

🍪 You are in full control.

🍪 You can break things safely.

🍪 You can explore all nodes freely.

🍪 You can do real projects.

📋 Pros & Cons — Running n8n Locally

✔️ Pros

❌ Cons

📚 Section 6 — Understanding Local Data Storage (Beginners Often Miss This)

🔐 Security Tip for Beginners

📦 Section 7 — Using Environment Variables (Beginner Level)

🔍 Section 8 — Simple Automation Example You Can Build Locally

📂 Step 1 — Add "Read Binary Files" Node

🎨 Step 2 — Add Function Node to Format Message

📤 Step 3 — Add Telegram Node

💡 Now test it

📊 Summary Table

🏁 Conclusion

👉 Ready for PART B?

❓ Need Help?