n8n
Build a scheduled n8n workflow on sample data before touching real accounts
n8n's quick start builds a workflow that fetches Berlin weather from a sample API every morning at 8 AM, formats a short report and saves it to a data table. A safe way to learn triggers, nodes and expressions before real automation.
Written from the tool's official pages, listed under Official sources at the end of this guide. Check them for current features, limits and terms.
Try it (opens in a new tab)Steps to try
- Choose where to run it: the quick start names an n8n Cloud free trial or a self-hosted instance. Pick the one your situation allows and use a throwaway workspace.
- Select Personal, then Create workflow, and name it Weather Log. Add a Schedule Trigger as the first step and set Trigger at Hour to 8 AM, as the tutorial does.
- Add an HTTP Request node, paste the tutorial's Mockingbird sample URL (https://mockingbird.n8n.io/v1/weather/berlin), and select Execute step to see the city, temp_c and condition fields. Mockingbird covers about 40 European cities and other cities return an error.
- Add an Edit Fields (Set) node after it and build a report field from those values. Execute the step and check the preview shows the sentence you expect.
- Under Personal, create a data table named weather_data with a report column, add a Data table node with the Insert row action, then select Execute workflow and check that a row appears.
- Publish only when you want the 8 AM schedule active, and unpublish the practice workflow afterwards so it stops running. Then repeat the pattern with your own apps and test data.
Limitations
The tutorial uses Mockingbird, a sample-data service n8n provides for tutorials, so it teaches structure rather than your real integrations. The docs also describe an n8n Assistant in Preview, which may change. Self-hosting means you handle setup, updates and security yourself. Published workflows keep running on schedule.
Pricing
The documentation mentions a free trial of n8n Cloud and a self-hosted option. Plans, limits and licence terms change, so check the official pricing and licence pages before relying on either route.
Privacy and data
Real workflows can pass customer, financial or employee data between apps, and credentials you add grant access to those accounts. Start with synthetic data, give each connection the minimum permissions, and never paste secrets into notes or prompts.
About the sources
Based on the n8n quick start, which builds a Berlin weather report from the Mockingbird sample API and saves it to a data table; documentation-based, not hands-on tested.
Alternatives
Make offers a similar visual builder with a hosted approach. Zapier and similar services suit simple app-to-app links. For a single recurring job, a short script on a scheduler may be simpler.
Official sources
The official pages this guide was written from. Read them for current features, limits and terms.