🟢 Beginner’s Guide to n8n Automation

Build a “Weather Data Every Minute” Workflow (with & without Docker)

Automation can save hours of manual work—but coding full-blown services is daunting if you’re new to development.
n8n changes that by letting you drag, drop, and connect nodes to create workflows visually.

In this guide you’ll learn:

What n8n is and why it’s useful
How to install n8n two ways: with Docker and without Docker
How to import and run a sample workflow that generates random weather data every minute
How each node in the workflow works
Extra ideas to help you create your own automations

Let’s get started!

1️⃣ What Is n8n?

n8n (pronounced “n-eight-n”) is an open-source automation platform.
Think of it like a programmable version of tools such as Zapier or IFTTT:

Visual builder – create flows by connecting nodes instead of writing boilerplate code.
Over 350 ready-made nodes – HTTP requests, Slack, Google Sheets, Databases, GitHub, and many more.
Self-hosted or cloud – run on your own server for full control.

2️⃣ Install n8n

You can run n8n either inside a Docker container (simple and portable) or directly on your system (no Docker needed).
Pick the method you prefer.

A. Install with Docker (Recommended)

Create a folder for n8n:
```
 mkdir n8n && cd n8n
```

docker-compose.yml:

 version: "3.9"
 services:
   n8n:
     image: n8nio/n8n
     ports:
       - "5678:5678"
     environment:
       - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
       - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
       - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=strongpassword
       - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
     volumes:
       - ./n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

Start it:
```
 docker compose up -d
```
Visit http://<your-server-ip>:5678 and log in with admin / strongpassword.

B. Install without Docker (Native Node.js)

If you’d rather skip Docker:

# Update packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install Node.js 18 or newer
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs build-essential

# Install n8n globally
sudo npm install -g n8n

Optional but recommended security:

export N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
export N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
export N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=strongpassword

Run:

n8n

Open http://<your-server-ip>:5678 in a browser.

✅ Tip: For production, create a systemd service so n8n starts automatically on reboot.

3️⃣ Import the Weather Workflow

Download or copy the following JSON into a file called weather-workflow.json:

{
  "name": "Weather Data Every Minute (Enhanced)",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "triggerTimes": [
          {
            "mode": "everyMinute"
          }
        ]
      },
      "name": "Cron",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.cron",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [150, 300]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "values": {
          "string": [
            {
              "name": "city",
              "value": "London"
            }
          ]
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "name": "Set City",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [350, 300]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "functionCode": "const conditions = ['Sunny', 'Cloudy', 'Rainy', 'Windy', 'Snowy'];\nreturn [{\n  json: {\n    city: $json.city,\n    temperature: Math.floor(Math.random() * 16) + 15, // 15-30\n    condition: conditions[Math.floor(Math.random() * conditions.length)],\n    humidity: Math.floor(Math.random() * 41) + 40, // 40-80\n    wind: Math.floor(Math.random() * 21) + 5 // 5-25\n  }\n}];"
      },
      "name": "Random Weather",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [550, 300]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "value": "={{$now}}",
        "custom": true,
        "toFormat": "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss",
        "options": {}
      },
      "name": "Date & Time",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.dateTime",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [750, 300]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "responseMode": "lastNode",
        "options": {}
      },
      "name": "Respond to Webhook",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [950, 300]
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Cron": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Set City",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Set City": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Random Weather",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Random Weather": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Date & Time",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Date & Time": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Respond to Webhook",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "active": false
}

Go to the n8n web interface.
Click Workflows → Import from File.
Select the file and save.

4️⃣ Understand the Nodes

Here’s what each node in Weather Data Every Minute (Enhanced) does:

Node	What It Does	Why It Matters
Cron	Triggers the workflow every minute.	Acts as a scheduler—no manual clicks needed.
Set City	Adds a static `city: "London"` field.	Lets you define default data for downstream nodes.
Random Weather (Function)	Runs a small JavaScript snippet to create random `temperature`, `condition`, `humidity`, and `wind`.	Shows how to add custom logic beyond built-in nodes.
Date & Time	Adds the current timestamp formatted as `YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss`.	Useful for logs or time-stamped records.
Respond to Webhook	Outputs the final JSON.	Lets other apps or people call the endpoint and get the data.

When active, every minute this workflow generates output similar to:

{
  "city": "London",
  "temperature": 24,
  "condition": "Sunny",
  "humidity": 65,
  "wind": 14,
  "date": "2025-09-17 22:30:00"
}

5️⃣ Test It

Activate the workflow (toggle in the top right).
Use curl or a browser to hit the test URL shown in the “Respond to Webhook” node:
```
 curl http://<your-ip>:5678/webhook/<your-path>
```
You’ll see fresh weather data each time you call it.

6️⃣ Fun Extensions

This simple example is just the start.
Here are some beginner-friendly ideas:

Log to a Database – Add a PostgreSQL or MySQL node to store each weather record.
Send Alerts – Add an Email or Slack node to notify if the temperature crosses a threshold.
Google Sheets Dashboard – Append each new data point to a sheet for easy charts.
Real API Calls – Replace the Random Weather function with an HTTP Request node calling a real API such as OpenWeatherMap.

7️⃣ Key Takeaways for Beginners

Visual First – You don’t need to be a developer to start; drag-and-drop gets you far.
Two Easy Installs – Docker for convenience, Node.js if you prefer native.
Reusable – The same workflow can run locally, in the cloud, or on a Raspberry Pi.

🟢 Beginner’s Guide to n8n Automation

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Build a “Weather Data Every Minute” Workflow (with & without Docker)

1️⃣ What Is n8n?

2️⃣ Install n8n

A. Install with Docker (Recommended)

B. Install without Docker (Native Node.js)

3️⃣ Import the Weather Workflow

4️⃣ Understand the Nodes

5️⃣ Test It

6️⃣ Fun Extensions

7️⃣ Key Takeaways for Beginners

Command Palette

Comments

More from this blog

Build a “Weather Data Every Minute” Workflow (with & without Docker)

1️⃣ What Is n8n?

2️⃣ Install n8n

A. Install with Docker (Recommended)

B. Install without Docker (Native Node.js)

3️⃣ Import the Weather Workflow

4️⃣ Understand the Nodes

5️⃣ Test It

6️⃣ Fun Extensions

7️⃣ Key Takeaways for Beginners