3. What are nodes?
N8n nodes are essential components for creating workflows that enable data transformation and application integration.
Understanding n8n Nodes: The Building Blocks of Workflows
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🔗 In the third video of the n8n beginner course, we will look at the concept of nodes, the basic building blocks of the n8n workflow .
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📊 Nodes have three basic categories: **entry points (triggers), functions (for data transformation), and exit points (applications)**, all of which can be grouped by type in the NEN interface.
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➕ To add a node, users start with a blank canvas and can start a workflow by selecting a trigger node, such as a manual trigger, to start the process .
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📑 Each node has specific actions, like those available in a Google Spreadsheet node, with options like Add Row or Update Row .
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🔧 Users can configure their nodes by accessing the settings, where they can set parameters , manage credentials for authentication, and view input and output data .
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🗂 This video highlights three views for data representation: Table View, JSON View, and Schema View, which help you visualize the data you're processing .
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📈 This tutorial concludes by demonstrating how to read data from Google Sheets and set up various node settings, laying the foundation for building an efficient workflow.
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👋 In the following video, we will take a closer look at the data types used in n8n nodes to gain a better understanding of the data flow within the workflow.
LiveWiki, the key content on YouTube in 10 seconds! - https://livewiki.com/ko/content/n8n-beginner-course-nodes
NodeNode
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Node definition and type description: Divided into trigger (starting point), function (data transformation, filtering, formatting), and application (ending point).
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Nodes are the basic units of n8n workflows, and workflows are built by connecting each node.
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Core building blocks used in n8n
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3 elements of a node
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Entry point
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Function
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Output point
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Types of nodes
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Triggers, app launches, data transformations, flows, files, and more
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Explains how to add a node in n8n.
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You can select a trigger as the first node and start the workflow manually.
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Guide to quickly finding and adding nodes or applications.
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How to set up a node: You can add a node to the canvas and run it.
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You can set up specific tasks (e.g. importing data from Google Sheets) and use advanced configuration options for the node.
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Actions that nodes can perform
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Description of the node's credentials settings: Set up authentication for your application so it can be used securely in your workflow.
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Credentials are stored at the instance level, can be reused, and access can be restricted.
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Input and output data description: Set up to easily understand the data to be read and written to the node.
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Data can be viewed in table, JSON, and schema formats.
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Hands-on example using Google Sheets: Explains the process of reading data from Google Sheets and shows various view options (Data, Company Information sheets).
