Can I import an n8n workflow JSON file directly?

Yes. In the n8n editor, use Import from File or paste the JSON onto the canvas. The nodes and connections are recreated exactly, but credentials are not included in the export — you will need to reconnect each one before the workflow will run.

Why does my n8n node run multiple times?

Because n8n passes data between nodes as an array of items and most nodes execute once per item. If a previous node output fifty items, the next node runs fifty times. Use a node that aggregates items first if you need a single execution.

Can I convert an n8n workflow to Make or Zapier?

Partly. Logic and app references translate; platform-specific features and credentials do not map one-to-one. Our free workflow converter translates between n8n, Make, Zapier and Activepieces and flags the steps that need manual attention rather than pretending the conversion is complete.

n8n is fair-code licensed, not strictly open source under the OSI definition. The source is public and you may self-host it freely, but there are restrictions on offering it as a competing hosted service.

What Is an n8n Workflow? Nodes, Triggers and JSON Explained

What is an n8n workflow?

An n8n workflow is an automation built as a graph of connected nodes. One trigger node starts it — a webhook, a schedule, an app event — and each node after that performs one operation on the data passed to it. The whole workflow is stored as a single JSON document, which is why n8n workflows can be exported, version-controlled, shared and imported into another instance in seconds.

The parts of a workflow

Every n8n workflow is made of four things:

Trigger node. Exactly one node starts the run. It might be a webhook that fires when an external system posts to a URL, a schedule that runs every fifteen minutes, or an app trigger such as "new row in Airtable". Nothing happens until a trigger fires.

Regular nodes. Each performs one operation — call an API, transform data, query a database, send a message. A node receives items from the node before it and passes items to the node after it.

Connections. The lines between nodes define execution order and data flow. Branches let one node feed several, and merge nodes bring branches back together.

Items. Data moves as an array of items, not a single object. This is the part that surprises people coming from Zapier: an n8n node runs once per item by default, so a node receiving fifty items executes fifty times. Understanding this is the difference between a workflow that processes a batch correctly and one that silently handles only the first record.

Workflow JSON

An n8n workflow is a JSON document containing a nodes array and a connections object. Each node entry carries its type, its parameters, its position on the canvas and its credentials reference — never the credential itself.

That last detail matters when sharing. Exported JSON does not include your API keys, so importing a workflow means reconnecting its credentials before it will run. It also means a workflow file is safe to commit to a repository, which is how teams review automation changes in pull requests.

Because the format is plain JSON, workflows can be generated programmatically, diffed between versions, and translated to other platforms — which is what our workflow converter does.

How n8n differs from Make and Zapier

The three tools solve the same problem with genuinely different models, and the differences show up as soon as a workflow gets non-trivial.

	n8n	Make	Zapier
Unit of work	Node	Module	Step
Data model	Array of items per node	Bundles	One record per run
Self-hosting	Yes	No	No
Export format	JSON	Blueprint JSON	No public import format
Code steps	JavaScript and Python	Limited	Code steps

The practical consequences: n8n can be self-hosted, so data never leaves your infrastructure. Its item-array model handles batch operations naturally where Zapier's one-record-per-run model needs loops. And because Zapier exposes no importable format publicly, migrating to Zapier means recreating a workflow by hand from a specification rather than importing a file.

What people get wrong

Assuming a node runs once. It runs once per input item. A "send email" node fed twenty items sends twenty emails.

Ignoring error paths. By default a failed node stops the workflow. Production workflows need an error trigger, a retry policy, or both — otherwise a transient API failure silently ends the run.

Treating pinned data as real. Pinned data speeds up building by freezing a sample response, but it is not what runs in production. Workflows that only ever worked against pinned data fail on the first real payload.

Storing secrets in node parameters. Credentials belong in n8n's credential store, referenced by ID. Pasting a token into a parameter puts it in the exported JSON.

Self-hosted vs cloud

n8n is fair-code licensed and can be self-hosted for free, which is the main reason teams choose it over fully-hosted competitors. Self-hosting means you control where data lives and you are not billed per operation — but you also own upgrades, backups and uptime. n8n Cloud removes that operational burden at a per-execution cost.

Rather than build from scratch, start from a working workflow. Neura Market indexes over 27,000 n8n, Make, Zapier and Activepieces workflows you can import and adapt.

Browse 27,000+ ready-made workflows

Frequently asked questions

Can I import an n8n workflow JSON file directly?: Yes. In the n8n editor, use Import from File or paste the JSON onto the canvas. The nodes and connections are recreated exactly, but credentials are not included in the export — you will need to reconnect each one before the workflow will run.
Why does my n8n node run multiple times?: Because n8n passes data between nodes as an array of items and most nodes execute once per item. If a previous node output fifty items, the next node runs fifty times. Use a node that aggregates items first if you need a single execution.
Can I convert an n8n workflow to Make or Zapier?: Partly. Logic and app references translate; platform-specific features and credentials do not map one-to-one. Our free workflow converter translates between n8n, Make, Zapier and Activepieces and flags the steps that need manual attention rather than pretending the conversion is complete.
Is n8n open source?: n8n is fair-code licensed, not strictly open source under the OSI definition. The source is public and you may self-host it freely, but there are restrictions on offering it as a competing hosted service.

Workflow automation: Connecting apps and services so multi-step business processes run without manual work. Platforms like n8n, Zapier, and Make let you build these flows visually from triggers and actions.
Trigger: The event that starts an automation — a new email, a form submission, a webhook call, or a schedule. Every workflow begins with exactly one trigger.
Node: In flow-based tools like n8n, one block in the visual graph: a trigger, an app action, or a logic step. Workflows are wired-together nodes.
Webhook: An HTTP callback that lets one system notify another the moment something happens, instead of the receiver polling for changes. The backbone of real-time automation.
Scenario: Make's (formerly Integromat) name for a workflow: a visual sequence of modules that runs on a trigger or schedule.
Self-hosted automation: Running the automation platform on your own infrastructure (typical with n8n or Activepieces) for data control and lower per-task costs, at the price of maintenance.