Automate Your Daily Tasks in 10 Minutes: A Practical Guide to n8n for Beginners
Until 2022, I thought automation was only large companies. But in 2022 I discovered n8n, and everything changed. Now, I automate routine work, reports, and even whole business processes—sometimes in under 10 minutes. Here’s how it works, what surprised me, and what you can try today.
In 2022, I deployed n8n on a separate VPS to demonstrate the ability to process design data from Revit and show that it's like working in Dynamo or Grasshopper, but for data managers and automation pipelines outside of Autodesk products.
But it was hard to get experts interested in 2022 - at the time, n8n was still in its early stages: there were no Python nodes, no LLM integration, and most workflows took weeks to create, relying on scattered blog posts and incomplete examples on forums.
Fast forward to 2025, and everything has changed.
Today, thanks to native LLM nodes, you can simply ask ChatGPT, Claude, or any advanced AI assistant to generate automation n8n pipelines — whether for validating parameters or producing custom QTO tables — and get ready-to-run workflows in seconds.
Why Bother with Automation?
Let’s be honest: most “office work” is repetitive. Copy-paste, renaming files, sending the same email—again and again. It’s boring and, more importantly, wastes hours every week. For me, automation started as an experiment, but quickly became a must-have. Once you automate your first task, you won’t want to go back.
What is n8n and Why Use It?
n8n (pronounced “n-eight-n”) is a free, open-source tool for automating anything—emails, file operations, notifications, even AI tasks. The best part? No coding needed. You just drag, drop, connect blocks, and press play. It runs on Windows, Mac, or Linux. I set up my first workflow in under 15 minutes.
How I Got Started (And You Can Too)
Install Node.js (from the official site, takes 2 minutes)
Install n8n with one command
Open n8n in your browser (local or online)
Start building: drag blocks (“nodes”) to connect apps, add logic, or even call ChatGPT to write emails for you!
Video Tutorial:
Automate Your CAD-BIM Workflows Local with n8n + ChatGPT & Claude | No Code, No Plugins, No Internet
My first workflow? Automating project reports — collecting data, formatting it, and sending it as an email, all triggered by a single button.
Video Tutorial:
Automate Your CAD-BIM Workflows Local with n8n + ChatGPT & Claude | No Code, No Plugins, No Internet
Where the Magic Happens: AI & Templates
The next “wow moment” for me was connecting n8n to AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT. Need to generate text, analyze data, summarize, or respond to messages? Just add a ChatGPT node—no API coding, just your prompt.
Short on time? n8n has a big library of ready-made templates. You can find workflows for almost any need: document processing, cloud backups, database syncs, even advanced stuff like BIM/CAD data processing. Grab a template, tweak it for your needs, done.
Lessons Learned and Tips
Don’t overthink: Start simple. Even automating one small task (like downloading attachments from email) pays off.
Debug as you go: n8n makes it easy to see where something breaks—just follow the logs, tweak, and re-run.
Experiment: The community is active and shares real-life examples. Some of my best workflows came from GitHub repos or the official n8n library.
Combine tools: I use n8n with spreadsheets, databases, cloud storage, and AI. Everything connects!
Why You Should Try It
After a few weeks, I realized how much time I was saving. Reports that took 30 minutes now take 2. Integrations that seemed impossible (like sending BIM data to a spreadsheet, then to Teams) were suddenly simple.
Automation isn’t just for techies anymore. With tools like n8n, anyone can build and run real workflows—saving hours, reducing errors, and focusing on what really matters.
