Workflows & Nodes in n8n
From the n8n cheat sheet · Core Concepts · verified Jul 2026
Workflows & Nodes
Basic building blocks of n8n automation
javascript
# Workflow Structure
- Workflows: Visual automation sequences
- Trigger Nodes: Start workflow (webhook, schedule, app event)
- Action Nodes: Perform operations (HTTP, Code, Transform)
# Data Format (Items)
[
{ json: { id: 1, name: "Alice" } },
{ json: { id: 2, name: "Bob" } }
]💡 Items are always arrays of objects with a "json" key
⚡ Sub-workflow executions do not count toward limits
📌 Trigger nodes start workflows, action nodes do the work
🎯 Use core nodes (IF, Merge, Set) for flow control