n8n: A Practical Guide to Open-Source Automation, Docker, and Local AI

Automation has become a core part of how I work as a solo developer. When you are building, maintaining, and scaling systems on your own, every repetitive task costs time and focus. Over the last years, n8n has become one of the most important tools in my stack because it allows me to automate reliably without giving up control.

What Is n8n?

n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform that lets you connect APIs, services, and systems using a visual, node-based editor. Each node performs a single task, and multiple nodes form a complete workflow.

Why Open Source Matters When You Work Alone

As a solo developer, avoiding vendor lock-in and black-box systems is critical. n8n being open source means full transparency, self-hosting, and total control over data flows.

Running n8n with Docker

Running n8n with Docker enables reproducible setups, clean separation of services, easy backups, and simple updates using Docker Compose.

n8n as an AI Orchestration Layer

n8n works extremely well as an orchestration layer for AI workflows, routing data, triggering models, and handling retries.

Local AI with Ollama

Using Ollama, local large language models can be connected to n8n via HTTP requests and webhooks, enabling privacy-friendly AI workflows.

Real-World Use Cases

Automating content pipelines
Connecting WordPress, APIs, and AI services
Replacing scripts with maintainable workflows

Explore real examples in my n8n workflows.

Final Thoughts

Combined with Docker and local AI runtimes like Ollama, n8n becomes a powerful foundation for modern automation—especially for solo developers.

will

WordPress Developer & Web Specialist Born in South Africa and raised in Eswatini (Swaziland) and White Rock, Canada, I’ve spent most of my life in Austria working on digital projects and building practical web solutions for people and businesses. My core stack is WordPress, PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with a strong focus on performance optimization, hosting/VPS management, and automation to create fast, reliable, and user-friendly websites. Beyond tech, I’m interested in mental health practices, personal growth, reading, and tinkering with tools, systems, and new ideas — always learning and improving both professionally and personally.