Key takeaways
- Use n8n Cloud if nobody on your team wants to run a server. Self-hosting is a separate, more technical path.
- n8n's docs list the Admin role on Cloud Pro and Enterprise, not on Starter.
- n8n recommends that the owner build workflows from a second account with the Member role.
- A workflow that starts on a schedule must be published before it runs.
By the end of this walkthrough your team will have an n8n Cloud workspace with users invited and a first scheduled workflow published. n8n builds automations from connected steps called nodes. This guide uses the hosted Cloud version. Self-hosting the free Community Edition is possible, but it needs someone technical and is not covered here.
Before you start
Pick an owner who will manage billing and users. Have your teammates’ email addresses ready and a short list of the apps you want to connect.
On n8n’s pricing page, Cloud plans are sized by workflow executions and list unlimited users. The Business plan is self-hosted only for now.
| Plan | What it adds for a team | Price as listed |
|---|---|---|
| Starter (Cloud) | 2.5K executions a month, 1 shared project | €20 a month billed annually |
| Pro (Cloud) | 10K executions a month, 3 shared projects | €50 a month billed annually |
| Business (self-hosted) | 40K executions, 6 projects | €667 a month billed annually |
| Enterprise | Custom, cloud or self-hosted | Contact sales |
The page says Starter and Pro Cloud trials need no credit card. The trial lists 1,000 executions, one team project and a 180-second timeout.
Create the account and workspace
n8n’s first workflow guide says you need an n8n instance, and Cloud has a free trial.
- Start a Cloud trial from the n8n site and sign up as the owner.
- In the n8n Cloud console, select Open instance on the Overview page.
- Check the workspace opens. Only the Owner role can reach the Cloud console.
Invite your team
These steps come from n8n’s Cloud user setup page.
- Sign in to your instance with the owner account.
- Click the three dots next to your user icon at the bottom left, then click Settings.
- Click Users.
- Click Invite and enter the new user’s email address.
- Click Invite user. n8n emails a link to join.
n8n’s instance roles page lists four roles. The Owner has full control. The Admin can view and share all workflows and credentials and can add or remove users, and it is available on Cloud Pro and Enterprise. The Member manages their own workflows and cannot see workflows owned by others. The Chat user only uses n8n through Chat and is also on Pro and Enterprise.
Set the admin and data settings
n8n recommends that the owner make a second account with the Member role for daily building. Owners can edit everything, and n8n does not show who created a given workflow.
Set the workflow timezone before you schedule anything. The Schedule Trigger docs say timing follows the workflow’s timezone if one is set. Otherwise it uses the instance timezone, which is GMT on n8n Cloud unless the owner’s timezone is detected.
On data, n8n’s privacy page says the Assistant may send workflow context to AI services, such as node names, schemas and configuration. It says n8n does not send credentials or the data your workflows process. It says this data is not used to train the AI services’ models. The page says the Assistant is on by default in n8n Cloud and does not explain how to opt out, so ask n8n support if you need that.
Connect your other apps
n8n has built-in nodes for common apps. The Gmail node offers Message operations such as Send and Reply, Draft operations such as Create, and a Gmail Trigger. The Slack node sends a channel message with Message > Send. Add a node with the + button on the canvas and search for the app name. The node will ask you to sign in to that app. For setup of a given app, follow the credentials link on its node page.
Tasks to try first
The docs show two ways to start. You can describe a workflow in New chat with the n8n Assistant, or select Personal, then Create workflow, and build it by hand. When a workflow is ready, select Publish.
Send a Monday reminder to the team
Use this when a weekly task keeps getting forgotten.
Workflow name: Monday reminder
Node 1: Schedule Trigger > Weeks > Monday > 8:00
Node 2: Slack > Message > Send
Channel: #office
Text: Weekly checklist: send invoices, review open quotes, update the schedule.
Then: Publish
Ask the Assistant for a daily report
Use this when you want a first workflow without building each node.
Open New chat in n8n and send this:
Run every day at 8 AM. Add a text field called report that says "Daily check complete". Save it to a new data table. Ask me before running anything.
Draft a reply for new emails
Use this when a person reviews every reply before it goes out.
Node 1: Gmail Trigger
Node 2: Gmail > Draft > Create
Draft subject: Re: {subject of the incoming email}
Draft body: Thanks for your message. We will reply within one business day.
Check: open Gmail drafts and review each draft before sending.
Common problems
If a scheduled workflow never runs, the Schedule Trigger docs say you must save and publish it. If it runs at the wrong hour, check the workflow timezone.
Rather hand it over?
Frequently asked questions
Which n8n plan do I need to give a coworker the Admin role?
n8n's docs say the Admin instance role is available on Cloud Pro and Enterprise. The docs list no plan requirement for the Member role.
Should the n8n owner build the workflows?
n8n's docs recommend that owners create a second account with the Member role for daily work. Owners can edit everything, and n8n does not show who created a workflow.
Where do I open my n8n Cloud instance after signing up?
n8n's docs say to select Open instance on the Overview page of the n8n Cloud console. Only the owner can reach the console.
Sources
About the author
Andy Kang, AI Partner Team. Andy Kang writes the AI directory for AI Partner Team, which sets up and builds AI tools for small businesses alongside managed IT. Each page is written from the vendor’s own pricing, help and trust pages, and shows the day those pages were checked.
- Facts come from the vendor’s own website and help docs, linked on every page.
- Each page shows the date we last read those sources.
- We do not score or rank tools. We say who each one suits and who it does not.
- If a vendor does not publish a price, we say so instead of guessing.