In this section, we will learn how to create AI agents using the n8n platform to automate various tasks for you. n8n is an open-source, AI-native workflow automation tool that allows you to create powerful automations without any coding skills.

Here's what we'll cover:

1. Overview of n8n: We'll discuss the key features of n8n, including its open-source nature, AI-native capabilities, and the wide range of workflows available in the community.

2. Setting up n8n: We'll explore the different options for using n8n, including the hosted version, self-hosting, and using a VPS (Virtual Private Server). We'll focus on the VPS option, which is the easiest and most cost-effective way to get started.

3. Building an AI Agent: We'll walk through the step-by-step process of creating an AI agent that can automate the following tasks:

   • Fetch emails from Gmail
   • Use OpenAI's language model to analyze the email content
   • Draft a response in Gmail
   • Automatically notify a Slack channel if the email requires urgent attention

4. Customizing and Expanding the Workflow: We'll discuss how to further customize the workflow, including adding more complex AI agents that can access multiple tools and services within a single workflow.

5. Utilizing n8n Templates: We'll explore the wide range of pre-built workflow templates available in the n8n community, which can serve as a starting point for your own automations.

By the end of this section, you'll have a solid understanding of how to leverage the power of AI agents with n8n to automate a wide range of tasks, saving you time and effort in your day-to-day operations.

You have three different options for using n8n:

1. n8n Website Hosting: This is a hosted version of n8n provided by the platform. It starts at $20 per month and is similar to services like Zapier and Make.com.

2. Self-Hosting: You can download and use n8n on your own computer using your own hardware. This is a highly technical option, but provides more privacy.

3. Virtual Private Server (VPS): This offers the benefits of a local install with the privacy of a private server. Hostinger provides an easy way to install n8n on a VPS with just a few clicks, starting around $6 per month - a 70% savings compared to the n8n website hosting.

If you choose the VPS option, the authentication process for connecting to other apps like Gmail will be slightly different than the n8n website version. Hostinger provides step-by-step guides for this.

To take advantage of the VPS option and the additional 10% discount, use the code "skill" when checking out on the Hostinger website.

To set up n8n on a Hostinger VPS, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Hostinger account and create a new VPS.
2. Choose the server location closest to you.
3. Select the "n8n" application from the list of available applications.
4. Create a root password for your VPS.
5. Once the VPS is set up, click "Manage App" to access the n8n interface.
6. Log in using the root password you created earlier.
7. You can now start building your workflows and automations within the n8n platform.

The Hostinger VPS option provides a convenient and cost-effective way to host n8n privately, with pricing starting around $6 per month. This is a significant saving compared to the $20 per month charged by the n8n hosted platform.

Remember, if you're using the self-hosted version of n8n, the authentication process for connecting to other apps may differ slightly from the n8n hosted version. Hostinger provides instructions on how to handle this.

In this section, we will build an AI-powered email response workflow using the n8n platform. This workflow will automate the process of responding to emails, leveraging the power of OpenAI's language models.

The workflow will perform the following steps:

1. Fetch emails from a dedicated Gmail inbox.
2. Use OpenAI's language model to analyze the email content and draft a response.
3. Create a draft email in Gmail with the generated response.
4. Analyze the email content and send an urgent Slack message if the email requires immediate attention.

The workflow is designed to be efficient, customizable, and secure, allowing you to automate email responses while maintaining control over the final output.

To enhance the workflow, we'll add an additional step to analyze the email content and send an urgent Slack notification if the message requires immediate attention.

1. After the "Gmail: Create Draft" step, add another "Open AI: Message a Model" step.
2. In the "Open AI" step, set the "Model" to "text-davinci-003" and the "Role" to "user".
3. In the "Prompt" field, enter the following:

Analyze the email content and determine if the message requires an urgent response. Return "true" if the message is urgent, or "false" if it is not urgent.

4. In the "Input Data" section, use the same expressions as before to include the "from", "to", "subject", and "body" of the email.
5. Test the step to ensure it correctly identifies urgent messages.
6. Add a new "Slack: Send Message" step after the "Open AI" step.
7. In the "Slack" step, select the channel or user you want to send the urgent message to.
8. In the "Message" field, use an expression to include the email content, such as:

Urgent email received from {{$node["Gmail"].json.from}}
Subject: {{$node["Gmail"].json.subject}}
Body: {{$node["Gmail"].json.body}}

9. Add a conditional check before the "Slack" step to only send the message if the "Open AI" step returned "true" for urgency.
10. Test the full workflow to ensure it correctly identifies urgent messages and sends a Slack notification.

With these additional steps, the workflow will now automatically detect urgent emails and send a notification to the appropriate team members, allowing for a faster response time.

The n8n platform provides a robust template gallery that offers a wide range of pre-built workflows to help you get started quickly. These templates cover various use cases across different domains, such as marketing, sales, support, and more. By leveraging these templates, you can save time and gain inspiration for building your own custom workflows.

Here's how you can utilize the template gallery:

1. Explore the Template Catalog: Navigate to the "Templates" tab within the n8n platform. Here, you'll find a comprehensive collection of workflows categorized by different use cases and applications.

2. Understand the Workflow Structure: Each template provides detailed information about the workflow, including a description, the steps involved, and any necessary connections or integrations. This allows you to understand the underlying logic and functionality of the workflow.

3. Import and Customize: If you find a template that aligns with your needs, you can simply import it into your n8n account. Once imported, you can further customize the workflow by modifying the steps, adjusting the configurations, or integrating it with your own data sources and tools.

4. Gain Inspiration: Even if a specific template doesn't perfectly fit your requirements, you can use it as a starting point to build your own custom workflow. Analyze the structure, the use of different nodes, and the overall approach to gain insights and inspiration for your own automation needs.

5. Collaborate and Share: n8n also allows you to share your own custom workflows with the community. This can be a valuable contribution, as it helps others discover new ideas and solutions, and fosters a collaborative ecosystem around the platform.

By leveraging the n8n template gallery, you can accelerate your automation journey, reduce development time, and explore innovative ways to streamline your workflows. Take advantage of the community's collective knowledge and experience to enhance your own automation capabilities.

In this video, we have explored how to create AI agents using the n8n platform to automate various tasks. We covered the different options for using n8n, including the hosted version, self-hosting, and using a VPS.

We then built a workflow from scratch, starting with a Gmail trigger to fetch incoming emails. We then used the OpenAI integration to analyze the email content and generate a draft response. Finally, we added a Slack integration to send an urgent message to a team channel if the email content requires immediate attention.

The key takeaways are:

• n8n is a powerful, AI-native workflow automation tool that allows you to create custom agents to automate various tasks.
• The platform offers multiple deployment options, including a hosted version, self-hosting, and using a VPS.
• By integrating with tools like Gmail, OpenAI, and Slack, you can build complex workflows to streamline your business processes.
• The visual, drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create workflows, even without coding skills.
• You can leverage the community-contributed templates to jumpstart your automation efforts.

Overall, n8n provides a flexible and powerful platform to harness the power of AI and automation in your daily workflows.