n8n (short for “node-on-node”) integrates with other applications and services using a combination of built-in nodes, API connectors, and webhooks. Here's a detailed breakdown of how n8n integrates with other tools:
🔌 1. Pre-built Nodes for Popular Apps
n8n comes with 700+ pre-built nodes that represent integrations with popular services like:
- Google Workspace (Sheets, Gmail, Calendar)
- Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams
- GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
- Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk
- Facebook/Meta, Twitter (X), Instagram
- Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe
- And many more…
Each node allows you to authenticate and interact with the external app (e.g., send a message, retrieve data, create records).
🔐 2. Authentication Support
n8n supports multiple authentication methods to connect securely:
- OAuth2
- API Keys
- Basic Auth
- Custom headers/token setup
These are managed under “Credentials” in n8n, so you can reuse them across workflows.
🌐 3. HTTP Request Node
For services not yet supported by a pre-built node, you can use the HTTP Request node to call any RESTful API.
This gives you flexibility to:
- Use third-party APIs
- Connect to internal/private APIs
- Customize headers, query parameters, and request bodies
🪝 4. Webhooks (Triggers)
n8n allows you to set up Webhooks to receive data from external services in real-time.
Common use cases:
- Receive form submissions from Typeform or Webflow
- Get notifications from Stripe or PayPal
- Listen for GitHub events (e.g., push, PR)
🔁 5. Polling (Scheduled Checks)
If the app doesn’t support webhooks, n8n can poll APIs on a schedule using nodes like:
- Cron
- Interval Timer
- Polling-based Trigger Nodes
🔄 6. Bi-directional Integrations
You can both receive data and send data to services:
- Trigger a workflow when new data arrives (via webhook or polling)
- Send data back (e.g., post to Slack, save to Airtable)
⚙️ 7. Custom Integrations
You can build custom nodes in JavaScript/TypeScript or use Function/Code Nodes to manipulate data and call services manually.
📦 Example Integration Scenarios
- Gmail + Telegram: Send a Telegram alert when you receive a Gmail from a VIP.
- Notion + Slack: Post a Slack message when a new Notion task is created.
- Facebook Ads + Google Sheets: Pull ad metrics daily and save to Google Sheets.
✅ Summary
| Feature | Description |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Built-in Nodes | 700+ integrations with popular services |
| HTTP Request Node | Connect to any API manually |
| Webhooks | Real-time triggers |
| Polling | Scheduled API calls |
| Authentication | OAuth2, API keys, etc. |
| Custom Logic Support | JavaScript nodes and custom node development |