n8n is a node-based workflow automation tool that connects apps and APIs through visual workflows, available as a cloud service or self-hosted under a fair-code license.
How n8n works
A workflow starts with a trigger node, such as a schedule, a webhook, or an event in another app. Data then flows through nodes that call APIs, transform data, branch on conditions, or run code in JavaScript or Python. The HTTP Request node can call any REST API.
n8n also has AI nodes: an AI Agent node that runs a model with tools, plus nodes for chat models, memory, and vector stores, and MCP client and server nodes.
On licensing: n8n uses its Sustainable Use License, which n8n describes as fair-code. The source is available and self-hosting is free for internal use, but it is not an open source license under the OSI definition.
An example
An n8n workflow runs every Monday. It pulls last week's published blog posts from an RSS feed, asks a model to draft one LinkedIn post per article, and sends each draft to a publishing API for review.
Why it matters for AI-agent publishing
n8n is a common place to build agents that run on a schedule without a person at the keyboard. Those agents need their own credentials and limits, because nobody watches each run.
SocialHandoff connects to n8n over the REST API with an HTTP Request node, or over MCP. Give the workflow its own agent key, scoped to draft. SocialHandoff's outbound webhooks for post.published, post.failed, and approval.requested can start n8n workflows in turn. See n8n setup and the API and SDK guide.