GitHub Setup

Table of contents

  1. GitHub Setup
    1. Overview
    2. What You’ll Learn
    3. Part 1: Create a GitHub Account
      1. Step-by-Step Account Creation
    4. Part 2: Install GitHub Desktop
      1. Download and Install
        1. For Windows
        2. For macOS
    5. Part 3: Create Your First Folder
      1. Create and Publish Repository
    6. Part 4: Save Your First Workflow to GitHub
      1. Step 1: Export Workflow from n8n
      2. Step 2: Organize Your Workflows (Recommended)
      3. Step 3: Commit and Push to GitHub
    7. Part 5: How to Save Workflows
    8. What You’ve Accomplished

Overview

Set up GitHub to save your n8n workflow files online. Think of GitHub like Google Drive, but made for workflow files.

Time Required: 15 minutes

Why GitHub?: Save your workflows online so you don’t lose them. You can also share them with others.

Simple Point-and-Click: This guide uses GitHub Desktop, a simple app. No coding knowledge needed!

What You’ll Learn

  • ✅ Create a free GitHub account
  • ✅ Install GitHub Desktop (simple app)
  • ✅ Create a folder for your workflows
  • ✅ Save your workflows online

Part 1: Create a GitHub Account

Step-by-Step Account Creation

  1. Go to GitHub
    • Visit github.com
    • Click “Sign up” in the top-right corner
  2. Enter Your Email
    • Use an email you check regularly
    • You’ll need to verify it later
    • Click “Continue”
  3. Create a Password
    • Use a strong password (at least 15 characters)
    • Mix uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
    • Click “Continue”
  4. Choose a Username
    • This will be your public identity (e.g., john-smith-automation)
    • Can only contain letters, numbers, and hyphens
    • Pick something professional (you might use this for work!)
    • Click “Continue”
  5. Verify You’re Human
    • Complete the puzzle or challenge
    • Click “Create account”
  6. Verify Your Email
    • Check your email for a code from GitHub
    • Enter the 6-digit code
    • Your account is now active!

Success: You now have a GitHub account! Bookmark github.com/[your-username] - this is your profile page.

Part 2: Install GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop is a free application that makes working with Git simple - just click buttons instead of typing commands!

Download and Install

For Windows

  1. Download GitHub Desktop
    • Go to desktop.github.com
    • Click “Download for Windows”
    • File downloads: GitHubDesktopSetup.exe
  2. Install
    • Double-click the downloaded file
    • Installation runs automatically (no choices needed!)
    • GitHub Desktop opens when complete
  3. Sign in to GitHub
    • Click “Sign in to GitHub.com”
    • Enter your GitHub username and password
    • Click “Authorize desktop”
    • Your browser opens → Click “Authorize”
    • Return to GitHub Desktop
  4. Enter Your Information
    • Name: Your name
    • Email: Same email you used for GitHub
    • Click “Finish”

Success! GitHub Desktop is installed and ready to use.

For macOS

  1. Download GitHub Desktop
    • Go to desktop.github.com
    • Click “Download for macOS”
    • File downloads: GitHubDesktop-arm64.dmg or GitHubDesktop-x64.dmg
  2. Install
    • Open the downloaded .dmg file
    • Drag GitHub Desktop to Applications folder
    • Open Applications → Double-click GitHub Desktop
    • Click “Open” when macOS asks for confirmation
  3. Sign in to GitHub
    • Click “Sign in to GitHub.com”
    • Enter your GitHub username and password
    • Click “Authorize desktop”
    • Your browser opens → Click “Authorize”
    • Return to GitHub Desktop
  4. Enter Your Information
    • Name: Your name
    • Email: Same email you used for GitHub
    • Click “Finish”

Success! GitHub Desktop is installed and ready to use.

Part 3: Create Your First Folder

A repository (or “repo”) is like a folder on GitHub where you’ll save your workflows.

Create and Publish Repository

  1. Open GitHub Desktop

  2. Create New Repository
    • Click “File” → “New repository”
    • Or press Ctrl+N (Windows) / Cmd+N (macOS)

  3. Fill in Repository Details:

    Name: n8n-workflows

    Description: My n8n automation workflow backups

    Local Path: Where to save on your computer

    • Windows Default: C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\GitHub
    • macOS Default: /Users/[YourName]/Documents/GitHub
    • Click “Choose…” to pick a different location

    Initialize this repository with a README: ✅ Check this box

    Git Ignore: None

    License: MIT License (optional, good for open-source)

  4. Create Repository
    • Click “Create repository”
    • Your repository is created on your computer!
  5. Publish to GitHub
    • Look for the “Publish repository” button at the top
    • A window appears with options:
      • Name: n8n-workflows (already filled)
      • Description: (already filled)
      • Keep this code private: ✅ Check this if your workflows contain sensitive info
      • Leave unchecked if you want to share your learning publicly
    • Click “Publish repository”
    • Your repository is now on GitHub!

Quick Tip: Click “Repository” → “Show in Explorer” (Windows) or “Show in Finder” (macOS) to see your repository folder.

Public vs Private: Choose Private if your workflows will contain API keys or sensitive data. Choose Public if you want to build a portfolio and share your learning.

Part 4: Save Your First Workflow to GitHub

Now let’s back up an n8n workflow!

Step 1: Export Workflow from n8n

  1. Open Your Workflow in n8n
    • Go to your n8n instance
    • Open any workflow you’ve created
  2. Download the Workflow
    • Click the “⋮” menu (three dots) in the top-right
    • Select “Download”
    • Your browser downloads a .json file (e.g., My_workflow.json)
  3. Find the Downloaded File
    • Usually in your Downloads folder
    • Optionally rename it to something descriptive:
      • email-classification.json
      • llm-judge-workflow.json

Create folders to organize your workflows by exercise:

  1. Open Your Repository Folder
    • In GitHub Desktop, click “Repository” → “Show in Explorer/Finder”
    • This opens your n8n-workflows folder
  2. Create Folder Structure
    • Create a new folder called exercises
    • Inside exercises, create: 01-email-classification
    • You can create more as needed: 02-cold-email, 03-llm-judge, etc.
  3. Move Your Workflow File
    • Move the downloaded JSON file from Downloads
    • Put it in the appropriate exercise folder
    • Example: n8n-workflows/exercises/01-email-classification/workflow.json

Your folder structure should look like:

1
2
3
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8
9

n8n-workflows/
├── README.md
└── exercises/
    ├── 01-email-classification/
    │   └── workflow.json
    ├── 02-cold-email/
    │   └── workflow.json
    └── 03-llm-judge/
        └── workflow.json

Step 3: Commit and Push to GitHub

Now let’s save these changes to GitHub!

  1. Open GitHub Desktop
    • GitHub Desktop automatically detects the new file!
    • You’ll see it listed under “Changes” on the left side
  2. Review Your Changes
    • Left panel: Shows all files that changed
      • ✓ exercises/01-email-classification/workflow.json
    • Right panel: Shows what was added (in green)
    • Click on a file name to see details
  3. Write a Short Description
    • Look at the bottom-left corner
    • Type a simple description like: Add email workflow
  4. Save to GitHub
    • Click the blue “Commit to main” button
    • Then click “Push origin” at the top
    • Wait a few seconds for the upload
  5. Verify on GitHub
    • Click “Repository” → “View on GitHub”
    • Your browser opens showing your repository
    • You should see your new exercises folder and workflow file!

Congratulations! You’ve backed up your first workflow to GitHub. It’s now safely stored in the cloud with full version history!

Part 5: How to Save Workflows

Follow these simple steps each time you complete a workflow:

1. Download from n8n

  • Open your workflow in n8n
  • Click ⋮ menu → Download
  • Save the JSON file

2. Move to Your Folder

  • Move the file from Downloads
  • Put it in your exercise folder in n8n-workflows

3. Open GitHub Desktop

  • GitHub Desktop will automatically see the new file

4. Save It

  • Write a simple description (e.g., Add Exercise 1)
  • Click “Commit to main”
  • Click “Push origin”
  • Done! ✅

That’s it! Takes about 30 seconds once you get the hang of it.

What You’ve Accomplished

✅ Created a GitHub account ✅ Installed GitHub Desktop ✅ Created a folder for your workflows ✅ Saved your first workflow online

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