How to use n8n - Installation guide

Overview

This guide covers installing and using n8n with Resayil- رسائل to automate WhatsApp workflows through their API.

Prerequisites

  • Command line interface familiarity
  • Node.js 16 or newer (install here)
  • npm or yarn package manager (comes with Node.js)

Installing n8n

Mac/Linux

  1. Open Terminal
  2. Install globally via npm: npm install n8n -g or yarn: yarn global add n8n
  3. Start with: n8n start

Windows

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator
  2. Install: npm install n8n -g
  3. Start: n8n start

Update to latest: npm install -g n8n@latest

n8n Automation Use Cases

The platform enables 23+ workflow types including ticket creation, FAQ bots, lead routing, cart recovery, appointment reminders, and payment processing through WhatsApp automation.

Installing Resayil Plugin

Download plugin source files from the help center.

Mac/Linux Installation

  1. Download the ZIP file
  2. Find n8n directory: npm list -g n8n
  3. Unzip: unzip n8n-nodes-resayil.zip -d ~/Downloads/n8n-nodes-resayil
  4. Install dependencies: cd ~/Downloads/n8n-nodes-resayil && npm install
  5. Copy to n8n: cp -r ~/Downloads/n8n-nodes-resayil /usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n/node_modules/
  6. Restart n8n

Windows Installation

  1. Download ZIP file
  2. Find directory: npm list -g n8n
  3. Extract to temporary location
  4. Install dependencies with Command Prompt or PowerShell
  5. Copy using xcopy (Command Prompt) or Copy-Item (PowerShell)
  6. Start n8n

Verification

  1. Navigate to http://localhost:5678
  2. Create new workflow
  3. Search for "Resayil- رسائل" in nodes panel
  4. Plugin should appear for selection

Troubleshooting

  • Ensure complete n8n restart if nodes don't appear
  • Check folder permissions for "access denied" errors
  • Verify plugin placement in node_modules directory
  • Docker users must mount plugin folder to container

Webhook Configuration

Understanding Webhooks

n8n generates URLs from protocol, host, and port settings. For public access, manually set webhook URLs.

Setting URLs (Temporary)

Mac/Linux:

export WEBHOOK_URL=https://your-domain.com/
n8n start

Windows Command Prompt:

set WEBHOOK_URL=https://your-domain.com/
n8n start

Windows PowerShell:

$env:WEBHOOK_URL = "https://your-domain.com/"
n8n start

Permanent Configuration

Mac/Linux: Add to shell config: echo 'export WEBHOOK_URL=https://your-domain.com/' >> ~/.bashrc

Windows: Set system environment variable through Properties → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables

Using ngrok for Testing

Installation

Setup

  1. Create account at ngrok.com
  2. Get auth token from dashboard
  3. Configure: ngrok authtoken YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN

Using with n8n

  1. Start n8n: n8n start
  2. In new terminal: ngrok http 5678
  3. Note the URL (e.g., https://abc123.ngrok.io)
  4. Set webhook URL and restart n8n

Note: Free ngrok sessions expire after hours; URLs change on restart. Use permanent domains for production.