1. Self-Hosting Installation Steps

To get started with N8N on your local machine, you first need to complete the following installations:

• Node Package Manager (npm):

  npm is the default package manager for Node.js, used to install, manage, and share JavaScript libraries. It provides a quick way to set up N8N locally.

• System Requirements:

  You need to have Node.js installed. Ensure your Node.js version is between 20.9 and 24.x for compatibility.

  Command : node -v

• Installation Process:

  You can use npm to install N8N directly or opt for npx if you prefer not to install it globally. The installation and updates should take approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

  Command : npm install -g n8n

• Outcome:

  Once installed, N8N will run locally, eliminating the need for a 14-day cloud trial.

  Command : n8n

2. Connecting N8N to Google Console Services

Next, you’ll need to link your self-hosted N8N instance with Google services, such as Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Sheets. Follow these steps:

2.1. Create or Open a Google Project

Go to the Google Cloud Console, then either create a new project or open an existing one.

2.2. Enable Google Services

Navigate to the API Services section. Here, you need to enable the Google services you plan to use, such as Google Sheets or Google Drive.

2.3. Create Credentials and Client ID

In the Credentials section, create new credentials for your project. This involves generating an OAuth Client ID, which will allow N8N to access Google services on your behalf.

• Authorization: The OAuth process involves requesting user consent to access their data (e.g., Gmail).
• Client ID: The client ID uniquely identifies your application when interacting with Google’s authorization service.

2.4. Configure Client Application

After creating credentials, configure your application by selecting "web application" as the type for the OAuth setup.

2.5. Publish the Application