Xmas Countdown

Build a complete N8N automation from scratch that sends daily Christmas countdown emails. Master essential automation concepts including cron scheduling, JavaScript date expressions, branching logic, and Gmail integration while learning debugging strategies and execution optimization. Perfect for beginners ready to create their first workflow with real-world business applications for newsletters, reminders, and notification systems.

0:00 Building N8N Automation Framework
2:18 Creating Date Check Workflow
5:06 Writing JavaScript Date Expressions
10:36 Debugging Month Comparison
12:09 Accessing If Statement Values
14:46 Implementing Ternary Operators
18:09 Triggering Workflow Actions
21:31 Setting Up Gmail SMTP
25:33 Trigger Execution Limits
28:50 Understanding Cron Expressions
33:59 Testing December 1st Execution




Learn to build your first N8N automation workflow with this comprehensive Christmas countdown tutorial. Starting with a simple email reminder system, you'll master essential automation concepts including manual and scheduled triggers, branching logic with if statements, JavaScript expressions, and cron scheduling.

This hands-on guide walks through creating a workflow that sends daily countdown emails from December 1st to December 25th at 9am, while teaching you how to implement test modes, debug date comparisons, and optimize execution limits. Beyond the holiday theme, you'll gain practical business skills applicable to newsletter scheduling, notification systems, stand-up reminders, and automated alerts.

The tutorial covers Gmail SMTP integration, workflow debugging techniques, and execution optimization strategies that prevent unnecessary resource consumption. Whether you're building customer communications, internal notifications, or automated reporting systems, this foundational N8N training provides the framework for creating sophisticated automation workflows.

Bonus challenges include extending the automation to send holiday GIFs, movie recommendations, or deal alerts, plus tackling complex scheduling scenarios like post-Thanksgiving triggers.