Creating an online course manually can be a tiring process. You need to write lessons, find visuals, record scripts, and organize everything into a structured format. This often takes hours—or even weeks—of effort.
But what if you could generate a complete course automatically by just typing in your topic?
That’s exactly what you can do with N8 (n8n)—an automation platform that connects apps and AI tools to build workflows. In this post, I’ll walk you through how creators, educators, and businesses can use N8 to build courses in minutes instead of hours.
What is N8 (n8n)?
N8 is an open-source workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps like Google Drive, Docs, OpenAI, Tavly AI, and more. Think of it as your personal assistant that automates tasks behind the scenes.
With the right workflow, you can automate:
- Writing lesson content
- Creating voiceover scripts
- Generating visuals
- Organizing everything in Google Drive
Hosting Options for N8
Before starting, you need to host N8. Here are the most popular options:
- Local Hosting (Free): 100% free but requires technical setup.
- Webspace Kit ($5/month): Affordable, easy to set up, and supports unlimited workflows.
- Official N8 Cloud: Easier but more expensive with fewer features.
For beginners, Webspace Kit at $5/month is the sweet spot.
Setting Up the Course Creation Workflow
Once hosting is ready, you’ll need to import a pre-built workflow template for course generation. This workflow has different “nodes” (steps), each performing a task.
Key Nodes to Configure
- OpenAI: Generates course lessons + voiceover scripts.
- Tavly AI: Searches the web for updated info.
- Google Docs: Stores neatly organized content.
- Google Drive: Automatically saves all files.
Setup Requirements
- API keys for OpenAI and Tavly.
- Google Cloud Console credentials to connect Docs & Drive.
- Permissions enabled for file creation.
Adding Visuals with AI
To make lessons more engaging, you can add an image generation workflow.
This lets you:
- Create AI visuals for each course module.
- Store them in a dedicated Google Drive folder.
- Sync them with scripts to produce polished video lessons.
Once the workflow runs, all you need to do is:
- Enter your course topic.
- Specify the number of modules.
- Set the word count per module.
Within minutes, you’ll have:
- Structured course lessons in Google Docs.
- Voiceover-ready scripts.
- Custom AI-generated visuals.
- Organized files in Google Drive.
And if you want, you can go one step further—combine visuals with voiceovers to create ready-to-publish video lessons.
Why This Matters
Here’s what makes this system powerful:
- Automation saves time: Build courses in minutes, not days.
- Low cost: Just $5/month for hosting.
- AI-generated lessons: OpenAI adapts to any topic.
- Richer learning: Tavly AI brings in updated web info.
- Seamless workflow: Google Drive + Docs keep everything neat.
- Custom visuals: AI images improve engagement.
- Video-ready content: Scripts + images = instant lessons.
Whether you’re a teacher, trainer, or content creator, this workflow removes the technical barriers of course creation. With just a few clicks, you can produce:
- Complete course content
- Voiceover-ready scripts
- Tailored visuals
- Video-ready lessons
This is a game-changer for online education—saving you time, money, and effort, while still letting you deliver professional, high-quality learning experiences.
