triggerdotdev · isshaddad · Mar 26, 2026 · Mar 27, 2026 · Mar 27, 2026
diff --git a/docs/docs.json b/docs/docs.json
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@
           },
           {
             "group": "Migration guides",
-            "pages": ["migration-mergent"]
+            "pages": ["migration-mergent", "migration-n8n"]
           },
           {
             "group": "Community packages",

diff --git a/docs/migration-n8n.mdx b/docs/migration-n8n.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,340 @@
+---
+title: "Migrating from n8n"
+description: "A practical guide for moving your n8n workflows to Trigger.dev"
+sidebarTitle: "Migrating from n8n"
+---
+
+If you've been building with n8n and are ready to move to code-first workflows, this guide is for you. This page maps them to their Trigger.dev equivalents and walks through common patterns side by side.
+
+## Concept map
+
+| n8n                                               | Trigger.dev                                                                                                          |
+| ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Workflow                                          | [`task`](/tasks/overview) plus its config (`queue`, `retry`, `onFailure`)                                            |
+| Schedule Trigger                                  | [`schedules.task`](/tasks/scheduled)                                                                                 |
+| Webhook node                                      | Route handler + [`task.trigger()`](/triggering)                                                                      |
+| Node                                              | A step or library call inside `run()`                                                                                |
+| Execute Sub-workflow node (wait for completion)   | [`tasks.triggerAndWait()`](/triggering#yourtask-triggerandwait)                                                      |
+| Execute Sub-workflow node (execute in background) | [`tasks.trigger()`](/triggering)                                                                                     |
+| Loop over N items → Execute Sub-workflow → Merge  | [`tasks.batchTriggerAndWait()`](/tasks#yourtask-batchtriggerandwait)                                                 |
+| Loop Over Items (Split in Batches)                | `for` loop or `.map()`                                                                                               |
+| IF / Switch node                                  | `if` / `switch` statements                                                                                           |
+| Wait node (time interval or specific time)        | [`wait.for()`](/wait-for) or [`wait.until()`](/wait-until)                                                           |
+| Error Trigger node / Error Workflow               | [`onFailure`](/tasks/overview#onfailure-function) hook (both collapse into one concept in Trigger.dev)               |
+| Continue On Fail                                  | `try/catch` around an individual step                                                                                |
+| Stop And Error                                    | `throw new Error(...)`                                                                                               |
+| Code node                                         | A function or step within `run()`                                                                                    |
+| Credentials                                       | [Environment variable secret](/deploy-environment-variables)                                                         |
+| Execution                                         | Run (visible in the dashboard with full logs)                                                                        |
+| Retry on Fail (per-node setting)                  | [`retry.maxAttempts`](/tasks/overview#retry) (retries the whole `run()`, not a single step)                          |
+| AI Agent node                                     | Any AI SDK called inside `run()` (Vercel AI SDK, Claude SDK, OpenAI SDK, etc.)                                       |
+| Respond to Webhook node                           | Route handler + [`task.triggerAndWait()`](/triggering#yourtask-triggerandwait) returning the result as HTTP response |
+
+---
+
+## Setup
+
+<Steps>
+
+<Step title="Create an account">
+
+Go to [Trigger.dev Cloud](https://cloud.trigger.dev), create an account, and create a project.
+
+</Step>
+
+<Step title="Install the CLI and initialize">
+
+```bash
+npx trigger.dev@latest init
+```
+
+This adds Trigger.dev to your project and creates a `trigger/` directory for your tasks.
+
+</Step>
+
+<Step title="Run the local dev server">
+
+```bash
+npx trigger.dev@latest dev
+```
+
+You'll get a local server that behaves like production. Your runs appear in the dashboard as you test.
+
+</Step>
+
+</Steps>
+
+---
+
+## Common patterns
+
+### Webhook trigger
+
+In n8n you use a **Webhook** trigger node, which registers a URL that starts the workflow.
+
+In Trigger.dev, your existing route handler receives the webhook and triggers the task:
+
+<CodeGroup>
+
+```ts trigger/process-webhook.ts
+import { task } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+
+export const processWebhook = task({
+  id: "process-webhook",
+  run: async (payload: { event: string; data: Record<string, unknown> }) => {
+    // handle the webhook payload
+    await handleEvent(payload.event, payload.data);
+  },
+});
+```
+
+```ts app/api/webhook/route.ts
+import { processWebhook } from "@/trigger/process-webhook";
+
+export async function POST(request: Request) {
+  const body = await request.json();
+
+  await processWebhook.trigger({
+    event: body.event,
+    data: body.data,
+  });
+
+  return Response.json({ received: true });
+}
+```
+
+</CodeGroup>
+
+---
+
+### Chaining steps (Sub-workflows)
+
+In n8n you use the **Execute Sub-workflow** node to call another workflow and wait for the result.
+
+In Trigger.dev you use `triggerAndWait()`:
+
+<CodeGroup>
+
+```ts trigger/process-order.ts
+import { task } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+import { sendConfirmationEmail } from "./send-confirmation-email";
+
+export const processOrder = task({
+  id: "process-order",
+  run: async (payload: { orderId: string; email: string }) => {
+    const result = await processPayment(payload.orderId);
+
+    // trigger a subtask and wait for it to complete
+    await sendConfirmationEmail.triggerAndWait({
+      email: payload.email,
+      orderId: payload.orderId,
+      amount: result.amount,
+    });
+
+    return { processed: true };
+  },
+});
+```
+
+```ts trigger/send-confirmation-email.ts
+import { task } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+
+export const sendConfirmationEmail = task({
+  id: "send-confirmation-email",
+  run: async (payload: { email: string; orderId: string; amount: number }) => {
+    await sendEmail({
+      to: payload.email,
+      subject: `Order ${payload.orderId} confirmed`,
+      body: `Your order for $${payload.amount} has been confirmed.`,
+    });
+  },
+});
+```
+
+</CodeGroup>
+
+To trigger multiple subtasks in parallel and wait for all of them (like the **Merge** node in n8n):
+
+```ts trigger/process-batch.ts
+import { task } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+import { processItem } from "./process-item";
+
+export const processBatch = task({
+  id: "process-batch",
+  run: async (payload: { items: { id: string }[] }) => {
+    // fan out to subtasks, collect all results
+    const results = await processItem.batchTriggerAndWait(
+      payload.items.map((item) => ({ payload: { id: item.id } }))
+    );
+
+    return { processed: results.runs.length };
+  },
+});
+```
+
+---
+
+### Error handling
+
+In n8n you use **Continue On Fail** on individual nodes and a separate **Error Workflow** for workflow-level failures.
+
+In Trigger.dev:
+
+- Use `try/catch` for recoverable errors at a specific step
+- Use the `onFailure` hook for workflow-level failure handling
+- Configure `retry` for automatic retries with backoff
+
+```ts trigger/import-data.ts
+import { task } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+
+export const importData = task({
+  id: "import-data",
+  // automatic retries with exponential backoff
+  retry: {
+    maxAttempts: 3,
+  },
+  // runs if this task fails after all retries
+  onFailure: async ({ payload, error }) => {
+    await sendAlertToSlack(`import-data failed: ${(error as Error).message}`);
+  },
+  run: async (payload: { source: string }) => {
+    let records;
+
+    // continue on fail equivalent: catch the error and handle locally
+    try {
+      records = await fetchFromSource(payload.source);
+    } catch (error) {
+      records = await fetchFromFallback(payload.source);
+    }
+
+    await saveRecords(records);
+  },
+});
+```
+
+---
+
+### Waiting and delays
+
+In n8n you use the **Wait** node to pause a workflow for a fixed time or until a webhook is called.
+
+In Trigger.dev:
+
+```ts trigger/send-followup.ts
+import { task, wait } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+
+export const sendFollowup = task({
+  id: "send-followup",
+  run: async (payload: { userId: string; email: string }) => {
+    await sendWelcomeEmail(payload.email);
+
+    // wait for a fixed duration, execution is frozen, you don't pay while waiting
+    await wait.for({ days: 3 });
+
+    const hasActivated = await checkUserActivation(payload.userId);
+    if (!hasActivated) {
+      await sendFollowupEmail(payload.email);
+    }
+  },
+});
+```
+
+To wait for an external event (like n8n's "On Webhook Call" resume mode), use `wait.createToken()` to generate a URL, send that URL to the external system, then pause with `wait.forToken()` until the external system POSTs to that URL to resume the run.
+
+```ts trigger/approval-flow.ts
+import { task, wait } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+
+export const approvalFlow = task({
+  id: "approval-flow",
+  run: async (payload: { requestId: string; approverEmail: string }) => {
+    // create a token, this generates a URL the external system can POST to
+    const token = await wait.createToken({
+      timeout: "48h",
+      tags: [`request-${payload.requestId}`],
+    });
+
+    // send the token URL to whoever needs to resume this run
+    await sendApprovalRequest(payload.approverEmail, payload.requestId, token.url);
+
+    // pause until the external system POSTs to token.url
+    const result = await wait.forToken<{ approved: boolean }>(token).unwrap();
+
+    if (result.approved) {
+      await executeApprovedAction(payload.requestId);
+    } else {
+      await notifyRejection(payload.requestId);
+    }
+  },
+});
+```
+
+---
+
+## Full example: customer onboarding workflow
+
+Here's how a typical back office onboarding workflow translates from n8n to Trigger.dev.
+
+**The n8n setup:** Webhook Trigger → HTTP Request (provision account) → HTTP Request (send welcome email) → HTTP Request (notify Slack) → Wait node (3 days) → HTTP Request (check activation) → IF node → HTTP Request (send follow-up).
+
+**In Trigger.dev**, the same workflow is plain TypeScript:
+
+```ts trigger/onboard-customer.ts
+import { task, wait } from "@trigger.dev/sdk";
+import { provisionAccount } from "./provision-account";
+import { sendWelcomeEmail } from "./send-welcome-email";
+
+export const onboardCustomer = task({
+  id: "onboard-customer",
+  retry: {
+    maxAttempts: 3,
+  },
+  run: async (payload: {
+    customerId: string;
+    email: string;
+    plan: "starter" | "pro" | "enterprise";
+  }) => {
+    // provision their account, throws if the subtask fails
+    await provisionAccount
+      .triggerAndWait({
+        customerId: payload.customerId,
+        plan: payload.plan,
+      })
+      .unwrap();
+
+    // send welcome email
+    await sendWelcomeEmail
+      .triggerAndWait({
+        customerId: payload.customerId,
+        email: payload.email,
+      })
+      .unwrap();
+
+    // notify the team
+    await notifySlack(`New customer: ${payload.email} on ${payload.plan}`);
+
+    // wait 3 days, then check if they've activated
+    await wait.for({ days: 3 });
+
+    const activated = await checkActivation(payload.customerId);
+    if (!activated) {
+      await sendActivationNudge(payload.email);
+    }
+
+    return { customerId: payload.customerId, activated };
+  },
+});
+```
+
+Trigger the workflow from your app when a new customer signs up:
+
+```ts
+import { onboardCustomer } from "@/trigger/onboard-customer";
+
+await onboardCustomer.trigger({
+  customerId: customer.id,
+  email: customer.email,
+  plan: customer.plan,
+});
+```
+
+Every run is visible in the Trigger.dev dashboard with full logs, retry history, and the ability to replay any run.