N8n Automation Not Working
n8n automations break in 2026 at one of four points: the trigger is not firing (webhook URL changed, polling credential expired, or the trigger node is paused), a node is failing mid-workflow (credential error, API rate limit, or malformed input data), the workflow itself is paused or deactivated, or n8n's own queue is backed up on a self-hosted instance.
Why This Happens
- Configuration gaps between tools or services
- Missing integrations or manual workarounds that weren't designed to scale
- Changes in vendor behavior, pricing, or API that weren't communicated clearly
What To Check First
- Verify your current setup matches the vendor's latest documentation
- Look for recent changes — platform updates, new team members, configuration drift
- Check if the problem is consistent or intermittent (different root causes, different fixes)
When To Escalate
- The problem is costing you money or customers per week
- You've spent more than 2 hours on it without progress
- A vendor quoted you more than $500 and you're not sure if it's necessary
Dealing with this right now?
The fastest debug path: go to your n8n Executions tab and find the last failed run. n8n shows exactly which node failed and the error message. For credential errors, the fix is usually re-authenticating the credential — OAuth tokens expire and need to be refreshed. For self-hosted n8n, check the n8n logs (`journalctl -u n8n` on Linux or the Docker container logs) for queue backup warnings or connection errors to the database.
