n8n • Hands-on tool guide

n8n: what we learned from building a real Gmail automation

Hands-on tested • Updated August 22, 2026

We created an n8n Cloud account, built a Gmail → Google Drive workflow, downloaded the PDF as binary data, renamed it with an expression, published the workflow, and verified the final file in Drive.

Verified workflow

invoice.pdf → 2026-08-22_invoice.pdf automatically after the workflow was published.

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Our tested verdict

Best for
Technical users who are comfortable with expressions, JSON/binary data, APIs, and extending workflows.

Less ideal for
Someone who wants every transformation exposed as a highly visual, beginner-first step.

What stood out
The date-based rename happened inline with $now and the original binary filename.

What required care
Gmail attachment download needed Simplify off plus Download Attachments enabled.

n8n Cloud pricing context

n8n's official pricing page currently describes paid Cloud plans around workflow executions rather than charging separately for each step. The Starter tier is listed at €20/month when billed annually with 2,500 workflow executions and unlimited steps. n8n also states that Starter and Pro trials do not require a credit card.

Source: n8n official pricing. Pricing and included features can change.

What we tested in n8n

Gmail Trigger with has:attachment filename:pdf.
Download the PDF and expose it as attachment_0 binary data.
Upload the binary file with Google Drive.
Rename it using {{ $now.toFormat('yyyy-MM-dd') + '_' + $binary.attachment_0.fileName }}.
Publish the workflow and verify a new incoming PDF was archived automatically.

n8n vs Make

Both tools passed our Gmail-to-Drive test, but the building experience was different. Make keeps branching and mapping highly visual. n8n exposed the underlying data more directly and let us keep the filename transformation inside an expression.

Read our Make vs n8n comparison →

Should you try n8n?

If you are comfortable inspecting data and expect to connect APIs, add code, or build more technical automations later, n8n is worth testing. If you prefer a very visual scenario designer, compare it with Make before committing.