After building automation systems for clients and seeing the same issues pop up repeatedly, here are the biggest traps new n8n users fall into: No error handling whatsoever Beginners build workflows that work perfectly in testing, then break in production when APIs return unexpected responses. Always add error handling nodes and test failure scenarios. 2. Treating everything like a straight line New users create these massive linear workflows instead of breaking them into smaller, reusable components. Use sub-workflows and modules - your future self will thank you. 3. Ignoring webhook security Just because n8n generates a webhook URL doesn’t mean it’s secure. Add authentication, validate payloads, and don’t trust incoming data blindly. 4. Over-engineering simple tasks Saw someone build a 15-node workflow to format a date. Sometimes a simple JavaScript expression is all you need. 5. Not testing with real data volumes Testing with 5 records is different from processing 500. Always test at scale before going live. 6. Hardcoding everything Put your API keys, URLs, and configuration in environment variables or credentials. Makes debugging and deployment way easier. What mistakes have you seen (or made yourself)? Comment below..