Node-RED Course

Lesson 1 • Navigating the Node-RED Editor

Introduces the browser-based editor layout, including the palette, workspace, and sidebar. Builds spatial familiarity needed for all subsequent flow-building tasks.

Lesson 2 • Installing Node-RED Locally

Guides students through installing Node.js and Node-RED on major operating systems. Ensures a working local environment before any flow development begins.

Lesson 3 • Core Concepts: Nodes, Wires, and Flows

Explains the fundamental building blocks of every Node-RED application. Students connect nodes with wires to form their first functional flow.

Lesson 4 • What Is Node-RED

Defines Node-RED as a flow-based programming tool built on Node.js. Positions it within the broader IoT and automation ecosystem.

Lesson 1 • Function Node Fundamentals

Introduces JavaScript-based message transformation inside the function node. Students write logic to modify, filter, and route messages programmatically.

Lesson 2 • Inject and Debug Nodes

Teaches how to trigger flows manually or on a schedule using inject nodes and inspect messages with debug nodes. Forms the testing foundation for all flow development.

Lesson 3 • Template and Join Nodes

Explains Mustache-based message formatting with template nodes and message aggregation with join nodes. Prepares students for structured data output and batch processing.

Lesson 4 • Switch and Change Nodes

Covers conditional routing with switch nodes and property manipulation with change nodes. Enables dynamic flow branching without custom JavaScript.

Lesson 1 • JSON Parsing and Serialisation

Covers converting between JSON strings and objects using the JSON node and function node. Ensures students can interface with APIs and data stores correctly.

Lesson 2 • String Manipulation and Regular Expressions

Applies JavaScript string methods and regex inside function nodes to clean and extract data. Builds skills for processing unstructured text payloads.

Lesson 3 • Working with CSV and XML Data

Teaches parsing and generating CSV and XML payloads using built-in nodes. Prepares students for integration with legacy systems and file-based data sources.

Lesson 4 • Binary and Buffer Data Handling

Introduces Node.js Buffer objects for processing binary payloads such as images and sensor bytes. Equips students to work with hardware and file-based binary streams.

Lesson 1 • Consuming Webhooks and Callbacks

Explains receiving inbound webhook payloads and responding within required timeframes. Prepares students to integrate with third-party event-driven services.

Lesson 2 • Authentication for HTTP Requests

Teaches basic auth, bearer tokens, and API key injection for secured endpoints. Ensures students can access protected APIs without exposing credentials in flows.

Lesson 3 • Error Handling in HTTP Flows

Addresses timeout, network failure, and non-200 status code handling in HTTP flows. Builds resilient integrations that degrade gracefully under failure conditions.

Lesson 4 • Building HTTP Endpoints in Node-RED

Demonstrates creating HTTP-in and HTTP-response node pairs to serve custom endpoints. Students build a simple REST API served directly from Node-RED.

Lesson 1 • Configuring MQTT Broker Connections

Guides students through setting up MQTT broker config nodes with credentials and TLS. Establishes reusable broker connections shared across multiple flows.

Lesson 2 • Publishing Messages to MQTT Topics

Teaches MQTT-out node configuration for sending commands and data to devices. Students build bidirectional device communication flows.

Lesson 3 • MQTT Protocol Fundamentals

Explains MQTT's publish-subscribe model, QoS levels, and broker role. Provides the conceptual grounding needed before configuring MQTT nodes.

Lesson 4 • Building an IoT Data Pipeline

Combines MQTT subscription, data transformation, and HTTP output into an end-to-end pipeline. Students deliver processed sensor data to a cloud endpoint.

Lesson 1 • State Machines in Node-RED

Models multi-state device or process logic using context-driven state machines. Students implement transition rules and guard conditions within function nodes.

Lesson 2 • Persistent Context Storage

Covers configuring file-based and custom context storage plugins for durability across restarts. Ensures critical state survives Node-RED process interruptions.

Lesson 3 • Caching and Deduplication

Uses context to cache API responses and deduplicate repeated messages. Reduces redundant external calls and prevents duplicate processing in high-frequency flows.

Lesson 4 • Node, Flow, and Global Context

Explains the three context scopes and their appropriate use cases. Students store and retrieve state values across nodes and flows without external databases.

Lesson 1 • Layout and Responsive Design

Covers widget sizing, group layout, and responsive breakpoints in the dashboard. Ensures dashboards render correctly on desktop and mobile screens.

Lesson 2 • Installing and Configuring the Dashboard

Covers installing node-red-dashboard, configuring tabs and groups, and accessing the UI. Establishes the layout structure before adding any widgets.

Lesson 3 • Input Widgets: Buttons, Sliders, and Forms

Teaches wiring button, slider, text input, and dropdown widgets to control flows. Students build operator controls that inject commands into running flows.

Lesson 4 • Display Widgets: Gauges, Charts, and Text

Demonstrates rendering live data with gauge, chart, and text display widgets. Students visualise sensor readings and KPIs updated in real time.

Lesson 1 • Version Control and Flow Management

Integrates Node-RED flows with Git for version control and collaborative development. Students export, commit, and restore flows using standard source control workflows.

Lesson 2 • Error Handling and Catch Nodes

Implements flow-level and tab-level error handling using catch and status nodes. Ensures failures are logged, alerted, and recovered without manual intervention.

Lesson 3 • Securing Node-RED in Production

Covers editor authentication, HTTPS configuration, and access control for production deployments. Prevents unauthorised access to flows and runtime APIs.

Lesson 4 • Deploying Node-RED with Docker

Packages Node-RED and its flows into Docker containers for consistent, portable deployment. Students build and run production-ready containers with persistent volume mounts.

Lesson 5 • Monitoring, Logging, and Performance Tuning

Establishes runtime monitoring, structured logging, and performance profiling for production flows. Students identify bottlenecks and implement optimisations under load.