n8n¶

In this article

n8n. Key Features

Deployment Features

Getting started after deploying n8n

Creating an n8n Administrator Account

Changing Volume Mounts for n8n

Configuring Traefik for n8n Access

Transferring Docker Containers to a Non-privileged User (Optional)

Ordering n8n using the API

Self-Installing n8n on Ubuntu

Easy Setup with a Bash Script (SSH and Invapi Deployment)

Ordering a server with n8n using the API

Information

n8n is a free, open and extensible workflow automation tool that allows you to integrate various applications and services, as well as implement server-side application logic. n8n has a large number of ready-made modules designed to work with various services (Google Sheets, Slack, Trello, GitHub and others). It is also possible to create nodes using JavaScript or TypeScript. n8n supports various types of authorization and ensures the security of data transfer between services.

n8n. Key Features¶

Flexibility: n8n allows you to create complex automation scripts. Integration of various applications and services through API allows you to customize workflows and reduce routine work.
Usability: A library of ready-made modules makes it much easier to create new workflows.
Comfort: n8n provides the ability to run and test workflows directly from the interface. It allows you to quickly check the correctness of the script and fix errors.
Reliability: n8n provides business process reliability by allowing tasks to be retried if they fail.
Extensibility: Due to its open source code, n8n can be easily extended by creating new integration modules with other services.

Deployment Features¶

ID	Compatible OS	VM	BM	VGPU	GPU	Min CPU (Cores)	Min RAM (Gb)	Min HDD/SDD (Gb)	Active
24	Ubuntu 22.04	+	+	+	+	2	2	-	Yes

Installation time is 15-20 minutes, including OS;
Containerized installation in the hostkey.in zone;
The web interface will be available at the URL: https://n8n{server_id}.hostkey.in;
Traefik container is used for routing management and SSL certificates;
Configuration file is located at /root/n8n-compose-file/compose.yml.

Note

Unless otherwise specified, by default we install the latest release version of software from the developer's website or operating system repositories.

Getting started after deploying n8n¶

A notification will be sent to the e-mail specified during registration that the server is ready for work after paying for the order. It will contain the IP address of the VPS, as well as the login and password for the connection. Clients of our company manage the hardware in the server`s and API control panel — Invapi.

You can find the authorization data either in the Info >> Tags tab of the server control panel or in the email that was sent.

Link to access the n8n dashboard with a web interface: in the webpanel tag;
Login and Password: Sent to your email address after the server is ready for use following software deployment.

Creating an n8n Administrator Account¶

After installing the Docker container with n8n, initial setup is required through the web interface. Upon first visit to the n8n web interface, you will be prompted to create an owner account:

Enter your email address;
Specify your name and surname;
Create a strong password (at least 8 characters, including at least one digit and one uppercase letter);
Optionally enable notifications about security and product updates;
Click the ~~Next~~ button.

Then, a window for personalization settings will open:

"What best describes your company?";
"Which role best describes you?";
"Who will your automations mainly be for?";
"How big is your company?";
"How did you hear about n8n?".

After filling out all fields, click the ~~Get started~~ button.

Optional Free License Activation

n8n offers free activation of some premium features:

Ability to view workflow history (for the last 24 hours);
Enhanced debugging capabilities for fixing errors in workflows;
Search and tagging for organizing executed workflows.

To obtain a free license key:

Enter your email in the corresponding field;
Click ~~Send me a free license key~~ or skip this step by clicking ~~Skip~~. If you choose to receive the key, it will be sent to the specified address:

To activate the key, click Activate License Key in the email or copy and enter the key into the corresponding n8n settings section.

Main Screen and License Notification:

After completing initial setup, you will reach the main n8n screen:

At the top of the screen is an overview of all accessible workflows, credentials, and executions;
On the main screen, you can choose how to start: create a workflow from scratch or test a ready-made example with an AI agent;
In the bottom right corner, a notification will indicate that your license key is on its way, and you need to check your email (if the option to send the key was previously selected).

Note

Detailed information about n8n's basic settings can be found in the developer documentation.

Changing Volume Mounts for n8n¶

Proper volume mounting in n8n Docker containers is important not only for data preservation between restarts but also to ensure uninterrupted operation during version updates, migration to another server, backup creation, debugging and diagnostics simplification, external workflow editing capability, integration with CI/CD processes, and reliable deployment in cluster environments.

Edit the compose.yml file:

nano /root/n8n-compose-file/compose.yml

To verify the file's location, use the command:

find / -name "docker-compose.yml" -o -name "compose.yml" 2>/dev/null

Change the volume mount line for n8n:
```
- /root/.n8n:/root/.n8n
```

Update container images:

cd /root/n8n-compose-file/

docker compose pull

Restart containers:

docker compose down

docker compose up -d

Configuring Traefik for n8n Access¶

To enable access to n8n through a domain name, configure Traefik to redirect traffic.

Edit the compose.yml file:

nano /root/n8n-compose-file/compose.yml

Add or modify labels for the n8n container:

labels:
  - "traefik.enable=true"
  - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.rule=Host(`your-domain.com`)"
  - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.entrypoints=websecure"
  - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.tls=true"
  - "traefik.http.services.n8n.loadbalancer.server.port=5678"

Update container images:

cd /root/n8n-compose-file/

docker compose pull

Restart containers:

docker compose down

docker compose up -d

Transferring Docker Containers to a Non-privileged User (Optional)¶

To enhance security, it's recommended to run Docker containers not as the root user.

Create a new user:
```
adduser n8n_user
```
Add the user to the docker group:
```
usermod -aG docker n8n_user
```

Transfer n8n data:

mkdir -p /home/n8n_user/n8n

cp -r /root/.n8n/* /home/n8n_user/n8n/

chown -R n8n_user:n8n_user /home/n8n_user/n8n

Copy configuration files:

cp -r /root/n8n-compose-file /home/n8n_user/

chown -R n8n_user:n8n_user /home/n8n_user/n8n-compose-file

Change the mount path in compose.yml:

sed -i 's|/root/.n8n:/root/.n8n|/home/n8n_user/n8n:/root/.n8n|g' /home/n8n_user/n8n-compose-file/compose.yml

Update container images:

su - n8n_user

cd ~/n8n-compose-file

docker compose pull

Start containers as the new user:
```
docker compose up -d
```

Ordering n8n using the API¶

To install this software using the API, follow these instructions

Self-Installing n8n on Ubuntu¶

Update System Packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Docker Engine:
```
sudo apt install docker.io -y
```

Verify Docker Installation:

docker version

4. Install Docker Compose plugins

mkdir -p ~/.docker/cli-plugins/
curl -SL https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.31.0/docker-compose-linux-x86_64 -o ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
chmod +x ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose

Replace v2.31.0 to latest version from GIT repository.

Create Required Directories:

mkdir /data && mkdir /root/n8n-compose-file
chmod 700 /data && chmod 700 /root/n8n-compose-file

Generate compose.yml file:

Create a file named compose.yml in your /root/n8n-compose-file directory and paste the following content into it:

version: "3"

services:
n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
    restart: always
    user: root
    ports:
    - "5678:5678" 
    environment:
    - N8N_HOST=<you-server-ip> 
    - N8N_PORT=5678
    - N8N_PROTOCOL=http
    - NODE_ENV=production
    - WEBHOOK_URL=http://<you-server-ip>/
    - GENERIC_TIMEZONE="Europe/Amsterdam"
    - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false

    volumes:
    - /root/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n
    - /root/local-files:/files

Replace <your-server-ip> with your server's actual IP address. You would obtain you IP via commandline:

hostname -I | awk '{print $1}'

Run n8n via Docker Compose:

cd /root/n8n-compose-file
docker compose up -d

Wait for n8n to Start:

Wait approximately 10 seconds for n8n to initialize and start listening on port 5678.
Access n8n Web UI:

Open a web browser and navigate to https://your-server-ip:443. (Replace your-server-ip with your server's actual IP address). You will be prompted for an initial setup and login credentials.

Attention

No SSL Certificate: This setup uses HTTP (port 80) without SSL. This is not recommended for production environments . Consider obtaining and configuring an SSL certificate for secure communication.
Security Risk: Running on HTTP exposes your data to potential interception and man-in-the-middle attacks. Exercise extreme caution if you choose to use this configuration.

Easy Setup with a Bash Script (SSH and Invapi Deployment)¶

#!/bin/bash

# Update system
sudo apt update -y

# Install Docker Engine
sudo apt install docker.io -y

# Verify Docker Installation
docker version

# Install Docker Compose plugins
mkdir -p ~/.docker/cli-plugins/
curl -SL https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.31.0/docker-compose-linux-x86_64 -o ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
chmod +x ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose

# Create Required Directories
mkdir /data && mkdir /root/n8n-compose-file
chmod 700 /data && chmod 700 /root/n8n-compose-file

#Acquire IP-address of the server
IP_ADDRESS=$(hostname -I | awk '{print $1}')

# Generate compose.yml file
cat > /root/n8n-compose-file/compose.yml <<EOF
version: "3"

services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
    restart: always
    user: root
    ports:
      - "5678:5678" 
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=$IP_ADDRESS> 
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=http
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - WEBHOOK_URL=http://$IP_ADDRESS/
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE="Europe/Amsterdam"
      - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false

    volumes:
      - /root/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n
      - /root/local-files:/files
EOF

# Run n8n via Docker Compose
cd /root/n8n-compose-file
docker compose up -d

Use script on BASH commandline¶

Connect to your server via SSH.
Save the script as a .sh file (e.g., install.sh).
Make it executable: chmod +x install.sh.
Run the script on your server: ./install.sh.
Use http://:5678 for connect to web interface. You would obtain you IP via commandline:
```
hostname -I | awk '{print $1}'
```

Using the Script During Server Reinstallation¶

Select the desired OS in the Reinstall >> Operating System tab.
Paste the script for the supported OS into the Post-install script field in the Advanced options tab.
Start the reinstallation by clicking the button ~~Reinstall this server~~

Ordering a server with n8n using the API¶

To install this software using the API, follow these instructions

Some of the content on this page was created or translated using AI.