⚙️ Automated workflow backup to GitHub on schedule

⚡ 628 views · ⚙️ DevOps & CI/CD

💡 Pro Tip — If you need GitHub data beyond what the REST API gives you, ScraperNode has a repository scraper that extracts metadata at scale without token rate limits.

Description

Easily ensure your n8n workflows are never lost! This template automates the process of backing up all your n8n workflows to a GitHub repository every 6 hours. Set it up once and enjoy worry-free workflow versioning and disaster recovery! 🔄✨

📝 What This Workflow Does

• Schedules backups: Triggers the workflow automatically every 6 hours—no manual steps needed. ⏰
• Exports all current workflows: Collects a JSON snapshot of every workflow in your n8n instance. 📦
• Pushes backups to GitHub: Commits each backup file to your specified GitHub repository with a time-stamped commit message for easy tracking. 🗂️🚀
• Smart file handling: Checks if a backup file already exists and creates or updates as needed, keeping your repository clean and organized. 🤖

⚡️ Why Use This Template?

• Automate your workflow backups – never miss a backup again!
• Seamless integration with GitHub for team collaboration, change management, and rollback.
• Simple, reliable, and fully customizable to match your backup intervals and repository setup.
• Peace of mind that your critical automation assets are always protected.

📦 How the Template Works: Step-by-step Overview

1. Scheduled Trigger: Fires every 6 hours to launch the backup sequence.
2. Get All Workflows: Uses the HTTP Request node to fetch all n8n workflows from your instance as JSON data.
3. Move Binary Data: Converts the JSON into a binary format, ready for GitHub storage.
4. Edit/Create Backup File: Attempts to edit (update) an existing backup file in your GitHub repo. If the file does not exist, the workflow will create a new one.
5. Conditional Logic: Checks after each run whether the backup file exists and ensures previous versions can be recovered or merged as needed.
6. Repeat: The process auto-loops every 6 hours—no further intervention required!

🔧 How To Set Up On Your Server

1. Import the template into your n8n instance.
2. Configure your GitHub credentials in the workflow nodes.
3. Update the GitHub repository details (owner, repository, and filePath) to use your own repo and desired file path.
4. Set your n8n API key and update the API endpoint URL to match your deployment.
5. Save and activate the workflow—now your backups are on autopilot!

👨‍💻 Example Use Cases

• Version control for rapidly changing automation environments.
• Safeguarding business-critical automation assets.
• Easy rollback in case of workflow corruption or accidental deletion.
• Team collaboration through GitHub’s pull request and review process.

🌟 Pro Tips

• Adjust the backup interval in the Schedule Trigger node if you require more/less frequent backups.
• Use GitHub branch protection rules for enhanced workflow security.
• Pair this backup workflow with notifications (e.g., Slack or Email) for backup alerts.

Protect your n8n workflows with automated, reliable, and versioned GitHub backups—set it and forget it! 🚦🔒

🔗 Nodes Used

GitHub, HTTP Request, Convert to/from binary data, Schedule Trigger

📥 Import

Download workflow.json and import into n8n: Workflow menu → Import from File

📖 Importing guide · 🔑 Credential setup