⚙️ Complete backup solution for n8n workflows & credentials (local/FTP)

⚡ 2,118 views · ⚙️ DevOps & CI/CD

Description

Automated n8n Workflows & Credentials Backup to Local/Server Disk & FTP

Complete backup solution that saves both workflows and credentials to local/server disk with optional FTP upload for off-site redundancy.

What makes this workflow different:

How it works

Backup Process (Automated Daily at 4 AM):

  1. Initialisation - Sets up timezone-aware timestamps and configurable backup paths for both local/server disk and FTP destinations
  2. Folder Creation - Creates date-stamped backup directories (YYYY-MM-DD format) on local/server disk
  3. Dual Backup Operations - Processes credentials and workflows in two separate branches:
    • Credentials Branch:
      • Exports n8n credentials using the built-in CLI command with backup flag
      • Lists exported credential files in the credentials folder
      • Reads each credential file from disk
      • Optional: Uploads to FTP server (disabled by default)
      • Optional: Logs FTP upload results for credentials
    • Workflows Branch:
      • Retrieves all workflows via n8n API
      • Cleans workflow names for cross-platform compatibility
      • Converts workflows to formatted JSON files
      • Writes files to local/server disk
      • Optional: Uploads to FTP server (disabled by default)
      • Optional: Logs FTP upload results for workflows
  4. Data Aggregation - Combines all workflow data with binary attachments for comprehensive reporting
  5. Results Merging - Consolidates credentials FTP logs, workflows FTP logs, and aggregated workflow data
  6. Summary Generation - Creates detailed backup logs including:
    • Statistics (file counts, sizes, durations)
    • Success/failure tracking for local and FTP operations
    • Error tracking with detailed messages
    • Timezone-aware timestamps
  7. Notifications - Sends comprehensive email reports with log files attached and saves execution logs to disk

How to use

Initial Setup:

  1. Configure the Init Node - Open the “Init” node and customize these key parameters in the “Workflow Standard Configuration” section:

    // Admin email for notifications
const N8N_ADMIN_EMAIL = $env.N8N_ADMIN_EMAIL || 'youremail@world.com';

// Workflow name (auto-detected)
const WORKFLOW_NAME = $workflow.name;

// Projects root directory on your server
const N8N_PROJECTS_DIR = $env.N8N_PROJECTS_DIR || '/files/n8n-projects-data';
// projects-root-folder/
//   └── Your-project-folder-name/
//       ├── logs/
//       ├── reports/
//       ├── ...
//       └── [other project files]

// Project folder name for this backup workflow
const PROJECT_FOLDER_NAME = "Workflow-backups";

    Then customize these parameters in the “Workflow Custom Configuration” section:

    // Local backup folder (must exist on your server)
const BACKUP_FOLDER = $env.N8N_BACKUP_FOLDER || '/files/n8n-backups';

// FTP backup folder (root path on your FTP server)
const FTP_BACKUP_FOLDER = $env.N8N_FTP_BACKUP_FOLDER || '/n8n-backups';

// FTP server name for logging (display purposes only)
const FTPName = 'Synology NAS 2To';

    These variables can also be set as environment variables in your n8n configuration.

  2. Set Up Credentials:

    • Configure n8n API credentials for the “Fetch Workflows” node
    • Configure SMTP credentials for email notifications
    • Optional: Configure FTP credentials if you want to enable off-site backups

  3. Configure Backup Folder:

    • Ensure the backup folder path exists on your server
    • Verify proper write permissions for the n8n process
    • If running in Docker, ensure volume mapping is correctly configured

  4. Customize Email Settings:

    • Update the “Send email” node with your recipient email address or your “N8N_ADMIN_EMAIL” environment value
    • Adjust email subject and body text as needed

Enabling FTP Upload (Optional):

By default, FTP upload nodes are disabled for easier setup. To enable off-site FTP backups:

  1. Simply activate these 4 nodes (no other changes needed):

    • “Upload Credentials To FTP”
    • “FTP Logger (credentials)”
    • “Upload Workflows To FTP”
    • “FTP Logger (workflows)”

  2. Configure FTP credentials in the two upload nodes

  3. The workflow will automatically handle FTP operations and include upload status in reports

Requirements

Good to know

This automated backup workflow saves your n8n data to both local disk and FTP server. To restore your backups, use:

🔗 Nodes Used

Send Email, FTP, Stop and Error, n8n, Schedule Trigger, Read/Write Files from Disk

📥 Import

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

📖 Importing guide · 🔑 Credential setup