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To secure a self-hosted n8n instance, serve its editor and webhook endpoints over HTTPS, keep n8n’s login enabled, protect the credential-encryption key, and create backups that include the database and dependent storage—not just workflow exports. Then audit the running instance, restrict risky capabilities where appropriate, and test updates against a recovery plan.

Put the editor and webhooks behind HTTPS

n8n recommends placing a reverse proxy such as Traefik, or a network load balancer, in front of the instance. This lets the front-end service handle TLS certificates and renewals. The proxy must also pass the original request information to n8n so it can generate the right public webhook URLs.

For a reverse-proxy setup, configure N8N_WEBHOOK_URL as the public HTTPS base URL and set N8N_PROXY_HOPS to the number of trusted proxy hops; n8n’s example uses 1. The last proxy should forward X-Forwarded-For, X-Forwarded-Host, and X-Forwarded-Proto. See n8n’s webhook URL and proxy configuration. The documentation says N8N_WEBHOOK_URL replaces the deprecated WEBHOOK_URL starting in n8n 2.35.0.

If TLS terminates directly in n8n instead, set N8N_SSL_CERT and N8N_SSL_KEY to the certificate and private-key files, and arrange certificate renewal yourself. n8n recommends the reverse-proxy approach; see its SSL configuration guidance.

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Whichever design you use, expose only the public endpoints you intend to serve and keep internal n8n ports private. Firewall rules, certificate issuance and renewal, and the correct proxy-hop count depend on your deployment, so verify the actual network path for your Docker, npm, proxy, or load-balancer setup.

Keep authentication enabled and limit access

Recent n8n versions provide an owner setup and user invitations. Basic authentication and JWT authentication were removed in n8n 1.0, and n8n documents no supported setting for disabling the login screen. Do not rely on old basic-auth instructions or expose an instance publicly with its login disabled. See n8n’s user-management documentation.

Invite only people who need access and assign roles deliberately. Configure SMTP if users need to reset their passwords: n8n says SMTP can be skipped for invitations, but without it users cannot reset passwords. The security documentation also lists SSO, two-factor authentication, and instance-wide policies such as MFA enforcement. Check the documentation for your deployed version and edition before relying on a particular feature.

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Protect the encryption key as carefully as the database

n8n generates a random encryption key on first launch and stores it in the .n8n user folder by default. The key encrypts credentials stored in the database. You can instead provide N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY; in queue mode, configure the same key for every worker. See n8n’s encryption-key guidance.

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Include the key in protected recovery planning and limit access to it. A database copy without the key that encrypted its credentials cannot restore usable credentials. n8n’s backup documentation explains that recovery requires the key from the config file or the configured custom key.

Build a full backup around your deployment

n8n Docs states: “A complete backup of a self-hosted n8n instance consists of two parts:” In practice, preserving a working instance means backing up its application data and database, plus any separate storage and configuration needed to reconnect them. Follow n8n’s backup and restore documentation.

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What to include

  • The .n8n folder: by default, ~/.n8n. It holds the config and encryption key, the SQLite database when SQLite is in use, and data for filesystem storage modes.
  • The database: with SQLite, stop n8n before copying the folder, or use a consistent snapshot method. With PostgreSQL, use PostgreSQL’s own backup tooling and preserve .n8n as well.
  • Other data stores and paths: include external binary or execution storage such as S3 or Azure Blob Storage, and any custom filesystem paths.
  • Deployment dependencies: preserve custom-node directories and the deployment settings and environment variables needed to reconnect to storage and decrypt credentials.

In Docker, n8n’s data folder is normally held in a persistent n8n_data volume mounted at /home/node/.n8n. A backup written only to a disposable container’s internal backups/ directory may disappear with that container. Bind-mount a host backup directory or copy backup artifacts out to storage that persists.

What CLI exports do—and do not—save

n8n documents these commands for JSON backup exports:

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  • n8n export:workflow --backup --output=...
  • n8n export:credentials --backup --output=...

These are useful for moving workflow and credential assets, but they are not a complete instance backup: they omit users and roles, execution history and logs, variables, instance settings, and the encryption key. Without the matching key, encrypted credentials cannot be decrypted after restore.

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Restore the complete recovery set

Restore the .n8n data, the database, any other data stores and custom-node directories, and the deployment configuration required to reconnect them. Then restart n8n. If you restore through CLI imports alone, you may also need to complete owner setup and assign credential ownership or projects; imported workflows are inactive by default.

Avoid --decrypted credential exports unless plaintext is essential for recovery. n8n warns that these exports contain credentials in plaintext; protect them as secrets and delete them after recovery.

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Audit the instance and limit dangerous capabilities

Run n8n audit from the CLI, call the authenticated POST /audit endpoint, or generate a report with the n8n node. Findings can include unused credentials, risky SQL expressions, filesystem access, risky official, community, or custom nodes, unprotected webhooks, missing security settings, and outdated versions. Treat the report as a review queue, not proof that the host or network is secure. See the n8n security overview.

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If instance users are not fully trusted, consider using NODES_EXCLUDE to block capabilities such as Execute Command and Read/Write Files from Disk. Apply restrictions according to which workflows genuinely need privileged access; blocking nodes may affect those workflows.

n8n documents SSRF protection as available from version 2.12.0. When enabled, it checks outbound requests from user-controllable nodes against blocked and allowed IP ranges, including redirects and DNS resolution. n8n describes this as defense-in-depth: firewalls, security groups, and network policies remain the primary protection. Check compatibility for your version and allowlist only internal hosts you control. See the SSRF protection documentation.

Update with a recovery path

n8n recommends updating frequently—its published guidance suggests at least once a month—reviewing release notes, testing updates in a separate environment, and taking a full backup before updating. The monthly cadence is operational guidance from n8n, not a regulatory requirement. Consult its update guidance and make sure the backup covers your actual database, key, storage, and deployment dependencies before proceeding.

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