How to install n8n on Docker?

To install n8n on Docker, you need to pull the n8n Docker image and then run it in a container with the appropriate configurations. This can be done using a simple Docker run command or by creating a Docker Compose file for more customized setups. The process involves setting up environment variables, configuring persistence for your workflows, and potentially setting up a reverse proxy if you need to expose n8n to the internet.

 

Step 1: Prerequisites

 

Before installing n8n on Docker, ensure you have the following prerequisites installed:

• Docker (latest version recommended)
• Docker Compose (optional, but recommended for easier management)
• At least 1GB RAM
• A compatible operating system (Linux, macOS, or Windows)

To check if Docker is installed correctly, run:

docker --version

If you plan to use Docker Compose, check its installation with:

docker-compose --version

 

Step 2: Simple Installation with Docker Run

 

The quickest way to get n8n running is using a Docker run command. This approach is good for testing or simple deployments.

docker run -it --rm \\
  --name n8n \\
  -p 5678:5678 \\
  -v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \\
  n8nio/n8n

This command:

• Runs the n8n container in interactive mode with terminal access
• Removes the container when it stops
• Names the container "n8n"
• Maps port 5678 from the container to your host machine
• Creates a volume that persists your data at ~/.n8n on your host

After running this command, you can access n8n by opening a browser and navigating to:

http://localhost:5678

 

Step 3: Installation with Docker Compose (Recommended)

 

For a more production-ready setup, it's better to use Docker Compose. This method allows for easier management and configuration of your n8n instance.

First, create a directory for your n8n installation:

mkdir n8n
cd n8n

Create a docker-compose.yml file in this directory:

nano docker-compose.yml

Add the following content to the file:

version: '3'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
    - "5678:5678"
    environment:
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_ACTIVE=true
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_USER=user
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_PASSWORD=password
    - N8N\_HOST=localhost
    - N8N\_PORT=5678
    - N8N\_PROTOCOL=http
    - NODE\_ENV=production
    - WEBHOOK\_URL=https://your-domain.com/
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n

Save and close the file.

This configuration:

• Uses the official n8n Docker image
• Sets up basic authentication (replace 'user' and 'password' with your own credentials)
• Configures n8n to run on port 5678
• Persists data to a local directory called n8n\_data
• Sets the WEBHOOK\_URL to your domain (change to your actual domain if needed)

Start n8n with Docker Compose:

docker-compose up -d

The -d flag runs the container in detached mode (in the background).

To check the logs:

docker-compose logs -f

 

Step 4: Configure PostgreSQL Database (Optional but Recommended)

 

By default, n8n uses SQLite for data storage, which is fine for testing but not ideal for production. For a more robust setup, configure n8n to use PostgreSQL.

Update your docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
    - "5678:5678"
    environment:
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_ACTIVE=true
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_USER=user
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_PASSWORD=password
    - N8N\_HOST=localhost
    - N8N\_PORT=5678
    - N8N\_PROTOCOL=http
    - NODE\_ENV=production
    - WEBHOOK\_URL=https://your-domain.com/
    - DB\_TYPE=postgresdb
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=n8n
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends\_on:
    - postgres
    
  postgres:
    image: postgres:13
    restart: always
    environment:
    - POSTGRES\_USER=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_PASSWORD=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_DB=n8n
    - POSTGRES_NON_ROOT_USER=n8n_non\_root
    - POSTGRES_NON_ROOT_PASSWORD=n8n_non\_root
    volumes:
    - postgres\_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  postgres\_data:

After updating the file, restart your containers:

docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

 

Step 5: Setting Up with Traefik Reverse Proxy (Optional)

 

If you want to expose n8n to the internet with SSL, you can use Traefik as a reverse proxy.

Create a more comprehensive docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3'

services:
  traefik:
    image: traefik:v2.5
    restart: always
    ports:
    - "80:80"
    - "443:443"
    volumes:
    - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    - ./traefik/acme.json:/acme.json
    - ./traefik/traefik.yml:/traefik.yml
    networks:
    - web

  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    environment:
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_ACTIVE=true
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_USER=user
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_PASSWORD=password
    - N8N\_HOST=n8n.your-domain.com
    - N8N\_PORT=5678
    - N8N\_PROTOCOL=https
    - NODE\_ENV=production
    - WEBHOOK\_URL=https://n8n.your-domain.com/
    - DB\_TYPE=postgresdb
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=n8n
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends\_on:
    - postgres
    networks:
    - web
    - internal
    labels:
    - "traefik.enable=true"
    - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.rule=Host(`n8n.your-domain.com`)"
    - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.entrypoints=websecure"
    - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.tls.certresolver=myresolver"
    - "traefik.http.services.n8n.loadbalancer.server.port=5678"

  postgres:
    image: postgres:13
    restart: always
    environment:
    - POSTGRES\_USER=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_PASSWORD=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_DB=n8n
    volumes:
    - postgres\_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    networks:
    - internal

networks:
  web:
    external: true
  internal:
    external: false

volumes:
  postgres\_data:

Create the traefik.yml file:

mkdir -p traefik
nano traefik/traefik.yml

Add the following content:

api:
  dashboard: false

entryPoints:
  web:
    address: ":80"
    http:
      redirections:
        entryPoint:
          to: websecure
          scheme: https
  websecure:
    address: ":443"

providers:
  docker:
    endpoint: "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"
    exposedByDefault: false

certificatesResolvers:
  myresolver:
    acme:
      email: [email protected]
      storage: acme.json
      httpChallenge:
        entryPoint: web

Create an empty acme.json file and set proper permissions:

touch traefik/acme.json
chmod 600 traefik/acme.json

Create the external network for Traefik:

docker network create web

Start the entire stack:

docker-compose up -d

Remember to replace:

• n8n.your-domain.com with your actual domain
• [email protected] with your email address

 

Step 6: Securing Your n8n Installation

 

For better security, consider these additional configurations in your docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
    - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      # Basic authentication
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_ACTIVE=true
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_USER=user
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_PASSWORD=password
      
      # Encryption key for sensitive data
    - N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-secret-encryption-key
      
      # Limit file size uploads
    - N8N_REQUEST_MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH=50mb
      
      # Session timeout (in hours)
    - N8N_AUTH_JWT_EXPIRES_IN=24h
      
      # Other standard configurations
    - N8N\_HOST=localhost
    - N8N\_PORT=5678
    - N8N\_PROTOCOL=http
    - NODE\_ENV=production
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n

Replace 'your-secret-encryption-key' with a strong, random string.

 

Step 7: Updating n8n

 

To update n8n to the latest version:

docker-compose pull
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

If you want to update to a specific version:

docker-compose pull n8nio/n8n:0.193.0  # Replace with the version you want
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

 

Step 8: Monitoring and Maintenance

 

To view logs:

docker-compose logs -f n8n

To restart n8n:

docker-compose restart n8n

To check n8n container status:

docker-compose ps

For backing up your data, you can either:

1. Back up the volume directory:

tar -zcvf n8n_backup.tar.gz ./n8n_data

1. Export your workflows and credentials through the n8n UI

 

Step 9: Troubleshooting Common Issues

 

Issue 1: Container fails to start

Check the logs:

docker-compose logs n8n

Issue 2: Database connection errors

If you're using PostgreSQL and having connection issues:

docker-compose exec postgres psql -U n8n -c "SELECT 1;"

This tests if the database is working correctly.

Issue 3: Webhook URL not working

Ensure your WEBHOOK_URL is correctly set in the environment variables and that your domain points to your server.

Issue 4: Permission issues with volumes

If you're experiencing permission issues with the mounted volumes:

sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ./n8n\_data

 

Step 10: Advanced Configurations

 

Setting up Queue Mode

For handling larger workloads, you can set up n8n with a Redis queue:

version: '3'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    environment:
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_ACTIVE=true
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_USER=user
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_PASSWORD=password
    - N8N\_HOST=localhost
    - N8N\_PORT=5678
    - N8N\_PROTOCOL=http
    - NODE\_ENV=production
    - EXECUTIONS\_MODE=queue
    - QUEUE_BULL_REDIS\_HOST=redis
    - QUEUE_BULL_REDIS\_PORT=6379
    ports:
    - "5678:5678"
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends\_on:
    - redis
    - postgres
  
  n8n-worker:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    command: worker
    environment:
    - DB\_TYPE=postgresdb
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=n8n
    - EXECUTIONS\_MODE=queue
    - QUEUE_BULL_REDIS\_HOST=redis
    - QUEUE_BULL_REDIS\_PORT=6379
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends\_on:
    - redis
    - postgres

  postgres:
    image: postgres:13
    restart: always
    environment:
    - POSTGRES\_USER=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_PASSWORD=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_DB=n8n
    volumes:
    - postgres\_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
  
  redis:
    image: redis:6-alpine
    restart: always
    volumes:
    - redis\_data:/data

volumes:
  postgres\_data:
  redis\_data:

 

Setting Environment Variables for Specific Nodes

Some n8n nodes require specific environment variables. For example, to configure the Telegram node:

environment:
- TELEGRAM_ACCESS_TOKEN=your-telegram-bot-token

 

Step 11: Performance Tuning

 

For better performance, especially in production environments, add these environment variables to your Docker Compose file:

environment:
  # Increase memory limit for Node.js
- NODE\_OPTIONS=--max-old-space-size=4096
  
  # Tune PostgreSQL connections
- DB_POSTGRESDB_MAX\_CONNECTIONS=100
  
  # Set execution timeout
- EXECUTIONS\_TIMEOUT=300
  
  # Set process timeout
- EXECUTIONS_PROCESS_TIMEOUT=900
  
  # Limit the number of executions in memory
- EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX\_AGE=168

 

Step 12: Running Multiple n8n Instances

 

For high availability, you can run multiple n8n instances with a load balancer:

version: '3'

services:
  traefik:
    image: traefik:v2.5
    restart: always
    ports:
    - "80:80"
    - "443:443"
    volumes:
    - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    - ./traefik/traefik.yml:/traefik.yml
    - ./traefik/acme.json:/acme.json
    networks:
    - web

  n8n-1:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    environment:
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_ACTIVE=true
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_USER=user
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_PASSWORD=password
    - N8N\_HOST=n8n.your-domain.com
    - N8N\_PORT=5678
    - N8N\_PROTOCOL=https
    - NODE\_ENV=production
    - DB\_TYPE=postgresdb
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
    - EXECUTIONS\_MODE=queue
    - QUEUE_BULL_REDIS\_HOST=redis
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n
    networks:
    - web
    - internal
    labels:
    - "traefik.enable=true"
    - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.rule=Host(`n8n.your-domain.com`)"
    - "traefik.http.services.n8n.loadbalancer.server.port=5678"

  n8n-2:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    environment:
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_ACTIVE=true
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_USER=user
    - N8N_BASIC_AUTH\_PASSWORD=password
    - N8N\_HOST=n8n.your-domain.com
    - N8N\_PORT=5678
    - N8N\_PROTOCOL=https
    - NODE\_ENV=production
    - DB\_TYPE=postgresdb
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
    - EXECUTIONS\_MODE=queue
    - QUEUE_BULL_REDIS\_HOST=redis
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n
    networks:
    - web
    - internal
    labels:
    - "traefik.enable=true"
    - "traefik.http.routers.n8n.rule=Host(`n8n.your-domain.com`)"
    - "traefik.http.services.n8n.loadbalancer.server.port=5678"

  n8n-worker:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    command: worker
    environment:
    - DB\_TYPE=postgresdb
    - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
    - EXECUTIONS\_MODE=queue
    - QUEUE_BULL_REDIS\_HOST=redis
    volumes:
    - ./n8n\_data:/home/node/.n8n
    networks:
    - internal
    depends\_on:
    - redis
    - postgres

  postgres:
    image: postgres:13
    restart: always
    environment:
    - POSTGRES\_USER=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_PASSWORD=n8n
    - POSTGRES\_DB=n8n
    volumes:
    - postgres\_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    networks:
    - internal

  redis:
    image: redis:6-alpine
    restart: always
    volumes:
    - redis\_data:/data
    networks:
    - internal

networks:
  web:
    external: true
  internal:
    external: false

volumes:
  postgres\_data:
  redis\_data:

 

Conclusion

 

You have now learned how to install n8n on Docker using various configurations, from a basic setup to more advanced production-ready deployments. By following these steps, you can have a fully functional n8n instance running in Docker, ready to create and automate workflows.

Remember to:

• Keep your n8n instance updated regularly
• Back up your data and workflows
• Monitor logs for any issues
• Secure your installation with strong passwords and SSL

For more information and advanced configurations, refer to the official n8n documentation at https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/installation/docker/.