n8n-self-hosting

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Don't echo it into long-lived logs or chat history beyond what's needed to hand it over.

.env.queue.example

.env.single.example

| Owner account + 2FA | hand-off | Whoever completes the owner-setup form first claims the instance — do it before sharing the URL. Enable 2FA (per-user 2FA is free; org-wide *enforcement* via `N8N_MF

history. Read it from `.env` or a file, or type it into a heredoc.

| `N8N_BLOCK_ENV_ACCESS_IN_NODE=true` | ✓ | Code-node/expressions can't read `process.env` (your container secrets). Relax only if a workflow genuinely needs an env var. |

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha e25b729cc88a · 28 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publisherczlonkowski GitHub userOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source folderczlonkowski/n8n-skills/skills/n8n-self-hostingThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceMITAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdicte25b729cc88aA new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 4 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Deploy a production self-hosted n8n end-to-end to a fresh Linux VM over SSH, using Docker Compose behind a Caddy reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS. Use whenever the user wants to self-host, install, provision, or…

---
name: n8n-self-hosting
description: Deploy a production self-hosted n8n end-to-end to a fresh Linux VM over SSH, using Docker Compose behind a Caddy reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS. Use whenever the user wants to self-host, install, provision, or deploy n8n on their own server/VPS (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, AWS EC2, bare metal) — single/regular mode or queue mode with workers — or to update, back up, restore, or harden such an instance, or make Python Code nodes run on it (task runners). For SELF-HOSTED n8n (Docker), not n8n Cloud and not building workflows. The skill makes the agent ask single-vs-queue first, collect domain/SSH/timezone inputs, generate fresh secrets on the box, and bring the stack up with TLS. Trigger on "deploy n8n", "self-host n8n", "n8n docker compose", "n8n queue mode / workers", "n8n reverse proxy / SSL", "back up / update my n8n", "Python runner unavailable" / "n8nio/runners sidecar", or "we don't want to give every user the OAuth client secret" / "enable Sign in with Google" (credential overwrites).
---

# Deploying self-hosted n8n

This skill takes a **fresh Linux VM** (Ubuntu/Debian, root or sudo SSH) to a **running,
HTTPS, production n8n** via Docker Compose behind **Caddy** (automatic Let's Encrypt TLS).
It is for **self-hosted n8n on Docker** — not n8n Cloud, and not for building workflows
(that's the rest of this pack).

Two deployment modes. The architectures differ, so **pick the mode before doing anything**.

You drive this end-to-end over SSH: preflight → install Docker → lay down the project →
generate secrets → launch → verify TLS → hand off. The template files live in `assets/`;
the per-mode and security depth live in the reference files named below.

## Rule 0 — choose the mode (ask the user)

Do not guess. Ask, then commit to one:

| | **Single / regular** | **Queue** |
|---|---|---|
| Processes | one n8n | main + N workers |
| Extra services | none (SQLite) | Redis (queue) + Postgres (DB) |
| Executes workflows | in the main process | on workers, in parallel |
| Good for | 1 user, light/moderate load, simplest ops | high volume, heavy/long executions, horizontal scale |
| Compose | `assets/docker-compose.single.yml` | `assets/docker-compose.queue.yml` |
| Deep dive | **`SINGLE_MODE.md`** | **`QUEUE_MODE.md`** |

If unsure, start **single** — it's the simplest correct thing and covers most needs. Moving
to queue later means swapping the compose file and migrating SQLite→Postgres, so if the user
already expects real volume, start **queue**.

## Rule 1 — secret hygiene (non-negotiable)

A misstep here leaks client credentials. Be diligent:

1. **Generate every secret fresh, on the target box.** Never copy an encryption key, DB
   password, or `.env` from another n8n instance into this one. See `SECURITY.md` for the
   `openssl` commands.
2. **Secrets live only in `.env`** (mode 600), referenced by the compose as `${VAR}`. Never
   inline a secret into `docker-compose.yml`, the Caddyfile, or anything you commit.
3. **The `N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY` is sacred.** It encrypts every stored credential. If it's lost
   or changes, all saved credentials become undecryptable. Set it explicitly, and tell the
   user to back it up **off the box**. Don't echo it into long-lived logs or chat history
   beyond what's needed to hand it over.
4. **Never expose internal services.** Only Caddy (80/443) is public. n8n (5678), Postgres
   (5432), Redis (6379) stay on the private Docker network — the templates already omit their
   host port mappings. Don't add them.
5. **`.env` and Caddy's `caddy_data` volume (the issued certs + ACME account key) are not
   artifacts to share.** If you're working inside a git repo, confirm `.env` is git-ignored
   before any commit.

## Inputs to collect up front

- **SSH target** — `user@host` and how you authenticate (key path or the user confirms the agent already has access). Root or a sudo user.
- **Domain** — the full hostname n8n will live at, e.g. `n8n.example.com` (→ `SUBDOMAIN=n8n`, `DOMAIN_NAME=example.com`). The user must control its DNS.
- **TLS email** — for Let's Encrypt (`SSL_EMAIL`).
- **Timezone** — IANA name for Schedule/Cron nodes (e.g. `Europe/Warsaw`), else `Etc/UTC`.
- **Mode** — single or queue (Rule 0). Queue → confirm the box has enough RAM (rough floor ~4 GB; each worker wants ~1–2 GB).
- **Optional modules** — some features (currently **Agents**) are backend modules that stay off
  unless listed in `N8N_ENABLED_MODULES`. Ask only if the user brings one up; if they do, read
  the modules section of `QUEUE_MODE.md` before enabling it, because in queue mode it has to
  reach the workers as well.
- **Python Code nodes / who edits workflows** — ask *"Will workflows use Python Code nodes, or
  will anyone besides you edit workflows?"* A yes to either means task runners in **external
  mode**: a `n8nio/runners` sidecar (one per worker in queue mode). The stock `n8nio/n8n` image has
  no Python 3, so in the default internal mode every Python Code node fails with `Python runner
  unavailable: Python 3 is missing from this system`. Read `TASK_RUNNERS.md` before step 3.

## The deploy flow

Work through these in order. `SINGLE_MODE.md` / `QUEUE_MODE.md` give the mode-specific command
detail; `SECURITY.md` covers secret generation and hardening; `DAY2.md` covers update/backup/restore.

### 1. Preflight (the cheapest failure is the one you catch here)
- SSH in; confirm the OS is Debian/Ubuntu-like (`. /etc/os-release`).
- **DNS must already point at the box.** Compare the box's public IP (`curl -s ifconfig.me`)
  with `dig +short <fqdn>` (run it from the box AND ideally your laptop). If they don't match,
  **stop** — Caddy's ACME challenge will fail. Have the user create the A record, wait for it
  to propagate, then continue.
- Ports **80 and 443** must be reachable from the internet. Check the host firewall AND any
  cloud security group / network firewall (Hetzner Cloud, AWS SG, etc.) — these are outside
  the box and a 

Excerpt, first 6,000 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills
git -C n8n-skills checkout e25b729cc88a

Works in

1. 2026-10-28
   !CAUTION B 89 / 100

   first audit · source e25b729cc88a

Questions about n8n-self-hosting

• github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills/tree/main/skills/n8n-self-host — the audited source at commit e25b729cc88a and every finding aboveObserved · 28 Oct 2026

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