A comprehensive Bash script for automated backup of n8n workflows and credentials from Docker containers, with support for encryption and detailed logging.

• Automatic Container Detection: Finds all running n8n containers automatically
• Manual Container Selection: Option to specify specific containers
• Encrypted Backups: Creates password-protected ZIP archives
• Detailed Logging: Maintains comprehensive logs of all backup operations
• Batch Processing: Handles multiple n8n containers in one run
• Error Handling: Robust error checking and reporting
• Credential Export: Backs up credentials in decrypted format for easy restoration

• Docker installed and running
• zip utility installed on the host system
• Sufficient permissions to execute Docker commands
• Running n8n container(s)

1. Clone this repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd n8n-backup-script

2. Make the script executable:

chmod +x backup.sh

Edit the backup.sh file to customize the following settings:

# Manual container names
MANUAL_CONTAINERS=(
    # "n8n1"
    # "n8n2"
)

# Auto-detect containers with 'n8n' in name
AUTO_DETECT_N8N=true

# Enable/disable encryption
ENABLE_ENCRYPTION=true

# Prompt for password or use default
PROMPT_FOR_PASSWORD=true

# Default password (only if PROMPT_FOR_PASSWORD=false)
DEFAULT_PASSWORD=""

By default, the script creates the following structure:

script-directory/
├── backup.sh
├── files/           # Temporary backup files
├── logs/            # Backup logs
└── n8n_backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.zip

./backup.sh

This will automatically find and backup all running containers with "n8n" in their name.

./backup.sh container1 container2

Edit the MANUAL_CONTAINERS array in the script:

MANUAL_CONTAINERS=(
    "n8n_production"
    "n8n_staging"
)

Then run:

./backup.sh

The script creates a timestamped ZIP file:

n8n_backup_20240115_143022.zip

If encryption is disabled:

n8n_backup_20240115_143022_unencrypted.zip

files/
├── container1/
│   ├── workflows/
│   │   └── [workflow JSON files]
│   └── credentials/
│       └── [credential JSON files]
└── container2/
    ├── workflows/
    └── credentials/

Detailed logs are saved in the logs/ directory:

logs/n8n_backup_20240115_143022.log

To restore workflows and credentials:

1. Extract the ZIP file (enter password if encrypted)
2. Navigate to the container's directory
3. Import workflows:

docker exec -u node <container_name> n8n import:workflow --input=/path/to/workflows/

4. Import credentials:

docker exec -u node <container_name> n8n import:credentials --input=/path/to/credentials/

⚠️ Important Security Notes:

• Credentials are exported in decrypted format
• Backup files contain sensitive information
• Always use strong passwords for encryption
• Store backups in secure locations
• Consider adding *.zip and files/ to .gitignore
• Never commit backup files to version control

ERROR: Container <name> not found

Solution: Verify container name with docker ps and update configuration.

ERROR: Permission denied

Solution: Ensure script has execute permissions (chmod +x backup.sh) and user has Docker access.

ERROR: zip command not installed on system

Solution: Install zip utility:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install zip

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install zip

# macOS
brew install zip

ERROR: Workflows export failed for <container>

Solution: Check that n8n is running properly in the container and has data to export.

To run automatic backups daily at 2 AM:

crontab -e

Add:

0 2 * * * /path/to/backup.sh

For password-protected backups with cron, set:

PROMPT_FOR_PASSWORD=false
DEFAULT_PASSWORD="your-secure-password"

Modify these variables to change temporary paths inside containers:

CONTAINER_WORKFLOWS_PATH="/tmp/n8n_backup/workflows/"
CONTAINER_CREDENTIALS_PATH="/tmp/n8n_backup/credentials/"

Change the user for n8n commands:

DOCKER_USER="node"  # Default for n8n containers

Adjust verbosity:

LOG_LEVEL="INFO"  # Options: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

For issues and questions, please open an issue on GitHub.

• Initial release
• Auto-detection of n8n containers
• Encrypted ZIP backups
• Comprehensive logging
• Multi-container support