Docker Installation

Run n8n in Docker with a single docker run command using the default SQLite database for testing. For production, use Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, persistent volumes, a set N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY, and a stable WEBHOOK_URL, and place n8n behind a reverse proxy that terminates TLS. Update by pulling the latest image and recreating the container.

How do you run n8n in Docker quickly?

Run n8n with a single command using the default SQLite database:

docker run -d \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n

Open http://localhost:5678 to access the n8n editor. This setup is suitable for testing and development only.

How do you set up n8n with Docker Compose for production?

For production, use PostgreSQL as the database backend and configure persistent volumes, authentication, and a stable webhook URL.

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

version: "3.8"

services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.example.com
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.example.com/
      - N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=https://n8n.example.com/
      - DB_TYPE=postgresdb
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=changeme
      - N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-random-encryption-key
      - EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE=true
      - EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX_AGE=168
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy

  postgres:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    container_name: n8n-postgres
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_DB=n8n
      - POSTGRES_USER=n8n
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=changeme
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U n8n"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  n8n_data:
  postgres_data:

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Warning: Change default passwords. Replace changeme with strong passwords before deploying. Set N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY to a random string -- this key encrypts stored credentials. If you lose it, all saved credentials become unrecoverable.

Variable	Purpose	Example
N8N_HOST	Hostname for the n8n instance	n8n.example.com
N8N_PROTOCOL	http or https	https
WEBHOOK_URL	Public URL for webhook endpoints	https://n8n.example.com/
DB_TYPE	Database backend (sqlite or postgresdb)	postgresdb
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY	Encrypts stored credentials	Random 32+ character string
EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE	Auto-delete old execution data	true
EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX_AGE	Hours to retain execution data	168 (7 days)

See the Environment Variables Reference for the full list.

Two volumes are required for a durable setup:

• n8n_data -- stores n8n configuration, the SQLite database (if used), and encryption keys.
• postgres_data -- stores the PostgreSQL database files.

Tip: Back up the postgres_data volume regularly. Use pg_dump inside the container for logical backups, or snapshot the volume at the storage layer.

How do you put n8n behind a reverse proxy?

n8n should sit behind a reverse proxy (Nginx, Caddy, Traefik) that handles TLS termination. Key requirements:

• Forward the Host header and X-Forwarded-* headers to n8n.
• Enable WebSocket proxying for the editor's real-time updates (Upgrade and Connection headers).
• Set WEBHOOK_URL to the public URL served by the proxy so that webhook paths resolve correctly.

A minimal Caddy configuration:

n8n.example.com {
    reverse_proxy n8n:5678
}

How do you update a Docker n8n installation?

Pull the latest image and recreate the container:

docker compose pull n8n
docker compose up -d n8n

Note: Always check the n8n release notes before upgrading. Major version upgrades may include database migrations or breaking changes.

Related: Environment Variables