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n8n is a visual automation builder: you wire services, APIs, and bots into a chain with your mouse. Like Zapier or Make, but it runs on your own server and the data stays with you.

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Installation

Connect over SSH as root: Connection. Docker is required: Docker. The image and parameters change from time to time, check docs.n8n.io.
  1. Volume – it stores your workflows:
  2. Run – set your own time zone:
    • -d – background mode.
    • --restart unless-stopped – the container comes back up by itself after a server reboot.
    • -p 5678:5678 – the panel port.
    • -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n – the workflow volume.
    • GENERIC_TIMEZONE, TZ – the time zone.
    • N8N_ENFORCE_SETTINGS_FILE_PERMISSIONS – strict permissions on the settings file.
    • N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED – code from Code nodes runs in a separate process.
    • -e N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false – not in the command above. Add it next to the other -e lines if you will open the panel by IP without HTTPS: otherwise n8n shows a secure cookie error and does not let you in.
  3. Port – open it in the firewall:
    Docker publishes the port past ufw: the panel is reachable from the internet even without this rule. More: Docker, Firewall.
  4. Panel – open it in a browser and create the owner account with a password right away:
    Until the account exists, anyone who opens the address can create it.
Workflows live in the n8n_data volume and survive container restarts. Delete the volume and you lose them.

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Quick test

Instead of step 2, if you only want to try it: a container with --rm starts in the current terminal and is removed when it stops. Workflows stay in the n8n_data volume. By IP without HTTPS, add -e N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false here too.

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Domain and HTTPS

For everyday use, do not keep the panel on a bare IP and port. Get a domain, put Nginx in front as a reverse proxy, and add HTTPS: the address becomes https://n8n.yourdomain. How: Web server (Nginx), SSL and Let’s Encrypt. Network or port not working – write to @lumisup_robot, software setup is on you. Next: Docker, Backups.