nixpkgs/docs/packages/n8n.md

n8n

Free and source-available fair-code licensed workflow automation tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

Description

n8n (pronounced "n-eight-n") is a workflow automation tool that helps you connect different services and automate tasks without writing code. It features a visual node-based editor for creating workflows with hundreds of integrations.

Features

• 🎨 Visual Workflow Editor: Drag-and-drop interface for creating workflows
• 🔗 Hundreds of Integrations: Connect to popular services (Slack, GitHub, Google, etc.)
• 🔄 Webhook Support: Trigger workflows via HTTP requests
• 📝 Code Node: Execute JavaScript/TypeScript code within workflows
• 🚀 Cloud & Self-Hosted: Use n8n Cloud or self-host on your own infrastructure
• 📊 Data Transformation: Map and transform data between services
• ⏰ Scheduling: Run workflows on schedules (cron-like)
• 🔒 Security: Credential management and secure data handling
• 🎯 Fair-Code License: Source available with usage restrictions for commercial use

Installation

Via Overlay

{pkgs, ...}: {
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    n8n
  ];
}

Direct Reference

{pkgs, ...}: {
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    inputs.m3ta-nixpkgs.packages.${pkgs.system}.n8n
  ];
}

Run Directly

nix run git+https://code.m3ta.dev/m3tam3re/nixpkgs#n8n

Usage

Basic Usage

# Start n8n (default configuration)
n8n start

# Start with custom configuration file
n8n start --config /path/to/config

# Run in worker mode (for production with queue)
n8n worker

# Execute a workflow from file
n8n execute /path/to/workflow.json

Development Mode

# Start with tunnel (external access)
n8n start --tunnel

# Disable telemetry
n8n start --no-telemetry

# Specify workflow directory
n8n start --workflows /path/to/workflows

# Enable/disable features
n8n start --enable-editor
n8n start --disable-metrics

Workflow Management

# Export workflow to file
n8n export:workflow --id=123 --output=workflow.json

# Import workflow from file
n8n import:workflow --input=workflow.json

# Execute workflow
n8n execute:workflow --id=123

Configuration

Environment Variables

• N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE: Enable basic authentication (default: false)
• N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER: Basic auth username
• N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD: Basic auth password
• N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY: Encryption key for credentials
• N8N_HOST: Host URL for web UI (default: localhost)
• N8N_PORT: Port for web UI (default: 5678)
• N8N_PROTOCOL: Protocol (http or https)
• N8N_PATH: Path to mount n8n (default: /)
• N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL: Base URL for editor
• N8N_WEBHOOK_URL: URL for webhook endpoints
• N8N_TIMEZONE: Timezone for execution (default: UTC)
• N8N_LOG_LEVEL: Logging level (output, warn, error, verbose)
• N8N_LOG_OUTPUT: Log output destination (console, file)
• N8N_METRICS: Enable metrics collection (default: true)
• DB_TYPE: Database type (sqlite3db, postgresdb, mysqldb)
• DB_SQLITE_VACUUM_ON_STARTUP: Vacuum SQLite on startup

Database Configuration

By default, n8n uses SQLite for simplicity. For production, use PostgreSQL or MySQL:

# PostgreSQL
export DB_TYPE=postgresdb
export DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=localhost
export DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
export DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
export DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n
export DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=yourpassword

# MySQL/MariaDB
export DB_TYPE=mysqldb
export DB_MYSQLDB_HOST=localhost
export DB_MYSQLDB_PORT=3306
export DB_MYSQLDB_DATABASE=n8n
export DB_MYSQLDB_USER=n8n
export DB_MYSQLDB_PASSWORD=yourpassword

Security

Set up encryption for credentials:

# Generate encryption key
export N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=$(openssl rand -base64 32)

# Use in production
export N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY="your-32-char-encryption-key"

NixOS Module

For NixOS, use the n8n module from nixpkgs for a complete service configuration:

services.n8n = {
  enable = true;
  settings = {
    host = "0.0.0.0";
    port = 5678;
    timezone = "UTC";
  };
  environment = {
    N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY = "your-encryption-key";
    DB_TYPE = "postgresdb";
    DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST = "/var/run/postgresql";
    DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE = "n8n";
  };
};

Use Cases

Webhook Automation

Trigger workflows via HTTP requests:

# Start n8n with tunnel for public URL
n8n start --tunnel

# Create webhook workflow in UI
# Workflow receives data from external service
# Process and send to another service

Scheduled Tasks

Run tasks on a schedule:

// In workflow editor, use Schedule Trigger
// Set cron expression: "0 9 * * *" (daily at 9 AM)
// Connect to nodes that perform tasks

Data Sync Between Services

Keep data synchronized:

# Create workflow with:
# 1. Webhook trigger (service A)
# 2. Data transformation node
# 3. HTTP request node (service B)
# 4. Response back to service A

Automated Reporting

Generate and send reports:

// Workflow steps:
// 1. Schedule trigger (daily/weekly)
// 2. Database query node
// 3. Data formatting
// 4. Email or Slack notification

Integration Examples

Slack Integration

// Create Slack notification workflow
// 1. Trigger (webhook or schedule)
// 2. Process data
// 3. Send message to Slack channel

GitHub Integration

// GitHub repository automation
// 1. GitHub webhook trigger (push, PR, issue)
// 2. Conditional logic
// 3. Actions (create issue, comment, etc.)

Email Automation

// Email processing workflow
// 1. Email trigger (IMAP)
// 2. Parse email content
// 3. Process data
// 4. Send response or forward

Performance Optimization

Production Tips

• Use PostgreSQL or MySQL instead of SQLite
• Enable queue mode with Redis
• Use worker nodes for scaling
• Configure proper resource limits
• Set up load balancing for web UI

Queue Mode

# Start main n8n process
export QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_HOST=redis-server
export QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_PORT=6379
n8n start

# Start worker processes
n8n worker

Build Information

• Version: 2.4.1
• Language: TypeScript/JavaScript (Node.js)
• Package Manager: pnpm
• License: Sustainable Use (Fair-Code)
• Source: GitHub

Dependencies

• nodejs - JavaScript runtime
• pnpm - Package manager (build-time)
• python3 - Required for SQLite bindings
• node-gyp - Node.js native addon build tool
• libkrb5 - Kerberos authentication
• libmongocrypt - MongoDB encryption
• libpq - PostgreSQL client library

Platform Support

• Linux
• macOS

Notes

• Package has ~80,000 files, so stripping and ELF patching are disabled for performance
• SQLite3 bindings are rebuilt during build phase
• TypeScript files and source maps are removed in preInstall phase
• Non-deterministic files (.turbo, .modules.yaml, types) are removed
• Node modules are pruned to production dependencies only

Related

• Adding Packages - How to add new packages
• Quick Start - Getting started guide
• n8n Documentation - Official documentation
• n8n Community - Community forum