n8n Workflow Auto Backup to GitHub

Workflow Name

n8n Workflow Auto Backup to GitHub

Key Features and Highlights

This workflow automates the backup of all workflow configuration files from n8n instances, organizing them into year/month directories (YYYY/MM/) within a specified GitHub repository. Each file is named using the workflow’s unique ID (ID.json). It supports scheduled daily automatic execution as well as manual triggering. The backup process intelligently detects whether files are new, modified, or unchanged, and performs corresponding create or update operations to optimize backup efficiency. Upon completion, it automatically sends Slack notifications to inform users of the backup status. The workflow is designed for large-scale backups and has been tested to handle thousands of workflows with excellent performance.

Core Problems Addressed

• Prevent loss of n8n workflow configurations due to system failures or human errors.
• Automate the backup process to reduce manual intervention and management overhead.
• Enable version-controlled backup files for easy tracking of historical changes.
• Provide timely feedback on backup status to ensure transparency and reliability.

Use Cases

• Daily backup and management of a large number of n8n workflows within enterprises or teams.
• Secure archival of workflow configurations in a code repository to enable version control.
• Operational scenarios requiring automated monitoring of backup status and rapid response to anomalies.
• Automated environments aiming to reduce repetitive manual tasks while improving backup accuracy and efficiency.

Main Workflow Steps

1. Trigger Start: Supports scheduled triggers (fixed daily time) and manual execution.
2. Retrieve Workflow List: Fetch all workflow data from the n8n instance.
3. Process Each Workflow in Loop:
   • Use GitHub API to check for the existence of the corresponding backup file.
   • If the file is too large, re-fetch its content.
   • Compare the current workflow data with the GitHub backup file content via a code node to determine status (identical, different, new file).
   • Based on the status, decide whether to create a new file, update an existing file, or skip unchanged files.
   • Generate subdirectory paths based on the workflow creation date to ensure orderly file storage.
4. Execute Backup Operations: Call GitHub API to create or update the respective JSON files.
5. Notification and Feedback: Send Slack messages to a specified channel at the start and completion of backups; real-time alerts are sent for any backup exceptions.
6. Recursive Loop Execution: Use sub-workflows to batch process workflows, optimizing memory usage.

Involved Systems or Services

• n8n: Workflow automation platform providing workflow data and execution environment.
• GitHub: Repository for storing backup files, leveraging its version control and file management capabilities.
• Slack: Sends backup status notifications to facilitate real-time team awareness.

Target Users and Value

• Operations engineers and automation administrators: Securely back up and version-control workflow configurations to reduce operational risks.
• DevOps teams: Integrate backup processes into code repositories, supporting workflow version management alongside CI/CD pipelines.
• Enterprise users: Ensure stable operation and data security across multiple workflow instances.
• Any n8n users focused on automation who require reliable configuration backup and management.

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Summary:
This workflow leverages intelligent comparison and categorized backup strategies to efficiently and reliably back up n8n workflow configuration files to GitHub. Coupled with Slack notifications to ensure backup transparency, it significantly enhances the security and automation level of n8n workflow management.