Back up and restore n8n workflows with GitHub sync

Description

n8n Workflows GitHub Manager

> A comprehensive n8n workflow that provides complete bidirectional sync between your n8n instance and GitHub - automatically backs up all your workflows with intelligent change detection AND restores them when needed.

This workflow combines two powerful features in one:
Backup**: Automatically detects new, edited, renamed, and deleted workflows in your n8n instance, then syncs them to GitHub with smart commit messages and an index tracking system.
Restore**: Easily restore all workflows from your GitHub repository back to n8n - perfect for disaster recovery, new instance setup, or environment cloning.

How It Works

🔄 Backup Mode (Automatic)

Trigger: Runs automatically every day at 7 PM UTC (or manually when triggered via the Schedule Trigger).
Get/Create Index: Attempts to fetch index.json from your GitHub repository.
If found → Downloads and parses it.
If not found → Creates a new empty index file and waits 3 seconds for GitHub to process.
Fetch All Workflows: Retrieves all workflows from your n8n instance via the n8n API.
Smart Comparison: The "C,E,D Checker" (Create, Edit, Delete) analyzes differences:
CREATE → New workflow not in index.
RENAME → Workflow name changed (deletes old file, creates new one).
EDIT → Existing workflow (flagged for content comparison).
DELETE → Workflow removed from n8n but still in GitHub.
INDEX UPDATE → Triggered if any changes detected.
Route Actions: Switch node routes each action to the appropriate branch:
Create Branch → Creates new workflow files in GitHub.
Edit Branch → Performs smart edit detection:
Fetches current file from GitHub.
Compares GitHub version vs. n8n version (normalized JSON).
Only commits if content actually changed (avoids timestamp-only updates).
Delete Branch → Removes workflow files from GitHub.
Update Index Branch → Updates index.json with latest mappings.
Commit Messages: Auto-generated with format: [Workflow Name] (Action) YYYY-MM-DD

⬇️ Restore Mode (Manual)

Trigger: Manually execute via the "When clicking 'Execute workflow'" manual trigger.
Set GitHub Details: Configure your repository owner and name.
List Workflow Files: Fetches all workflow JSON files from the workflows/ folder in your GitHub repository.
If folder not found → Workflow stops gracefully (ensure backup ran at least once first).
Loop Through Files: Sequentially processes each workflow file:
Downloads the JSON content from GitHub.
Creates the workflow in your n8n instance via the n8n API.
Sequential Processing: Handles one workflow at a time to prevent conflicts and respect rate limits.
Result: All workflows from GitHub are restored to your n8n instance.

Requirements

GitHub OAuth2 Credentials**:
Go to GitHub Developer Settings → OAuth Apps → New OAuth App.
Set Authorization callback URL to your n8n instance URL (e.g., https://your-n8n.com/rest/oauth2-credential/callback).
Copy Client ID and Client Secret.
Add as OAuth2 credential in n8n (Credentials → New → GitHub OAuth2).

GitHub Repository**:
Create a new repository (public or private).
Note your username (repo owner) and repository name.

n8n API Credentials**:
In your n8n instance → Settings → API → Create new API key.
Add as n8n API credential in the workflow.

How to Use

Initial Setup

Import the Workflow:
Copy the provided JSON file.
In your n8n instance → click Import Workflow → paste or upload the JSON.

Create GitHub Repository:
Go to GitHub → Create a new repository (e.g., n8n-workflows-manager).
Leave it empty (no README, no .gitignore).

Set Up GitHub OAuth2:
In n8n → Credentials → New → GitHub OAuth2.
Fill in:
Client ID → from GitHub OAuth App.
Client Secret → from GitHub OAuth App.
Click Connect my account and authorize.

Set Up n8n API Credentials:
In n8n → Settings → API → Create new API key.
Copy the key.
In workflow → Credentials → New → n8n API → paste the key.
Set Base URL to your n8n instance (e.g., https://your-n8n.com).

Configure Repository Details:
Find both "Set Github Data" nodes in the workflow (one for backup, one for restore).
Edit the assignments in each:
repo_owner: Replace "your-github-username" with your GitHub username.
repo_name: Replace "your-github-repository-name" with your repository name.

Connect Credentials to Nodes:
Open each GitHub node (there are 8 total):
Backup section: Create Index File, Get Download Url for Index File, Create New Files, Update Index File, Get Download Url for Github File, Delete Files, Edit Files
Restore section: List Workflow Files
Set Credential for GitHub OAuth2 to the one you created.
Open the n8n API nodes (Get All Workflows, Create Workflow) → Set Credential for n8n API to the one you created.

Using Backup Mode

Test Backup:
Click the "Schedule Trigger" node at the top of the workflow.
Click "Test workflow".
Monitor execution → All nodes in the backup section should turn green.
Check your GitHub repository → Should see index.json and workflows/ folder with your workflows.

Activate for Auto Backup:
Once tested successfully, toggle the workflow to Active.
It will now run automatically every day at 7 PM UTC.

Using Restore Mode

Test Restore (only after you have backups in GitHub):
Click the "When clicking 'Execute workflow'" manual trigger node at the bottom.
Click "Test workflow".
Monitor execution → All nodes in the restore section should turn green.
Check your n8n workflows list → All workflows from GitHub should now be present.

When to Use Restore:
Setting up a new n8n instance.
Recovering after data loss.
Cloning workflows to another environment.
Rolling back to a previous state (manually download older commits from GitHub first).

Important Notes

Smart Edit Detection**: Uses normalized JSON comparison to avoid unnecessary commits when only timestamps change.
Credentials**: Credential IDs are included but not actual secrets. You must reconnect credentials after restore.
Restored Workflows: Created as new workflows with new IDs in **inactive state by default.
File Structure**: index.json tracks all workflows; workflows/ folder contains individual workflow files.
Security**: Use a private repository if workflows contain sensitive data. Credential secrets are never backed up.

Customization

Change Schedule**: Edit "Schedule Trigger" node → modify triggerAtHour (default: 19 = 7 PM UTC)
File Path**: Modify filePath in GitHub nodes to change storage location
Notifications**: Add email/notification nodes to get alerts on backup completion
Selective Restore**: Add IF nodes to filter which workflows to restore
Multiple Repos**: Duplicate workflow for separate prod/dev backups

Author: Muhammad Anas Farooq