Complete Backup Solution for n8n Workflows & Credentials (Local/FTP)

Description

Automated n8n Workflows & Credentials Backup to Local/Server Disk & FTP

Complete backup solution that saves both workflows and credentials to local/server disk with optional FTP upload for off-site redundancy.

What makes this workflow different:
Backs up workflows AND credentials together
Saves to local/server disk (not Git, GitHub, or any cloud services)
Optional FTP upload for redundancy (disabled by default)
Comprehensive error handling and email notifications
Timezone-aware** scheduling
Ready to use with minimal configuration

How it works

Backup Process (Automated Daily at 4 AM):
Initialisation - Sets up timezone-aware timestamps and configurable backup paths for both local/server disk and FTP destinations
Folder Creation - Creates date-stamped backup directories (YYYY-MM-DD format) on local/server disk
Dual Backup Operations - Processes credentials and workflows in two separate branches:
Credentials Branch:
Exports n8n credentials using the built-in CLI command with backup flag
Lists exported credential files in the credentials folder
Reads each credential file from disk
Optional: Uploads to FTP server (disabled by default)
Optional: Logs FTP upload results for credentials
Workflows Branch:
Retrieves all workflows via n8n API
Cleans workflow names for cross-platform compatibility
Converts workflows to formatted JSON files
Writes files to local/server disk
Optional: Uploads to FTP server (disabled by default)
Optional: Logs FTP upload results for workflows
Data Aggregation - Combines all workflow data with binary attachments for comprehensive reporting
Results Merging - Consolidates credentials FTP logs, workflows FTP logs, and aggregated workflow data
Summary Generation - Creates detailed backup logs including:
Statistics (file counts, sizes, durations)
Success/failure tracking for local and FTP operations
Error tracking with detailed messages
Timezone-aware timestamps
Notifications - Sends comprehensive email reports with log files attached and saves execution logs to disk

How to use

Initial Setup:

Configure the Init Node - Open the "Init" node and customize these key parameters in the "Workflow Standard Configuration" section:
// Admin email for notifications
const N8N_ADMIN_EMAIL = $env.N8N_ADMIN_EMAIL || '[email protected]';

// Workflow name (auto-detected)
const WORKFLOW_NAME = $workflow.name;

// Projects root directory on your server
const N8N_PROJECTS_DIR = $env.N8N_PROJECTS_DIR || '/files/n8n-projects-data';
// projects-root-folder/
// └── Your-project-folder-name/
// ├── logs/
// ├── reports/
// ├── ...
// └── [other project files]

// Project folder name for this backup workflow
const PROJECT_FOLDER_NAME = "Workflow-backups";

Then customize these parameters in the "Workflow Custom Configuration" section:
// Local backup folder (must exist on your server)
const BACKUP_FOLDER = $env.N8N_BACKUP_FOLDER || '/files/n8n-backups';

// FTP backup folder (root path on your FTP server)
const FTP_BACKUP_FOLDER = $env.N8N_FTP_BACKUP_FOLDER || '/n8n-backups';

// FTP server name for logging (display purposes only)
const FTPName = 'Synology NAS 2To';

These variables can also be set as environment variables in your n8n configuration.

Set Up Credentials:
Configure n8n API credentials for the "Fetch Workflows" node
Configure SMTP credentials for email notifications
Optional: Configure FTP credentials if you want to enable off-site backups

Configure Backup Folder:
Ensure the backup folder path exists on your server
Verify proper write permissions for the n8n process
If running in Docker, ensure volume mapping is correctly configured

Customize Email Settings:
Update the "Send email" node with your recipient email address or your "N8N_ADMIN_EMAIL" environment value
Adjust email subject and body text as needed

Enabling FTP Upload (Optional):

By default, FTP upload nodes are disabled for easier setup. To enable off-site FTP backups:

Simply activate these 4 nodes (no other changes needed):
"Upload Credentials To FTP"
"FTP Logger (credentials)"
"Upload Workflows To FTP"
"FTP Logger (workflows)"

Configure FTP credentials in the two upload nodes

The workflow will automatically handle FTP operations and include upload status in reports

Requirements
n8n API credentials (for workflow fetching)
SMTP server configuration (for email notifications)
Adequate disk space for local backup storage
Proper file system permissions for backup folder access
Docker environment with volume mapping (if running n8n in Docker)
Optional: FTP server access and credentials (for off-site backups)

Good to know

Security**: Credentials are exported using n8n's secure backup format - actual credential values are not exposed in plain text
Timezone Handling**: All timestamps respect configured timezone settings (defaults to Europe/Paris, configurable in Init node)
File Naming**: Automatic sanitization ensures backup files work across different operating systems (removes forbidden characters, limits length to 180 characters)
FTP Upload**: Disabled by default for easier setup - simply activate 4 nodes to enable off-site backups without any code changes
Connection Resilience**: FTP operations include error handling for timeout and connection issues without failing the entire backup
Graceful Degradation**: If FTP nodes are disabled, the workflow completes successfully with local backups only and indicates FTP status in logs
Error Handling**: Comprehensive error catching with detailed logging and email notifications
Dual Logging**: Creates both JSON logs (for programmatic parsing) and plain text logs (for human readability)
Storage**: Individual workflow JSON files allow for selective restore and easier version control integration
Scalability**: Handles any number of workflows efficiently with detailed progress tracking
This automated backup workflow saves your n8n data to both local disk and FTP server. To restore your backups, use:
"n8n Restore from Disk - Self-Hosted Solution" for local/server disk restores
"n8n Restore from FTP - Remote Backup Solution" for FTP remote restores