n8n Local Installation

This is a local installation of n8n, a workflow automation tool.

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v20.17.0 or higher recommended)
• npm

Installation

The installation has been completed. All dependencies are installed in the node_modules directory.

Running n8n

To start n8n, you can use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Using npm script (Recommended)

npm start

Method 2: Using npx directly

npx n8n

Method 3: Using the local binary

./node_modules/.bin/n8n

Accessing n8n

Once n8n is running, it will start a web interface. By default, you can access it at:

• URL: http://localhost:5678
• Open your browser and navigate to this address

First Run

On the first run, n8n will:

1. Create a user account (you'll be prompted to set up credentials)
2. Store data in ~/.n8n by default

Configuration

n8n configuration can be customized through environment variables. Common settings include:

• N8N_PORT - Change the port (default: 5678)
• N8N_HOST - Change the host (default: localhost)
• N8N_PROTOCOL - Set protocol (http or https)

Example:

N8N_PORT=3000 npm start

Data Storage

By default, n8n stores its data in ~/.n8n. To change this location, set the N8N_USER_FOLDER environment variable:

N8N_USER_FOLDER=/path/to/your/data npm start

Deploy to Railway

This project is configured for easy deployment to Railway via GitHub.

Prerequisites

1. A Railway account (railway.app)
2. GitHub account with this repository
3. Railway CLI (optional): npm i -g @railway/cli

Deployment Steps

Option 1: Deploy via Railway Dashboard (Recommended)

1. Push to GitHub:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Initial commit - n8n setup for Railway"
   git branch -M main
   git remote add origin <your-github-repo-url>
   git push -u origin main

2. Connect Railway to GitHub:

   • Go to Railway.app and sign in
   • Click "New Project"
   • Select "Deploy from GitHub repo"
   • Choose your n8n repository

3. Configure Environment Variables: In Railway dashboard, go to your service → Variables tab, and add:

   Required:

   • N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY - Generate with: openssl rand -base64 32
   • N8N_HOST - Will be auto-set by Railway (format: your-app.up.railway.app)
   • N8N_PROTOCOL - Set to https
   • PORT - Railway sets this automatically (usually 443 or dynamic)

   Optional (Recommended for Production):

   • N8N_ENVIRONMENT=production
   • N8N_USER_MANAGEMENT_JWT_SECRET - Generate with: openssl rand -base64 32

4. Add PostgreSQL (Recommended):

   • In Railway dashboard, click "+ New" → "Database" → "Add PostgreSQL"
   • Railway will automatically set DATABASE_URL environment variable
   • n8n will automatically use PostgreSQL if DATABASE_URL is set

5. Deploy:

   • Railway will automatically detect the Node.js app
   • It will run npm install and npm start
   • Once deployed, Railway will provide a public URL

6. Access Your n8n Instance:

   • Use the Railway-provided URL to access your n8n instance
   • Complete the initial setup to create your admin account

Option 2: Deploy via Railway CLI

# Install Railway CLI
npm i -g @railway/cli

# Login to Railway
railway login

# Initialize Railway project
railway init

# Link to existing project or create new one
railway link

# Set environment variables
railway variables set N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
railway variables set N8N_PROTOCOL=https
railway variables set N8N_ENVIRONMENT=production

# Deploy
railway up

Railway Configuration Files

This project includes:

• railway.json - Railway configuration
• nixpacks.toml - Build configuration
• Procfile - Process definition
• env.example - Example environment variables

Important Notes for Railway Deployment

1. Port Configuration:

   • Railway automatically sets the PORT environment variable
   • n8n will use this port automatically
   • You don't need to set N8N_PORT manually

2. Database:

   • For production, use Railway's PostgreSQL plugin
   • n8n automatically detects and uses DATABASE_URL if available
   • SQLite (default) works but is not recommended for production

3. Encryption Key:

   • CRITICAL: Set a strong N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY before first deployment
   • This key encrypts sensitive data in your workflows
   • Generate with: openssl rand -base64 32
   • Save this key securely - you'll need it for future deployments

4. Webhooks:

   • Railway provides HTTPS URLs automatically
   • Your webhook URLs will be: https://your-app.up.railway.app/webhook/...

5. Persistent Storage:

   • For production, use PostgreSQL for persistent data
   • Ephemeral file storage is lost on redeploy without PostgreSQL

Troubleshooting

• Build fails: Ensure Node.js version is compatible (v20+)
• App won't start: Check Railway logs for environment variable errors
• Database connection issues: Verify DATABASE_URL is set correctly in Railway
• Webhook URLs not working: Ensure N8N_HOST and N8N_PROTOCOL are set correctly

Additional Information

• Documentation: https://docs.n8n.io
• Community: https://community.n8n.io
• GitHub: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n
• Railway Docs: https://docs.railway.app