n8n

n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform that lets you connect APIs, services, and databases through a visual node-based editor. The Clank n8n template deploys n8n backed by a PostgreSQL 16 database, with persistent storage for workflows, credentials, and database files.

Requirements

Requirement	Minimum
Server memory	1.5 GB free (1024 MB n8n + 512 MB PostgreSQL)
Server disk	2 GB free
CPU	1.5 cores (1 n8n + 0.5 PostgreSQL)
Agent version	v0.6.18 or later (persistent volume support)

Stack

Service	Image	Port	CPU limit	Memory limit
n8n	`n8nio/n8n:latest`	5678	1 core	1024 MB
PostgreSQL	`postgres:16`	5432	0.5 cores	512 MB

n8n runs its web UI and workflow execution engine on port 5678. PostgreSQL stores workflow definitions, execution history, and credential metadata. Only the n8n container is exposed externally; PostgreSQL is not reachable from outside the project network.

Environment variables

n8n

Variable	Value	Description
`DB_TYPE`	`postgresdb`	Tells n8n to use PostgreSQL instead of the default SQLite.
`DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST`	Auto-set (companion host)	Hostname of the PostgreSQL container. Configured automatically by Clank.
`DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT`	Auto-set (companion port)	PostgreSQL port. Defaults to 5432.
`DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE`	`n8n`	Name of the n8n database.
`DB_POSTGRESDB_USER`	`n8n`	PostgreSQL user for n8n.
`DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD`	Auto-generated secret	Shared with the PostgreSQL `POSTGRES_PASSWORD` variable.
`N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY`	Auto-generated secret	Encrypts stored credentials. See the warning below.
`WEBHOOK_URL`	Empty (user sets)	The public URL where n8n receives webhook triggers.

PostgreSQL

Variable	Value	Description
`POSTGRES_DB`	`n8n`	Database created on first start.
`POSTGRES_USER`	`n8n`	PostgreSQL superuser for this database.
`POSTGRES_PASSWORD`	Auto-generated secret	Shared with `DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD`.

Volumes

Service	Mount path	Contents
n8n	`/home/node/.n8n`	Workflow files, credential encryption keys, custom nodes, and local configuration
PostgreSQL	`/var/lib/postgresql/data`	Database files

Both volumes are named Docker volumes that persist across redeployments. Deleting the service without opting in to volume cleanup will preserve the data for recovery.

Post-deploy setup

Open the n8n service URL in your browser. The n8n setup screen appears.
Create your owner account by entering an email and password. This account has full admin access.
You are taken to the workflow canvas. Click the + button to create your first workflow.
Add trigger and action nodes to connect your services. Use the built-in node library to search for integrations.
Activate the workflow by toggling the switch in the top-right corner.

Configuration

Webhook URL

Webhook-triggered workflows need a publicly reachable URL so external services can send events to n8n. Set the WEBHOOK_URL environment variable to the full public URL of your n8n instance:

https://n8n.example.com

Without this variable, n8n generates webhook URLs using the container’s internal hostname, which external services cannot reach. After changing WEBHOOK_URL, redeploy the service for it to take effect.

Timezone

n8n defaults to UTC for cron and schedule triggers. To use your local timezone, add the GENERIC_TIMEZONE environment variable:

Variable	Example value
`GENERIC_TIMEZONE`	`America/New_York`

Execution data pruning

By default, n8n keeps all execution history in PostgreSQL, which can consume significant disk space over time. Configure automatic pruning with these environment variables:

Variable	Default	Description
`EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE`	`false`	Set to `true` to enable automatic pruning.
`EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX_AGE`	`336`	Hours to keep execution data (default: 14 days).

SMTP for notifications

n8n can send email notifications on workflow errors. Add these environment variables to configure SMTP:

Variable	Description
`N8N_EMAIL_MODE`	Set to `smtp`
`N8N_SMTP_HOST`	SMTP server hostname
`N8N_SMTP_PORT`	SMTP port (typically 587)
`N8N_SMTP_USER`	SMTP username
`N8N_SMTP_PASS`	SMTP password
`N8N_SMTP_SENDER`	Sender email address

External access modes

n8n’s web UI runs on port 5678. Configure an endpoint access mode to make it accessible. Public Direct with a custom domain or BYO Cloudflare Tunnel are the most common choices. If n8n is for internal use only, Tailscale HTTPS or LAN-only modes keep it off the public internet.

Upgrading

Upgrading n8n

To upgrade n8n, update the image tag in the Clank service settings (e.g., from n8nio/n8n:latest to a specific version like n8nio/n8n:1.70.0) and redeploy. n8n runs its database migrations automatically on startup. Check the n8n release notes for breaking changes before upgrading.

Upgrading PostgreSQL

Upgrading PostgreSQL across major versions (e.g., 16 to 17) requires a dump and restore:

Create a database dump from the running container:

docker exec -it <postgres_container> pg_dump -U n8n n8n > n8n_backup.sql

Update the PostgreSQL image tag in Clank and redeploy.
Restore the dump if the new major version cannot read the old data directory:
Terminal window
```
docker exec -i <postgres_container> psql -U n8n n8n < n8n_backup.sql
```

Backing up the encryption key

The N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY is stored as an environment variable in Clank and also written to the n8n volume at /home/node/.n8n. Keep a copy of this key in a secure location outside of Clank. If the Clank environment variable is ever lost, you can recover it from a volume backup.