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n8n with PostgreSQL

Workflow automation with PostgreSQL and persistent encrypted credentials.

Choose your deployment and the way you want to use Selfhost. The instructions below follow that choice.

Deployment n8n with PostgreSQLUse Selfhost with Standalone CLIDashboard

Set up n8n with PostgreSQL

Workflow automation with PostgreSQL and persistent encrypted credentials.

Customize deployment inputs (2)

Local HTTP port port

portDefault: 5678

Initial hostname (change public URL later in app settings) hostname

hostnameDefault: "localhost"

Save this as inputs.json and adjust the values before initialization.

{
  "port": 5678,
  "hostname": "localhost"
}

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres init n8n-postgres --stack --inputs inputs.json

Initialization writes portable files and does not start the app. Review compose.yaml, the private .env and any files in files/, then start it:

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres start

No Selfhost dashboard or background service is needed. You can also start these files directly:

cd n8n-postgres
docker compose -f compose.yaml up -d

• Review the generated Compose and environment before starting. Only the app HTTP port is published, on loopback.
• Keep credentials, database and data volumes together in an independent backup. Exported Compose files do not include volume data.
• Use App setup to create the first owner. Set a public editor URL, webhook URL and secure cookies before configuring HTTPS access.
• Save ENCRYPTION_KEY with the database; losing it prevents decryption of existing credentials.
• SSO features depend on your n8n license. The community recipe does not claim licensed authentication features.

n8n integrations

Compose service: n8n. These operations use the profile saved when this deployment is created.

Initialize and connect

Supported setup modes: bootstrap.

• Creates the first owner only. Configure public URLs and HTTPS cookies before exposing this instance.

Setup fields

Owner email email

string · requiredLength: 1 to 255 characters

First name first-name

string · requiredLength: 1 to 255 characters

Last name last-name

string · requiredLength: 1 to 255 characters

Owner password password

secret · requiredLength: 12 to 255 characters

Save onboarding.json, replace example values and supply env: secrets privately through your shell. Empty apps adds no links; add explicit links when this profile supports them.

{
  "mode": "bootstrap",
  "inputs": {
    "email": "YOUR_VALUE",
    "first-name": "YOUR_VALUE",
    "last-name": "YOUR_VALUE",
    "password": "env:SELFHOST_PASSWORD"
  },
  "apps": []
}

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres setup n8n
selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres setup-plan n8n onboarding.json
selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres setup-apply n8n onboarding.json --revision REVIEWED_REVISION

Setup modes, secret references and recovery

Native settings

Changes use the app’s Compose environment. Unrelated settings are preserved.

Supported fields (30)

Public editor URL editor-url

string

Public webhook URL webhook-url

string

Hostname hostname

string

Public protocol protocol

stringChoices: http, https

HTTPS-only session cookie secure-cookie

stringChoices: true, false

Trusted proxy hops proxy-hops

string · advanced

Workflow timezone timezone

string

Database type database-type

string · advancedChoices: sqlite, postgresdb

PostgreSQL host database-host

string · advanced

PostgreSQL port database-port

string · advanced

PostgreSQL database database-name

string · advanced

PostgreSQL username database-user

string · advanced

PostgreSQL password database-password

secret · advanced

Prune execution history execution-prune

stringChoices: true, false

Execution retention in hours execution-age

string

Maximum stored executions execution-limit

string

Workflow timeout in seconds execution-timeout

string · advanced

Prometheus metrics metrics

stringChoices: true, false

Log level log-level

stringChoices: error, warn, info, debug

SMTP host smtp-host

string

SMTP port smtp-port

string

SMTP username smtp-user

string

SMTP password smtp-password

secret

SMTP sender smtp-sender

string

SMTP TLS smtp-ssl

stringChoices: true, false

Disable public API api-disabled

stringChoices: true, false

Allow community packages community-packages

string · advancedChoices: true, false

Database TLS database-tls

string · advancedChoices: true, false

Verify database certificate database-verify-certificate

string · advancedChoices: true, false

Database CA certificate database-ca

secret · advanced

Save a JSON map of the field IDs you want to change as changes.json. Replace FIELD_ID with an ID from the supported fields above, and use its declared value type. Review the plan and replace REVIEWED_REVISION with the revision it returns.

{
  "FIELD_ID": "YOUR_VALUE"
}

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres config n8n
selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres plan n8n changes.json
selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres apply n8n changes.json --revision REVIEWED_REVISION

Saved changes need service recreation to become active. Existing interpolated environment values stay under your control in .env or Compose.

Database placement

This recipe supports postgres. Workspace projects can choose a dedicated database, a shared source with a separate database and account, or an existing external database before their first start.

Standalone directories use the generated Compose and environment files directly. Configure the database there before first start. Selfhost’s source provisioning commands belong to workspace projects and are optional.

Database setup, CLI commands and backups

App actions

List workflows

List workflows stored in this instance.

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres action n8n list-workflows

Export workflows · schedulable

Export all workflows into the persistent data volume. Exports may contain credentials embedded in workflow parameters.

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres action n8n export-workflows

A workspace can schedule this workflow while Selfhost runs. A standalone user can invoke it through an external scheduler. Scheduling guide.

Export encrypted credentials

Export credentials encrypted with the instance encryption key. Back up that key separately.

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres action n8n export-credentials

Show version

Show the running n8n version.

selfhost app --directory ./n8n-postgres action n8n version

App configuration reference

Versions and updates

This deployment uses the following images. Existing projects retain their saved recipe and images. A new catalogue version does not silently update them.

• database: postgres:17-alpine
• n8n: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:2.40.7

Review compatibility and back up app data before an update. Choose an image version and review the change.

Keep control of your setup

Selfhost remains optional. Your app runs using ordinary Compose files, its own settings and persistent data. Keep the Compose project name and volumes to preserve storage. Configuration exports and setting backups do not include application data.

Standalone CLI guide · Backups and removal