🚀 Deploy n8n on Ubuntu VPS (Quick-Start Guide)

This article provides a step-by-step how-to guide to deploy n8n on Ubuntu VPS.

What is n8n?

n8n is an open-source, self-hostable workflow automation platform—similar to Zapier or Make.com, but far more flexible because you can run it on your own server and build fully customizable automations.

⭐ What n8n Does

n8n lets you:

• Create automated workflows using a visual drag-and-drop editor
• Connect APIs from hundreds of services (webhooks, CRMs, databases, email, cloud apps, etc.)
• Run background tasks (cron jobs, scheduled scripts, daily digests)
• Process data with built-in JavaScript functions
• Handle complex logic, branching, loops, error handling, variables, and more
• Host it yourself on a VPS, Docker, Kubernetes, or local machine

🧩 Why People Use n8n

• Open-source — unlimited workflows without expensive per-task pricing
• Extremely expandable — create your own custom nodes and integrations
• Self-hostable — keeps your data private and under your control
• Event-driven — ideal for incoming webhooks and API integrations
• Code-friendly while remaining beginner-friendly

⚡ Examples of What You Can Build

• Webhook intake → Transform JSON → Push to CRM
• Scrape RSS feeds → Filter → Auto-post to social media
• Database event → Send Slack/Telegram alerts
• Cron job → Query API → Save to Google Sheets
• Stripe order → Generate PDF invoice → Email client
• Custom ETL pipelines between systems

🧱 How n8n is Typically Deployed

Most common setup:

• Docker container (recommended)
• Reverse proxy (Nginx/Caddy/Traefik)
• HTTPS / Let’s Encrypt
• Persistent storage volume
• PostgreSQL (optional, for scale)

You already asked previously for a full HTTPS-enabled Docker deployment with Let’s Encrypt and a ready-to-import webhook workflow, and I can resend or regenerate that guide anytime.

🔑 In Short

n8n = your own private Zapier, with no limits.

This setup will use:

• Docker + Docker Compose
• A dedicated external volume for persistence
• Optional Traefik/HTTPS support
• A .env file to manage environment variables

🚀 Overview

n8n is a fair-code licensed automation platform, ideal for receiving, processing, and triggering workflows via webhooks, API integrations, and more.

✅ Prerequisites

Ensure you have Docker installed on your server or VPS:

docker --version
docker compose version

If not, install Docker and Docker Compose:

# Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | bash
# Docker Compose v2 (plugin)
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin -y

How to Deploy n8n on Ubuntu VPS

To deploy n8n on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps outlined below:

1. 📁 Create Project Directory

   mkdir -p ~/n8n-docker cd ~/n8n-docker

2. 📝 Create .env File

   Create a .env file to store sensitive environment variables.

   nano .env

   Paste the following:

   # n8n config N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=supersecurepassword # Timezone TZ=America/Chicago # External hostname for webhook URLs N8N_HOST=your.domain.com N8N_PORT=5678 WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL=https://your.domain.com # Database (optional; use SQLite or Postgres) # DB_TYPE=postgresdb # DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=postgres # DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432 # DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n # DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n # DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=n8npassword

   Change credentials and N8N_HOST as needed.

3. 🐳 Create docker-compose.yml

   nano docker-compose.yml

   Paste the following:

   version: "3.8" services: n8n: image: n8nio/n8n:latest container_name: n8n restart: unless-stopped ports: - "5678:5678" environment: - TZ=${TZ} - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE} - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER} - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD} - N8N_HOST=${N8N_HOST} - N8N_PORT=${N8N_PORT} - WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL=${WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL} volumes: - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n networks: - n8nnet volumes: n8n_data: networks: n8nnet: driver: bridge

4. 🔐 Enable HTTPS (Reverse Proxy via Traefik or Nginx)

   To enable HTTPS:

   • Add a reverse proxy service like Traefik or Nginx Proxy Manager
   • Point your domain DNS to your VPS IP
   • Use Let’s Encrypt for free TLS

5. ▶️ Launch n8n

   docker compose up -d

   Check the logs:

   docker compose logs -f

6. 🌐 Access Your n8n Instance

   Open a browser and go to:

   http://your-server-ip:5678

   Or (if using a domain):

   https://your.domain.com

   Use the username/password you set in .env.

   

7. 📤 Webhook URLs in Production

   Make sure to use the public-facing URL for webhook calls:

   https://your.domain.com/webhook/{path}

   If you don’t specify N8N_HOST and WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL, n8n will default to local addresses (not suitable for production).

8. 💾 Backups

   Your workflow data is saved in the Docker volume n8n_data. To back it up:

   docker run --rm --volumes-from n8n -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu tar czf /backup/n8n-backup.tar.gz /home/node/.n8n

🧠 Notes

• SQLite is default for persistence. Use Postgres for team setups or high availability.
• n8n is stateless, so make sure environment variables are backed up.
• You can also set up email alerts, Slack notifications, or cron-based triggers.

Here’s a complete HTTPS-enabled Docker deployment of n8n using Let’s Encrypt, including a ready-to-import workflow for parsing incoming webhooks.

🛠️ PART 1: HTTPS-Enabled Deployment with Let’s Encrypt (via Traefik)

This guide uses Traefik reverse proxy with automatic SSL (Let’s Encrypt), all in Docker.

✅ Prerequisites

• DNS A record pointed to your VPS (e.g., n8n.example.com → your.server.ip)
• Docker + Docker Compose
• Ports 80 and 443 open

📁 Project Structure

mkdir -p ~/n8n-traefik
cd ~/n8n-traefik

📝 .env (Environment Variables)

# n8n credentials
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=SuperSecurePassword123
# Domain
DOMAIN=n8n.example.com
EMAIL=your@email.com

🐳 docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'
services:
traefik:
image: traefik:v2.11
container_name: traefik
restart: unless-stopped
command:
- "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
- "--entrypoints.websecure.address=:443"
- "--providers.docker=true"
- "--providers.docker.exposedbydefault=false"
- "--certificatesresolvers.le.acme.email=${EMAIL}"
- "--certificatesresolvers.le.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json"
- "--certificatesresolvers.le.acme.tlschallenge=true"
- "--api.dashboard=true"
ports:
- "80:80"
- "443:443"
volumes:
- "./letsencrypt:/letsencrypt"
- "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro"
networks:
- n8nnet
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
container_name: n8n
restart: unless-stopped
environment:
- N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE}
- N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER}
- N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD}
- N8N_HOST=${DOMAIN}
- N8N_PORT=443
- WEBHOOK_URL=https://${DOMAIN}
- VUE_APP_URL_BASE_API=https://${DOMAIN}
- TZ=America/Chicago
volumes:
- n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
labels:
- "traefik.enable=true"
- "traefik.http.routers.n8n.rule=Host(`${DOMAIN}`)"
- "traefik.http.routers.n8n.entrypoints=websecure"
- "traefik.http.routers.n8n.tls.certresolver=le"
- "traefik.http.services.n8n.loadbalancer.server.port=5678"
networks:
- n8nnet
volumes:
n8n_data:
networks:
n8nnet:
driver: bridge

🔐 Launch the Stack

docker compose up -d

Your n8n instance should now be accessible at:

https://n8n.example.com

Login with your username/password from .env.

🌐 PART 2: Ready-to-Import n8n Webhook Workflow

This workflow listens for a POST webhook with JSON input, parses the data, and responds with a confirmation.

📥 Import JSON

Here’s a minimal n8n workflow you can import:

📄 Click to Expand JSON

{
"name": "Webhook Listener",
"nodes": [
{
"parameters": {
"path": "incoming-webhook",
"options": {}
},
"id": "WebhookTrigger",
"name": "Webhook Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [240, 300],
"webhookId": "custom-id"
},
{
"parameters": {
"functionCode": "return [{ json: {\n  message: \"Webhook received!\",\n  input: $json\n} }];"
},
"id": "Function",
"name": "Respond",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.function",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [480, 300]
}
],
"connections": {
"Webhook Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Respond",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
},
"active": false
}

📤 How to Import:

1. Log in to https://n8n.example.com
2. Go to Workflows > Import
3. Paste the JSON above or upload as .json
4. Activate the workflow

Now test it:

curl -X POST https://n8n.example.com/webhook/incoming-webhook \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"Larry","project":"Webhook Parser"}'

Response:

{
"message": "Webhook received!",
"input": {
"name": "Larry",
"project": "Webhook Parser"
}
}

Conclusion

You now know how to deploy n8n on Ubuntu VPS.