# n8n-self-hosting

Takes an agent from a fresh Linux VM to a running self-hosted n8n over SSH: Docker Compose, Caddy with automatic HTTPS, secrets generated on the box.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1900 installs · ★ 6523
- Author: czlonkowski
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/n8n-self-hosting

## What it does

This skill covers the whole path from an empty Ubuntu or Debian server to a working n8n with a valid certificate. The agent logs in over SSH, checks the OS, installs Docker with the Compose plugin, lays down the project files, creates secrets and starts the stack. Caddy sits in front and pulls TLS from Let's Encrypt, so nothing touches certificates by hand.

Before anything else it asks which mode you want. Single keeps one n8n process on SQLite and is the simplest correct setup. Queue adds a main process plus workers, backed by Redis and Postgres. Then it collects the inputs: domain, SSH access, TLS email, timezone for Schedule and Cron nodes. Passwords and the encryption key are generated on the target machine and stay in `.env` with mode 600. Only Caddy on 80 and 443 is public, while n8n, Postgres and Redis stay on the private Docker network.

The preflight is where the cheap failures get caught. DNS has to point at the box already, and ports 80 and 443 have to be reachable from the internet, including any cloud security group. Otherwise Caddy's ACME challenge fails. `N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY` encrypts every stored credential, and if it is lost those credentials become undecryptable, which makes an off-box backup worth doing. Python Code nodes need the `n8nio/runners` sidecar because the stock `n8nio/n8n` image ships without Python 3, and the node fails with a missing-Python error.

## Requirements
- Works with: n8n, AWS, Docker

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add czlonkowski/n8n-skills --skill n8n-self-hosting -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/n8n-self-hosting/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add czlonkowski/n8n-skills --skill n8n-self-hosting -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add czlonkowski/n8n-skills --skill n8n-self-hosting -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install czlonkowski/n8n-skills n8n-self-hosting
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add czlonkowski/n8n-skills --skill n8n-self-hosting -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills --path skills/n8n-self-hosting
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add czlonkowski/n8n-skills --skill n8n-self-hosting -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- deploy n8n on a fresh VPS over SSH without hand-writing configs
- run queue mode with workers for heavy or long workflows
- get HTTPS on your own domain through Caddy
- make Python Code nodes work with the `n8nio/runners` sidecar
- update an existing instance or restore it from a backup

## Example prompts
- Deploy self-hosted n8n on a fresh VPS over SSH, domain n8n.example.com, single mode, timezone Europe/Warsaw
- Set up n8n in queue mode with workers, DNS already points at the box and ports 80 and 443 are open
- My Code node says Python runner unavailable, wire up the `n8nio/runners` sidecar for my instance

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 97f9f59ab460e94d.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 97f9f59ab460e94d
```text
---
name: n8n-self-hosting
description: Deploy a production self-hosted n8n end-to-end to a fresh Linux VM over SSH, using Docker Compose behind a Caddy reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS. Use whenever the user wants to self-host, install, provision, or deploy n8n on their own server/VPS (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, AWS EC2, bare metal) — single/regular mode or queue mode with workers — or to update, back up, restore, or harden such an instance, or make Python Code nodes run on it (task runners). For SELF-HOSTED n8n (Docker), not n8n Cloud and not building workflows. The skill makes the agent ask single-vs-queue first, collect domain/SSH/timezone inputs, generate fresh secrets on the box, and bring the stack up with TLS. Trigger on "deploy n8n", "self-host n8n", "n8n docker compose", "n8n queue mode / workers", "n8n reverse proxy / SSL", "back up / update my n8n", "Python runner unavailable" / "n8nio/runners sidecar", or "we don't want to give every user the OAuth client secret" / "enable Sign in with Google" (credential overwrites).
---

# Deploying self-hosted n8n

This skill takes a **fresh Linux VM** (Ubuntu/Debian, root or sudo SSH) to a **running,
HTTPS, production n8n** via Docker Compose behind **Caddy** (automatic Let's Encrypt TLS).
It is for **self-hosted n8n on Docker** — not n8n Cloud, and not for building workflows
(that's the rest of this pack).

Two deployment modes. The architectures differ, so **pick the mode before doing anything**.

You drive this end-to-end over SSH: preflight → install Docker → lay down the project →
generate secrets → launch → verify TLS → hand off. The template files live in `assets/`;
the per-mode and security depth live in the reference files named below.

## Rule 0 — choose the mode (ask the user)

Do not guess. Ask, then commit to one:

| | **Single / regular** | **Queue** |
|---|---|---|
| Processes | one n8n | main + N workers |
| Extra services | none (SQLite) | Redis (queue) + Postgres (DB) |
| Executes workflows | in the main process | on workers, in parallel |
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 97f9f59ab460e94d

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 97f9f59ab460e94d tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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