Environment variables#
This page lists of environment variables that you can use to change n8n's configuration settings when self-hosting n8n.
File-based configuration
You can provide a configuration file for n8n. You can also append _FILE to certain variables to provide their configuration in a separate file.
Environment variables are organized into the following sections:
- Binary data
- Credentials
- Databases
- Deployment
- Endpoints
- Executions
- External data storage
- External hooks
- External secrets
- Licenses
- Logs
- Nodes
- Queue mode
- Security
- Source control
- Task runners
- Timezone and localization
- User management, SMTP, and two-factor authentication
- Workflows
Binary data#
By default, n8n uses memory to store binary data. Enterprise users can choose to use an external service instead. Refer to External storage for more information on using external storage for binary data.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_AVAILABLE_BINARY_DATA_MODES |
String | filesystem |
A comma separated list of available binary data modes. |
N8N_BINARY_DATA_STORAGE_PATH |
String | N8N_USER_FOLDER/binaryData |
The path where n8n stores binary data. |
N8N_DEFAULT_BINARY_DATA_MODE |
String | default |
The default binary data mode. default keeps binary data in memory. Set to filesystem to use the filesystem, or s3 to AWS S3. Note that binary data pruning operates on the active binary data mode. For example, if your instance stored data in S3, and you later switched to filesystem mode, n8n only prunes binary data in the filesystem. This may change in future. |
Credentials#
Enable credential overwrites using the following environment variables. Refer to Credential overwrites for details.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
CREDENTIALS_DEFAULT_NAME |
String | My credentials |
The default name for credentials. |
CREDENTIALS_OVERWRITE_DATA/ _FILE |
* | - | Overwrites for credentials. |
CREDENTIALS_OVERWRITE_ENDPOINT |
String | - | The API endpoint to fetch credentials. |
Databases#
By default, n8n uses SQLite. n8n also supports PostgreSQL. n8n removed support for MySQL and MariaDB in v1.0.
This section outlines environment variables to configure your chosen database for your self-hosted n8n instance.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
DB_TABLE_PREFIX |
* | - | Prefix to use for table names. |
DB_TYPE/ _FILE |
Enum string:sqlite, postgresdb |
sqlite |
The database to use. |
PostgreSQL#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
DB_POSTGRESDB_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT/ _FILE |
Number | 20000 |
Postgres connection timeout (ms). |
DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE/ _FILE |
String | n8n |
The name of the PostgreSQL database. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST/ _FILE |
String | localhost |
The PostgreSQL host. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD/ _FILE |
String | - | The PostgreSQL password. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_POOL_SIZE/ _FILE |
Number | 2 |
Control how many parallel open Postgres connections n8n should have. Increasing it may help with resource utilization, but too many connections may degrade performance. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT/ _FILE |
Number | 5432 |
The PostgreSQL port. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_USER/ _FILE |
String | postgres |
The PostgreSQL user. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA/ _FILE |
String | public |
The PostgreSQL schema. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_CA/ _FILE |
String | - | The PostgreSQL SSL certificate authority. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_CERT/ _FILE |
String | - | The PostgreSQL SSL certificate. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_ENABLED/ _FILE |
Boolean | false |
Whether to enable SSL. Automatically enabled if DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_CA, DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_CERT or DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_KEY is defined. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_KEY/ _FILE |
String | - | The PostgreSQL SSL key. |
DB_POSTGRESDB_SSL_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED/ _FILE |
Boolean | true |
If n8n should reject unauthorized SSL connections (true) or not (false). |
SQLite#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
DB_SQLITE_POOL_SIZE |
Number | 0 |
Controls whether to open the SQLite file in WAL mode or rollback journal mode. Uses rollback journal mode when set to zero. When greater than zero, uses WAL mode with the value determining the number of parallel SQL read connections to configure. WAL mode is much more performant and reliable than the rollback journal mode. |
DB_SQLITE_VACUUM_ON_STARTUP |
Boolean | false |
Runs VACUUM operation on startup to rebuild the database. Reduces file size and optimizes indexes. This is a long running blocking operation and increases start-up time. |
Deployment#
This section lists the deployment configuration options for your self-hosted n8n instance, including setting up access URLs, enabling templates, customizing encryption, and configuring server details.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_CONFIG_FILES |
String | - | Use to provide the path to any JSON configuration file. |
N8N_DEV_RELOAD |
Boolean | false |
When working on the n8n source code, set this to true to automatically reload or restart the application when changes occur in the source code files. |
N8N_DIAGNOSTICS_CONFIG_BACKEND |
String | 1zPn7YoGC3ZXE9zLeTKLuQCB4F6;https://telemetry.n8n.io/v1/batch |
Telemetry configuration for the backend. |
N8N_DIAGNOSTICS_CONFIG_FRONTEND |
String | 1zPn9bgWPzlQc0p8Gj1uiK6DOTn;https://telemetry.n8n.io |
Telemetry configuration for the frontend. |
N8N_DIAGNOSTICS_ENABLED |
Boolean | true |
Whether to share selected, anonymous telemetry with n8n. Note that if you set this to false, you can't enable Ask AI in the Code node. |
N8N_DISABLE_UI |
Boolean | false |
Set to true to disable the UI. |
N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL |
String | - | Public URL where users can access the editor. Also used for emails sent from n8n and the redirect URL for SAML based authentication. |
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY |
String | Random key generated by n8n | Provide a custom key used to encrypt credentials in the n8n database. By default n8n generates a random key on first launch. |
N8N_GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT |
Number | 30 |
How long should the n8n process wait (in seconds) for components to shut down before exiting the process. |
N8N_HIRING_BANNER_ENABLED |
Boolean | true |
Whether to show the n8n hiring banner in the console (true) or not (false). |
N8N_HOST |
String | localhost |
Host name n8n runs on. |
N8N_LISTEN_ADDRESS |
String | 0.0.0.0 |
The IP address n8n should listen on. |
N8N_PATH |
String | / |
The path n8n deploys to. |
N8N_PERSONALIZATION_ENABLED |
Boolean | true |
Whether to ask users personalisation questions and then customise n8n accordingly. |
N8N_PORT |
Number | 5678 |
The HTTP port n8n runs on. |
N8N_PREVIEW_MODE |
Boolean | false |
Set to true to run in preview mode. |
N8N_PROTOCOL |
Enum string: http, https |
http |
The protocol used to reach n8n. |
N8N_PROXY_HOPS |
Number | 0 | Number of reverse-proxies n8n is running behind. |
N8N_PUBLIC_API_DISABLED |
Boolean | false |
Whether to disable the public API (true) or not (false). |
N8N_PUBLIC_API_ENDPOINT |
String | api |
Path for the public API endpoints. |
N8N_PUBLIC_API_SWAGGERUI_DISABLED |
Boolean | false |
Whether the Swagger UI (API playground) is disabled (true) or not (false). |
N8N_PUSH_BACKEND |
String | websocket |
Choose whether the n8n backend uses server-sent events (sse) or WebSockets (websocket) to send changes to the UI. |
N8N_REINSTALL_MISSING_PACKAGES |
Boolean | false |
If set to true, n8n will automatically attempt to reinstall any missing packages. |
N8N_SSL_CERT |
String | - | The SSL certificate for HTTPS protocol. |
N8N_SSL_KEY |
String | - | The SSL key for HTTPS protocol. |
N8N_TEMPLATES_ENABLED |
Boolean | false |
Enables workflow templates (true) or disable (false). |
N8N_TEMPLATES_HOST |
String | https://api.n8n.io |
Change this if creating your own workflow template library. Note that to use your own workflow templates library, your API must provide the same endpoints and response structure as n8n's. Refer to Workflow templates for more information. |
N8N_TUNNEL_SUBDOMAIN |
String | - | Specifies the subdomain for the n8n tunnel. If not set, n8n generates a random subdomain. |
N8N_USER_FOLDER |
String | user-folder |
Provide the path where n8n will create the .n8n folder. This directory stores user-specific data, such as database file and encryption key. |
N8N_VERSION_NOTIFICATIONS_ENABLED |
Boolean | true |
When enabled, n8n sends notifications of new versions and security updates. |
N8N_VERSION_NOTIFICATIONS_ENDPOINT |
String | https://api.n8n.io/versions/ |
The endpoint to retrieve where version information. |
N8N_VERSION_NOTIFICATIONS_INFO_URL |
String | https://docs.n8n.io/getting-started/installation/updating.html |
The URL displayed in the New Versions panel for more information. |
VUE_APP_URL_BASE_API |
String | http://localhost:5678/ |
Used when building the n8n-editor-ui package manually to set how the frontend can reach the backend API. Refer to Configure the Base URL. |
Endpoints#
This section lists environment variables for customizing endpoints in n8n.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_DISABLE_PRODUCTION_MAIN_PROCESS |
Boolean | false |
Disable production webhooks from main process. This helps ensure no HTTP traffic load to main process when using webhook-specific processes. |
N8N_ENDPOINT_REST |
String | rest |
The path used for REST endpoint. |
N8N_ENDPOINT_WEBHOOK |
String | webhook |
The path used for webhook endpoint. |
N8N_ENDPOINT_WEBHOOK_TEST |
String | webhook-test |
The path used for test-webhook endpoint. |
N8N_ENDPOINT_WEBHOOK_WAIT |
String | webhook-waiting |
The path used for waiting-webhook endpoint. |
N8N_FORMDATA_FILE_SIZE_MAX |
Number | 200 |
Max payload size for files in form-data webhook payloads in MiB. |
N8N_METRICS |
Boolean | false |
Whether to enable the /metrics endpoint. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_API_ENDPOINTS |
Boolean | false |
Whether to expose metrics for API endpoints. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_API_METHOD_LABEL |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include a label for the HTTP method (GET, POST, ...) of API invocations. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_API_PATH_LABEL |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include a label for the path of API invocations. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_API_STATUS_CODE_LABEL |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include a label for the HTTP status code (200, 404, ...) of API invocations. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_CACHE_METRICS |
Boolean | false | Whether to include metrics (true) for cache hits and misses, or not include them (false). |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_CREDENTIAL_TYPE_LABEL |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include a label for the credential type on credential metrics. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_DEFAULT_METRICS |
Boolean | true |
Whether to expose default system and node.js metrics. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_MESSAGE_EVENT_BUS_METRICS |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include metrics (true) for events, or not include them (false). |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_NODE_TYPE_LABEL |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include a label for the node type on node metrics. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_QUEUE_METRICS |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include metrics for jobs in scaling mode. Not supported in multi-main setup. |
N8N_METRICS_INCLUDE_WORKFLOW_ID_LABEL |
Boolean | false |
Whether to include a label for the workflow ID on workflow metrics. |
N8N_METRICS_PREFIX |
String | n8n_ |
Optional prefix for n8n specific metrics names. |
N8N_METRICS_QUEUE_METRICS_INTERVAL |
Integer | 20 |
How often (in seconds) to update queue metrics. |
N8N_PAYLOAD_SIZE_MAX |
Number | 16 |
The maximum payload size in MiB. |
WEBHOOK_URL |
String | - | Used to manually provide the Webhook URL when running n8n behind a reverse proxy. See here for more details. |
Executions#
This section lists environment variables to configure workflow execution settings.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
EXECUTIONS_DATA_HARD_DELETE_BUFFER |
Number | 1 |
How old (hours) the finished execution data has to be to get hard-deleted. By default, this buffer excludes recent executions as the user may need them while building a workflow. |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX_AGE |
Number | 336 |
The execution age (in hours) before it's deleted. |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE |
Boolean | true |
Whether to delete data of past executions on a rolling basis. |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE_HARD_DELETE_INTERVAL |
Number | 15 |
How often (minutes) execution data should be hard-deleted. |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE_SOFT_DELETE_INTERVAL |
Number | 60 |
How often (minutes) execution data should be soft-deleted. |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_PRUNE_MAX_COUNT |
Number | 10000 |
Maximum number of executions to keep in the database. 0 = no limit |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_SAVE_MANUAL_EXECUTIONS |
Boolean | true |
Whether to save data of executions when started manually. |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_SAVE_ON_ERROR |
Enum string: all, none |
all |
Whether n8n saves execution data on error. |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_SAVE_ON_PROGRESS |
Boolean | false |
Whether to save progress for each node executed (true) or not (false). |
EXECUTIONS_DATA_SAVE_ON_SUCCESS |
Enum string: all, none |
all |
Whether n8n saves execution data on success. |
EXECUTIONS_MODE |
Enum string: regular, queue |
regular |
Whether executions should run directly or using queue. Refer to Queue mode for more details. |
EXECUTIONS_TIMEOUT |
Number | -1 |
Sets a default timeout (in seconds) to all workflows after which n8n stops their execution. Users can override this for individual workflows up to the duration set in EXECUTIONS_TIMEOUT_MAX. Set EXECUTIONS_TIMEOUT to -1 to disable. |
EXECUTIONS_TIMEOUT_MAX |
Number | 3600 |
The maximum execution time (in seconds) that users can set for an individual workflow. |
N8N_CONCURRENCY_PRODUCTION_LIMIT |
Number | -1 |
Max production executions allowed to run concurrently, in both regular and scaling modes. -1 to disable in regular mode. |
External data storage#
Refer to External storage for more information on using external storage for binary data.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_EXTERNAL_STORAGE_S3_ACCESS_KEY |
String | - | Access key in S3-compatible external storage |
N8N_EXTERNAL_STORAGE_S3_ACCESS_SECRET |
String | - | Access secret in S3-compatible external storage. |
N8N_EXTERNAL_STORAGE_S3_BUCKET_NAME |
String | - | Name of the n8n bucket in S3-compatible external storage. |
N8N_EXTERNAL_STORAGE_S3_BUCKET_REGION |
String | - | Region of the n8n bucket in S3-compatible external storage. For example, us-east-1 |
N8N_EXTERNAL_STORAGE_S3_HOST |
String | - | Host of the n8n bucket in S3-compatible external storage. For example, s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com |
External hooks#
You can define external hooks that n8n executes whenever a specific operation runs. Refer to Backend hooks for examples of available hooks and Hook files for information on file formatting.
| Variable | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
EXTERNAL_FRONTEND_HOOKS_URLS |
String | URLs to files containing frontend external hooks. Provide multiple URLs as a colon-separated list (":"). |
EXTERNAL_HOOK_FILES |
String | Files containing backend external hooks. Provide multiple files as a colon-separated list (":"). |
External secrets#
You can use an external secrets store to manage credentials for n8n. Refer to External secrets for details.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_EXTERNAL_SECRETS_UPDATE_INTERVAL |
Number | 300 (5 minutes) |
How often (in seconds) to check for secret updates. |
Licenses#
To enable enterprise features, you need to add your enterprise license key. You can do this through the UI, or using environment variables. Refer to Enterprise license key for details.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
http_proxy_license_server |
String | http://user:pass@proxy:port |
Proxy server URL for HTTP requests to retrieve license. This variable name needs to be lowercase. |
https_proxy_license_server |
String | https://user:pass@proxy:port |
Proxy server URL for HTTPS requests to retrieve license. This variable name needs to be lowercase. |
N8N_HIDE_USAGE_PAGE |
boolean | false |
Hide the usage and plans page in the app. |
N8N_LICENSE_ACTIVATION_KEY |
String | '' |
Activation key to initialize license. Not applicable if the n8n instance was already activated. |
N8N_LICENSE_AUTO_RENEW_ENABLED |
Boolean | true |
Enables (true) or disables (false) autorenewal for licenses. If disabled, you need to manually renew the license every 10 days by navigating to Settings > Usage and plan, and pressing F5. Failure to renew the license will disable Enterprise features. |
N8N_LICENSE_AUTO_RENEW_OFFSET |
Number | 60 * 60 * 72 (72 hours) |
Time in seconds before expiry a license should automatically renew. |
N8N_LICENSE_SERVER_URL |
String | http://license.n8n.io/v1 |
Server URL to retrieve license. |
N8N_LICENSE_TENANT_ID |
Number | 1 |
Tenant ID associated with the license. Only set this variable if explicitly instructed by n8n. |
Logs#
This section lists environment variables to set up logging for debugging. Refer to Logging in n8n for details.
n8n logs#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
CODE_ENABLE_STDOUT |
Boolean | false |
Set to true to send Code node logs to process's stdout for debugging, monitoring, or logging purposes. |
DB_LOGGING_ENABLED |
Boolean | false |
Whether to enable database-specific logging. |
DB_LOGGING_MAX_EXECUTION_TIME |
Number | 1000 |
Maximum execution time (in milliseconds) before n8n logs a warning. Set to 0 to disable long running query warning. |
DB_LOGGING_OPTIONS |
Enum string: query, error, schema, warn, info, log |
error |
Database log output level. To enable all logging, specify all. Refer to TypeORM logging options |
N8N_LOG_FILE_COUNT_MAX |
Number | 100 |
Max number of log files to keep. |
N8N_LOG_FILE_LOCATION |
String | <n8n-directory-path>/logs/n8n.log |
Log file location. Requires N8N_LOG_OUTPUT set to file. |
N8N_LOG_FILE_SIZE_MAX |
Number | 16 |
Max size of each log file in MB. |
N8N_LOG_LEVEL |
Enum string: info, warn, error, debug |
info |
Log output level. Refer to Log levels for details. |
N8N_LOG_OUTPUT |
Enum string: console, file |
console |
Where to output logs. Provide multiple values as a comma-separated list. |
NO_COLOR |
any | undefined |
Set to any value to output logs without ANSI colors. For more information, see the no-color.org website. |
Log streaming#
Refer to Log streaming for more information on this feature.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_EVENTBUS_CHECKUNSENTINTERVAL |
Number | 0 |
How often (in milliseconds) to check for unsent event messages. Can in rare cases send message twice. Set to 0 to disable it. |
N8N_EVENTBUS_LOGWRITER_KEEPLOGCOUNT |
Number | 3 |
Number of event log files to keep. |
N8N_EVENTBUS_LOGWRITER_LOGBASENAME |
String | n8nEventLog |
Basename of the event log file. |
N8N_EVENTBUS_LOGWRITER_MAXFILESIZEINKB |
Number | 10240 |
Maximum size (in kilo-bytes) of an event log file before a new one starts. |
N8N_EVENTBUS_LOGWRITER_SYNCFILEACCESS |
Boolean | false |
Whether all file access happens synchronously within the thread (true) or not (false). |
Nodes#
This section lists the environment variables configuration options for managing nodes in n8n, including specifying which nodes to load or exclude, importing built-in or external modules in the Code node, and enabling community nodes.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_BUILTIN |
String | - | Permit users to import specific built-in modules in the Code node. Use * to allow all. n8n disables importing modules by default. |
NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL |
String | - | Permit users to import specific external modules (from n8n/node_modules) in the Code node. n8n disables importing modules by default. |
NODES_EXCLUDE |
Array of strings | - | Specify which nodes not to load. For example, to block nodes that can be a security risk if users aren't trustworthy: NODES_EXCLUDE: "[\"n8n-nodes-base.executeCommand\", \"n8n-nodes-base.readWriteFile\"]" |
NODES_INCLUDE |
Array of strings | - | Specify which nodes to load. |
NODES_ERROR_TRIGGER_TYPE |
String | n8n-nodes-base.errorTrigger |
Specify which node type to use as Error Trigger. |
N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES_ENABLED |
Boolean | true |
Enables (true) or disables (false) community nodes. |
N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES_REGISTRY |
String | https://registry.npmjs.org |
NPM registry URL to pull community packages from (license required). |
N8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS |
String | - | Specify the path to directories containing your custom nodes. |
Queue mode#
You can run n8n in different modes depending on your needs. Queue mode provides the best scalability. Refer to Queue mode for more information.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
QUEUE_BULL_PREFIX |
String | - | Prefix to use for all queue keys. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_CLUSTER_NODES |
String | - | Expects a comma-separated list of Redis Cluster nodes in the format host:port, for the Redis client to initially connect to. If running in queue mode (EXECUTIONS_MODE = queue), setting this variable will create a Redis Cluster client instead of a Redis client, and n8n will ignore QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_HOST and QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_PORT. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_DUALSTACK |
Boolean | false |
Enable dual-stack support (IPv4 and IPv6) on Redis connections. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_DB |
Number | 0 |
The Redis database used. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_HOST |
String | localhost |
The Redis host. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_PASSWORD |
String | - | The Redis password. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_PORT |
Number | 6379 |
The Redis port used. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD |
Number | 10000 |
The Redis timeout threshold (in ms). |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_TLS |
Boolean | false |
Enable TLS on Redis connections. |
QUEUE_BULL_REDIS_USERNAME |
String | - | The Redis username (needs Redis version 6 or above). Don't define it for Redis < 6 compatibility |
QUEUE_WORKER_TIMEOUT (deprecated) |
Number | 30 |
Deprecated Use N8N_GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT instead.How long should n8n wait (seconds) for running executions before exiting worker process on shutdown. |
QUEUE_HEALTH_CHECK_ACTIVE |
Boolean | false |
Whether to enable health checks (true) or disable (false). |
QUEUE_HEALTH_CHECK_PORT |
Number | - | The port to serve health checks on. |
QUEUE_WORKER_LOCK_DURATION |
Number | 30000 |
How long (in ms) is the lease period for a worker to work on a message. |
QUEUE_WORKER_LOCK_RENEW_TIME |
Number | 15000 |
How frequently (in ms) should a worker renew the lease time. |
QUEUE_WORKER_MAX_STALLED_COUNT |
Number | 1 |
Maximum amount of times a stalled job will be re-processed. |
QUEUE_WORKER_STALLED_INTERVAL |
Number | 30000 |
How often should a worker check for stalled jobs (use 0 for never). |
Multi-main setup#
Refer to Configuring multi-main setup for details.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_MULTI_MAIN_SETUP_ENABLED |
Boolean | false |
Whether to enable multi-main setup for queue mode (license required). |
N8N_MULTI_MAIN_SETUP_CHECK_INTERVAL |
Number | 3 |
Interval (in seconds) for leader check in multi-main setup. |
N8N_MULTI_MAIN_SETUP_KEY_TTL |
Number | 10 |
Time to live (in seconds) for leader key in multi-main setup. |
Security#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_BLOCK_ENV_ACCESS_IN_NODE |
Boolean | false |
Whether to allow users to access environment variables in expressions and the Code node (false) or not (true). |
N8N_BLOCK_FILE_ACCESS_TO_N8N_FILES |
Boolean | true |
Set to true to block access to all files in the .n8n directory and user defined configuration files. |
N8N_RESTRICT_FILE_ACCESS_TO |
String | Limits access to files in these directories. Provide multiple files as a colon-separated list (":"). |
|
N8N_SAMESITE_COOKIE |
Enum string: strict, lax, none |
lax |
Controls cross-site cookie behavior (learn more):
|
N8N_SECURE_COOKIE |
Boolean | true |
Ensures that cookies are only sent over HTTPS, enhancing security. |
N8N_SECURITY_AUDIT_DAYS_ABANDONED_WORKFLOW |
Number | 90 | Number of days to consider a workflow abandoned if it's not executed. |
Source control#
n8n uses Git-based source control to support environments. Refer to Source control and environments for more information on how to link a Git repository to an n8n instance and configure your source control.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_SOURCECONTROL_DEFAULT_SSH_KEY_TYPE |
String | ed25519 |
Set to rsa to make RSA the default SSH key type for Source control setup. |
Task runners#
Task runners execute code defined by the Code node.
n8n instance#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_RUNNERS_AUTH_TOKEN |
String | Random string | Shared secret used by a task runner to authenticate to n8n. Required when using external mode. |
N8N_RUNNERS_BROKER_LISTEN_ADDRESS |
String | 127.0.0.1 |
Address the task broker listens on. |
N8N_RUNNERS_BROKER_PORT |
Number | 5679 |
Port the task broker listens on for task runner connections. |
N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED |
Boolean | false |
Are task runners enabled. |
N8N_RUNNERS_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL |
Number | 30 |
How often (in seconds) the runner must send a heartbeat to the broker, else the task aborts and the runner restarts. Must be greater than 0. |
N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_CONCURRENCY |
Number | 5 |
The number of concurrent tasks a task runner can execute at a time. |
N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_OLD_SPACE_SIZE |
String | The --max-old-space-size option to use for a task runner (in MB). By default, Node.js will set this based on available memory. |
|
N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_PAYLOAD |
Number | 1 073 741 824 |
Maximum payload size in bytes for communication between a task broker and a task runner. |
N8N_RUNNERS_MODE |
Enum string: internal, external |
internal |
How to launch and run the task runner. internal means n8n will launch a task runner as child process. external means an external orchestrator will launch the task runner. |
N8N_RUNNERS_TASK_TIMEOUT |
Number | 60 |
How long (in seconds) a task can take to complete before the task aborts and the runner restarts. Must be greater than 0. |
Task runner launcher#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_RUNNERS_AUTH_TOKEN |
String | - | Shared secret used to authenticate to n8n. |
N8N_RUNNERS_AUTO_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT |
Number | 15 |
The number of seconds to wait before shutting down an idle runner. |
N8N_RUNNERS_LAUNCHER_HEALTH_CHECK_PORT |
Number | 5680 |
Port for the launcher's health check server. |
N8N_RUNNERS_LAUNCHER_LOG_LEVEL |
Enum string: debug, info, warn, error |
info |
Which log messages to show. |
N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_CONCURRENCY |
Number | 5 |
The number of concurrent tasks a task runner can execute at a time. |
N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_PAYLOAD |
Number | 1 073 741 824 |
Maximum payload size in bytes for communication between a task broker and a task runner. |
N8N_RUNNERS_TASK_BROKER_URI |
String | http://127.0.0.1:5679 |
The URI of the task broker server (n8n instance). |
NODE_OPTIONS |
String | - | Options for Node.js. |
Task runner#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
GENERIC_TIMEZONE |
* | America/New_York |
The same default timezone as configured for the n8n instance. |
N8N_RUNNERS_AUTO_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT |
Number | 15 |
The number of seconds to wait before shutting down an idle runner. |
N8N_RUNNERS_GRANT_TOKEN |
String | Random string | Token the runner uses to authenticate with the task broker. This is automatically provided by the launcher. |
N8N_RUNNERS_LAUNCHER_HEALTH_CHECK_PORT |
Number | 5680 |
Port for the launcher's health check server. |
N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_CONCURRENCY |
Number | 5 |
The number of concurrent tasks a task runner can execute at a time. |
N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_PAYLOAD |
Number | 1 073 741 824 |
Maximum payload size in bytes for communication between a task broker and a task runner. |
N8N_RUNNERS_TASK_BROKER_URI |
String | http://127.0.0.1:5679 |
The URI of the task broker server (n8n instance). |
NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_BUILTIN |
String | - | Permit users to import specific built-in modules in the Code node. Use * to allow all. n8n disables importing modules by default. |
NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL |
String | - | Permit users to import specific external modules (from n8n/node_modules) in the Code node. n8n disables importing modules by default. |
Timezone and localization#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
GENERIC_TIMEZONE |
* | America/New_York |
The n8n instance timezone. Important for schedule nodes (such as Cron). |
N8N_DEFAULT_LOCALE |
String | en |
A locale identifier, compatible with the Accept-Language header. n8n doesn't support regional identifiers, such as de-AT. When running in a locale other than the default, n8n displays UI strings in the selected locale, and falls back to en for any untranslated strings. |
User management SMTP and two-factor authentication#
Refer to User management for more information on setting up user management and emails.
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_EMAIL_MODE |
String | smtp |
Enable emails. |
N8N_MFA_ENABLED |
Boolean | true |
Whether to enable two-factor authentication (true) or disable (false). n8n ignores this if existing users have 2FA enabled. |
N8N_SMTP_HOST |
String | - | your_SMTP_server_name |
N8N_SMTP_OAUTH_PRIVATE_KEY |
String | - | If using 2LO with a service account this is your private key |
N8N_SMTP_OAUTH_SERVICE_CLIENT |
String | - | If using 2LO with a service account this is your client ID |
N8N_SMTP_PASS |
String | - | your_SMTP_password |
N8N_SMTP_PORT |
Number | - | your_SMTP_server_port |
N8N_SMTP_SENDER |
String | - | Sender email address. You can optionally include the sender name. Example with name: N8N <contact@n8n.com> |
N8N_SMTP_SSL |
Boolean | true |
Whether to use SSL for SMTP (true) or not (false). |
N8N_SMTP_STARTTLS |
Boolean | true |
Whether to use STARTTLS for SMTP (true) or not (false). |
N8N_SMTP_USER |
String | - | your_SMTP_username |
N8N_UM_EMAIL_TEMPLATES_CREDENTIALS_SHARED |
String | - | Overrides the default HTML template for notifying users that a credential was shared. Provide the full path to the template. |
N8N_UM_EMAIL_TEMPLATES_INVITE |
String | - | Full path to your HTML email template. This overrides the default template for invite emails. |
N8N_UM_EMAIL_TEMPLATES_PWRESET |
String | - | Full path to your HTML email template. This overrides the default template for password reset emails. |
N8N_UM_EMAIL_TEMPLATES_WORKFLOW_SHARED |
String | - | Overrides the default HTML template for notifying users that a workflow was shared. Provide the full path to the template. |
N8N_USER_MANAGEMENT_JWT_DURATION_HOURS |
Number | 168 | Set an expiration date for the JWTs in hours. |
N8N_USER_MANAGEMENT_JWT_REFRESH_TIMEOUT_HOURS |
Number | 0 | How many hours before the JWT expires to automatically refresh it. 0 means 25% of N8N_USER_MANAGEMENT_JWT_DURATION_HOURS. -1 means it will never refresh, which forces users to log in again after the period defined in N8N_USER_MANAGEMENT_JWT_DURATION_HOURS. |
N8N_USER_MANAGEMENT_JWT_SECRET |
String | - | Set a specific JWT secret. By default, n8n generates one on start. |
Workflows#
| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
N8N_ONBOARDING_FLOW_DISABLED |
Boolean | false |
Whether to disable onboarding tips when creating a new workflow (true) or not (false). |
N8N_WORKFLOW_ACTIVATION_BATCH_SIZE |
Number | 1 |
How many workflows to activate simultaneously during startup. |
N8N_WORKFLOW_CALLER_POLICY_DEFAULT_OPTION |
String | workflowsFromSameOwner |
Which workflows can call a workflow. Options are: any, none, workflowsFromAList, workflowsFromSameOwner. This feature requires Workflow sharing. |
N8N_WORKFLOW_TAGS_DISABLED |
Boolean | false |
Whether to disable workflow tags (true) or enable tags (false). |
WORKFLOWS_DEFAULT_NAME |
String | My workflow |
The default name used for new workflows. |