n8n Workflow: Backup n8n Workflows to GitHub

This n8n workflow provides a robust solution for backing up your n8n workflows to a GitHub repository. It allows you to automatically export your active workflows, commit them to a specified GitHub repository, and even notify a Discord channel about the backup status. The workflow is designed to be flexible, supporting both manual execution and scheduled backups.

What it does

1. Triggers Manually or on Schedule: The workflow can be initiated manually by clicking "Execute workflow" or automatically at a predefined schedule (e.g., daily, weekly).
2. Retrieves n8n Workflows: It connects to your n8n instance to fetch a list of all active workflows.
3. Filters out itself: It ensures that the backup workflow itself is not included in the list of workflows to be backed up.
4. Processes Workflows in Batches: Each workflow is processed individually to prepare its data for GitHub.
5. Formats Workflow Data: It extracts the workflow's JSON definition and prepares it for a file commit.
6. Checks for Existing Workflow Files: For each workflow, it checks if a file with the same name already exists in the target GitHub repository.
7. Determines GitHub Action:
   • If the workflow file exists and its content is identical, no action is taken.
   • If the workflow file exists but its content has changed, it updates the file in GitHub.
   • If the workflow file does not exist, it creates a new file in GitHub.
8. Commits to GitHub: It performs the necessary Git operations (create, update) to store the workflow JSON files in your GitHub repository.
9. Notifies Discord (Optional): If configured, it sends a message to a Discord channel indicating the success or failure of the backup operation, including details about which workflows were backed up or updated.

Prerequisites/Requirements

• n8n Instance: An active n8n instance where this workflow will run.
• GitHub Account: A GitHub account and a repository where you want to store your n8n workflow backups.
• GitHub Credentials: An n8n credential for GitHub with appropriate permissions to create, read, and update files in your chosen repository.
• Discord Account (Optional): A Discord server and channel if you wish to receive notifications.
• Discord Webhook Credentials (Optional): An n8n credential for Discord to send messages.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow: Import the provided JSON into your n8n instance.
2. Configure Credentials:
   • GitHub: Set up a GitHub credential. You'll need to provide an Access Token with repo scope (or at least public_repo if the repository is public) for file operations.
   • Discord (Optional): Set up a Discord credential, typically a Webhook URL, if you want notifications.
3. Configure Nodes:
   • GitHub Node (ID: 16):
     • Select your GitHub credential.
     • Specify the Owner (your GitHub username or organization name) and Repository name where you want to store the backups.
     • Set the Branch (e.g., main or master).
     • Adjust the File Path if you want to store workflows in a specific subdirectory (e.g., n8n-workflows/).
   • n8n Node (ID: 826): This node is used to fetch the workflows from your n8n instance. Ensure it's configured to list all active workflows.
   • Discord Node (ID: 60): If using, select your Discord credential and specify the Channel ID or Webhook URL.
4. Activate the Workflow: Enable the workflow.
5. Schedule (Optional): Configure the "Schedule Trigger" node (ID: 839) to run the workflow at your desired interval (e.g., once a day, once a week).
6. Manual Execution: You can also manually trigger the workflow using the "Manual Trigger" node (ID: 838) for immediate backups.