🌐 Self-Hosting n8n with Docker, Nginx & SSL

Automate Anything. Host it Yourself.
🔧 A clean, tested self-hosting guide for n8n using Docker, Nginx, and Let's Encrypt.

👨‍💻 Built by @Mezzop • 🧪 Live Demo

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📚 Table of Contents

• 📌 Overview
• 🧰 Requirements
• ⚙️ Step-by-Step Setup
  • Install Docker
  • Run n8n
  • Install Nginx
  • Configure Nginx
  • Enable and Restart Nginx
  • Add SSL with Certbot
• 🚑 Troubleshooting & Fixes
• 🌟 Optional Enhancements
• 🧾 Credits

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📌 Overview

This guide walks you through self-hosting n8n on a Linux server with:

• ✅ Docker
• ✅ Nginx (Reverse Proxy)
• ✅ Let's Encrypt SSL (via Certbot)
• ✅ Custom Domain (n8n.makersgridstudio.com)

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🧰 Requirements

• A domain name (e.g. n8n.yourdomain.com)
• Ubuntu 22.04 VPS (GCP, AWS, etc.)
• Terminal & SSH access

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⚙️ Step-by-Step Setup

Install Docker

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io -y
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker

Run n8n

sudo docker run -d --restart unless-stopped -it \
--name n8n \
-p 5678:5678 \
-e N8N_HOST="n8n.yourdomain.com" \
-e WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL="https://n8n.yourdomain.com/" \
-e WEBHOOK_URL="https://n8n.yourdomain.com/" \
-v ~/.n8n:/root/.n8n \
n8nio/n8n

Install Nginx

sudo apt install nginx -y

Configure Nginx

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n.conf

Paste this config:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name n8n.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;
        proxy_read_timeout 86400;
    }
}

Enable and Restart Nginx

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Add SSL with Certbot

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d n8n.yourdomain.com

🚑 Troubleshooting & Fixes
❌ Issue	✅ Solution
502 Bad Gateway	Ensure Docker is running: docker ps
Certbot fails	Make sure DNS points to server IP
Port already in use	Check: sudo lsof -i :80
SSL renew fails	Test: sudo certbot renew --dry-run
🌟 Optional Enhancements

    Setup external DB (PostgreSQL)

    Auto-backup .n8n folder via cron

    Add a Uptime Monitor (e.g. UptimeRobot)

    Secure server with UFW (firewall)

🧾 Credits

Created by @Mezzop
🔗 Live n8n Instance

Built with ❤️ on Ubuntu 22.04, Docker, and Let's Encrypt