Tobias Mende This workflow corresponds to n8n.io template #6436 — we link there as the canonical source.
This workflow follows the Executecommand → Readwritefile recipe pattern — see all workflows that pair these two integrations.
The workflow JSON
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{
"name": "Automate N8N Workflows & Credentials Backup to S3 with Retention Management",
"nodes": [
{
"id": "387e5dfd-f988-49df-a14e-4bc05d228861",
"name": "Get many workflows",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.n8n",
"position": [
416,
-96
],
"parameters": {
"filters": {},
"requestOptions": {}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "e9fcf8bb-c91f-4aec-8449-9dbcc83f09ff",
"name": "Config",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
144,
96
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "19b52777-1679-4503-b8cc-293b668da0b0",
"name": "bucketName",
"type": "string",
"value": "<YOUR BUCKET NAME HERE>"
},
{
"id": "5b2ac2d4-8876-4d2f-9485-ecc4fa5604a6",
"name": "timstamp",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ $now.format('yyyy-MM-dd') }}"
},
{
"id": "93766682-af35-40da-ba50-3c561345477a",
"name": "retention",
"type": "number",
"value": 31
},
{
"id": "9fa68ac0-cc4a-4747-80c7-f31c61e426dc",
"name": "retentionUnit",
"type": "string",
"value": "days"
},
{
"id": "78788eab-3e2f-4105-967f-017acea5aa11",
"name": "tempCredentialBackupFile",
"type": "string",
"value": "/tmp/CredentialBackup.json"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "a376ab24-6411-462f-9132-2e22f823c3b2",
"name": "Extract Date",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
912,
240
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "dba5ef9c-005b-448c-97df-6878af7c1bb4",
"name": "date",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ $json.LastModified.toDateTime().format('yyyy-MM-dd') }}"
},
{
"id": "9e2cbb10-8e3e-459f-81b5-4bd80ff58b6e",
"name": "key",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ $json.Key }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "e8f2e585-bf39-40ee-a91d-c17348708b28",
"name": "Keep Outdated Backups",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.filter",
"position": [
1200,
240
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"version": 2,
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "ab51911a-545b-465d-b182-32c43e5566f5",
"operator": {
"name": "filter.operator.equals",
"type": "string",
"operation": "equals"
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.date }}",
"rightValue": ""
},
{
"id": "d1953bda-4da4-4ecf-acc7-a8d76aa1a489",
"operator": {
"type": "dateTime",
"operation": "before"
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.date.toDateTime() }}",
"rightValue": "={{ $now.minus($('Config').first().json.retention, $('Config').first().json.retentionUnit) }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2.2
},
{
"id": "f8eea97f-9d2d-4023-938e-c410978cb490",
"name": "Delete Outdated Backups",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.s3",
"position": [
1424,
240
],
"parameters": {
"fileKey": "={{ $json.key }}",
"options": {},
"operation": "delete",
"bucketName": "={{ $('Config').first().json.bucketName }}"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "6457633f-b64f-4288-b7ee-102ef5592961",
"name": "Export Credentials",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeCommand",
"position": [
368,
592
],
"parameters": {
"command": "=n8n export:credentials --all --output={{ $json.tempCredentialBackupFile }}"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "969eea4c-d592-435e-8bd3-e39ad5112378",
"name": "Load Credentials",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.readWriteFile",
"position": [
592,
592
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"fileSelector": "={{ $('Config').first().json.tempCredentialBackupFile }}"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "a340ac8c-ce0a-40f4-ab55-e90014878763",
"name": "Delete Temporary File",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.executeCommand",
"position": [
1040,
592
],
"parameters": {
"command": "=rm {{ $('Config').first().json.tempCredentialBackupFile }}"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "6d7e2501-fe77-4ed9-8f10-50bcafebaa6b",
"name": "Store Credentials Backup",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.s3",
"position": [
816,
592
],
"parameters": {
"fileName": "=credentials/{{ $('Config').first().json.timstamp }}.json",
"operation": "upload",
"bucketName": "={{ $('Config').first().json.bucketName }}",
"additionalFields": {}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "68e5990e-9b17-4581-8498-3e656efbf611",
"name": "Store Workflow Backup",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.s3",
"position": [
880,
-96
],
"parameters": {
"tagsUi": {
"tagsValues": [
{
"key": "name",
"value": "={{ $json.name }}"
}
]
},
"fileName": "=workflows/{{ $json.id }}/{{ $('Config').first().json.timstamp }}.json",
"operation": "upload",
"binaryData": false,
"bucketName": "={{ $('Config').first().json.bucketName }}",
"fileContent": "={{ JSON.stringify($json) }}",
"additionalFields": {}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "d9403837-7a26-4d9b-9460-6cc2c62a625c",
"name": "Daily Backup",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
"position": [
-80,
96
],
"parameters": {
"rule": {
"interval": [
{
"triggerAtHour": 23
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.2
},
{
"id": "d3feef71-cb5d-4986-b7e3-556c3ad4606c",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
816,
-240
],
"parameters": {
"height": 320,
"content": "## TODO\n- Set the credentials for your backup S3 bucket here."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "3d017215-bd7f-4a66-839c-6621f617aa2d",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1344,
112
],
"parameters": {
"height": 320,
"content": "## TODO\n- Set the credentials for your backup S3 bucket here."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "94b6fc3c-7356-4038-ac3b-13ff55327a7f",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
752,
464
],
"parameters": {
"height": 304,
"content": "## TODO\n- Set the credentials for your backup S3 bucket here."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "c8d84477-1d0b-4521-9273-6190ccc9b19b",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
448,
144
],
"parameters": {
"height": 288,
"content": "## TODO\n- Set the credentials for your backup S3 bucket here."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "bb4f024b-715f-4dbc-8dcf-5a093863ea62",
"name": "Sticky Note4",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
64,
-176
],
"parameters": {
"height": 432,
"content": "## TODO\n- Adjust retention (how long backups are kept, default: 31 days)\n- Configure the name of the bucket that shall be used for storing the backups."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "3742caa7-1b6d-4b48-ae8b-642a5576c4c7",
"name": "Get Existing Backups",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.s3",
"position": [
528,
240
],
"parameters": {
"resource": "bucket",
"operation": "search",
"returnAll": true,
"bucketName": "={{ $json.bucketName }}",
"additionalFields": {}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "2369ab66-4837-4a28-87ef-9479eaf47a3f",
"name": "Sticky Note5",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-192,
-176
],
"parameters": {
"height": 432,
"content": "## TODO\n- Adjust the trigger to suit your schedule (default: daily execution at 11pm)\n- Remember to activate the workflow once all TODOs are resolved\n- Test the workflow by executing it."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "a4523efd-8786-4cbc-a5f2-51d11bd8282e",
"name": "Sticky Note6",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
336,
-240
],
"parameters": {
"height": 320,
"content": "## TODO\n- Create an N8N API Key in the N8n settings\n- Configure it in the credentials of this node."
},
"typeVersion": 1
}
],
"connections": {
"Config": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Get many workflows",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
},
{
"node": "Get Existing Backups",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
},
{
"node": "Export Credentials",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Daily Backup": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Config",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Extract Date": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Keep Outdated Backups",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Load Credentials": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Store Credentials Backup",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Export Credentials": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Load Credentials",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get many workflows": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Store Workflow Backup",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get Existing Backups": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Extract Date",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Keep Outdated Backups": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Delete Outdated Backups",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Store Credentials Backup": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Delete Temporary File",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}
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About this workflow
This n8n template automates daily backups of workflows and credentials to S3-compatible storage with automatic retention management. Designed for self-hosted n8n instances requiring disaster recovery protection.
Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/6436/ — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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