The workflow JSON
Copy or download the full n8n JSON below. Paste it into a new n8n workflow, add your credentials, activate. Full import guide →
{
"name": "Backup workflows to git repository",
"nodes": [
{
"id": "b09ae4c6-ad75-4b3b-a78a-4cc2d48b2d24",
"name": "GitHub",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.github",
"position": [
-40,
-20
],
"parameters": {
"owner": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"owner\"]}}",
"filePath": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"path\"]}}{{$json[\"name\"]}}.json",
"resource": "file",
"operation": "get",
"repository": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"name\"]}}",
"asBinaryProperty": false,
"additionalParameters": {}
},
"credentials": {
"githubApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1,
"continueOnFail": true,
"alwaysOutputData": true
},
{
"id": "639582ef-f13e-4844-bd10-647718079121",
"name": "Globals",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
-740,
-100
],
"parameters": {
"values": {
"string": [
{
"name": "repo.owner",
"value": "shashikanth171"
},
{
"name": "repo.name",
"value": "n8n-backup"
},
{
"name": "repo.path",
"value": "workflows/"
}
]
},
"options": {}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "9df89713-220e-43b9-b234-b8f5612629cf",
"name": "n8n",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.n8n",
"position": [
-500,
-100
],
"parameters": {
"filters": {},
"requestOptions": {}
},
"credentials": {
"n8nApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "43a60315-d381-4ac4-be4c-f6a158651a00",
"name": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches",
"position": [
-280,
-100
],
"parameters": {
"options": {}
},
"executeOnce": false,
"typeVersion": 3
},
{
"id": "41a7da89-1c8c-4100-8c30-d0788962efc1",
"name": "If",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"position": [
160,
-20
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"version": 2,
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "16a9182d-059d-4774-ba95-654fb4293fdb",
"operator": {
"type": "string",
"operation": "notExists",
"singleValue": true
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.error }}",
"rightValue": ""
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2.2
},
{
"id": "ab9246eb-a253-4d76-b33b-5f8f12342542",
"name": "If1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"position": [
1040,
260
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"version": 2,
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "e0c66624-429a-4f1f-bf7b-1cc1b32bad7b",
"operator": {
"type": "string",
"operation": "notEquals"
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.content }}",
"rightValue": "={{ $('Loop Over Items').item.json.toJsonString() }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2.2
},
{
"id": "72e4a5a4-6dfe-4b5c-b57b-7c1c9625e967",
"name": "Code",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"position": [
720,
-40
],
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "let items = $input.all()\n\nfor (item of items) {\n item.json.content = Buffer.from(item.json.content, 'base64').toString('utf8')\n}\n\nreturn items;\n"
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "68f14ac5-14d6-432e-9e6b-25df610eadac",
"name": "Create new file and commit",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.github",
"position": [
340,
140
],
"parameters": {
"owner": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"owner\"]}}",
"filePath": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"path\"]}}{{ $('Loop Over Items').item.json.name }}.json",
"resource": "file",
"repository": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"name\"]}}",
"fileContent": "={{ $('Loop Over Items').item.json.toJsonString() }}",
"commitMessage": "=[N8N Backup] {{ $('Loop Over Items').item.json.name }}.json"
},
"credentials": {
"githubApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "e50f00a3-292c-4285-b767-8d6ee4606575",
"name": "Update file content and commit",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.github",
"position": [
1400,
460
],
"parameters": {
"owner": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"owner\"]}}",
"filePath": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"path\"]}}{{ $('Loop Over Items').item.json.name }}.json",
"resource": "file",
"operation": "edit",
"repository": "={{$node[\"Globals\"].json[\"repo\"][\"name\"]}}",
"fileContent": "={{ $('Loop Over Items').item.json.toJsonString() }}",
"commitMessage": "=[N8N Backup] {{ $('Loop Over Items').item.json.name }}.json"
},
"credentials": {
"githubApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "4b2d375c-a339-404c-babd-555bd2fc4091",
"name": "Schedule Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
"position": [
-960,
-100
],
"parameters": {
"rule": {
"interval": [
{
"field": "minutes"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.2
},
{
"id": "ea026e96-0db1-41fd-b003-2f2bf4662696",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1560,
480
],
"parameters": {
"height": 80,
"content": "Workflow changes committed to the repository"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "9c402daa-6d03-485d-b8a0-58f1b65d396d",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1180,
260
],
"parameters": {
"height": 80,
"content": "Check if there are any changes in the workflow"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "1d9216d9-bf8d-4945-8a58-22fb1ffc9be8",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
460,
160
],
"parameters": {
"height": 80,
"content": "Create a new file for the workflow"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "60a3953b-d9f1-4afd-b299-e314116b96c6",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
160,
-120
],
"parameters": {
"height": 80,
"content": "Check if file exists in the repository"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "6df689fb-cb49-4634-9d1e-59648a1e7219",
"name": "Sticky Note4",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
660,
-140
],
"parameters": {
"height": 80,
"content": "Convert the file contents to JSON string"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "f2340ad0-71a1-4c74-8d90-bcb974b8b305",
"name": "Sticky Note5",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-560,
-200
],
"parameters": {
"height": 80,
"content": "Get all workflows"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "617bea19-341a-4e9d-b6fd-6b417e58d756",
"name": "Sticky Note6",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-820,
40
],
"parameters": {
"height": 80,
"content": "Set variables"
},
"typeVersion": 1
}
],
"connections": {
"If": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Code",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "Create new file and commit",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"If1": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Update file content and commit",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"n8n": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Code": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "If1",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"GitHub": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "If",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Globals": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "n8n",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Loop Over Items": {
"main": [
[],
[
{
"node": "GitHub",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Schedule Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Globals",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Create new file and commit": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Update file content and commit": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Loop Over Items",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}
Credentials you'll need
Each integration node will prompt for credentials when you import. We strip credential IDs before publishing — you'll add your own.
githubApin8nApi
For the full experience including quality scoring and batch install features for each workflow upgrade to Pro
How this works
Safeguard your n8n workflows against data loss by automatically backing them up to a GitHub repository, ensuring you can always recover or version-control your automations with minimal effort. This is ideal for teams managing complex n8n setups who need reliable, scheduled exports without manual intervention. The key step involves a cron-triggered chain that fetches workflows via the n8n node, processes them in batches with splitInBatches, and commits the files to GitHub, handling multiple items efficiently across 17 nodes.
Use this workflow for routine backups in production environments where n8n workflows evolve frequently, such as daily or weekly schedules to track changes over time. Avoid it for one-off exports or if your repository requires advanced branching, as it focuses on simple commits. Common variations include adjusting the cron frequency for hourly runs or integrating with other Git providers like GitLab for similar versioning needs.
About this workflow
Backup workflows to git repository. Uses github, n8n, splitInBatches, scheduleTrigger. Scheduled trigger; 17 nodes.
Source: https://github.com/Zie619/n8n-workflows — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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