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 →
{
"nodes": [
{
"id": "3e2820cb-24a4-491b-8f8b-60f97b0748dc",
"name": "Backup Now - Manual Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
"position": [
520,
320
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "bc5588e5-b67a-4713-b8e7-c21227048a2d",
"name": "n8n",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.n8n",
"position": [
980,
520
],
"parameters": {
"filters": {
"tags": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.tags_to_match_for_backup }}"
},
"requestOptions": {}
},
"credentials": {
"n8nApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "2a5af64d-b5c3-4180-bae5-9efeeaeba99d",
"name": "Globals",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
740,
400
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "150135fb-c0fb-444b-aeed-eac851af255d",
"name": "gitlab_owner",
"type": "string",
"value": "mygitlabownername"
},
{
"id": "8a9359c0-5a16-482b-8f3a-c8b20fbc13c0",
"name": "gitlab_project",
"type": "string",
"value": "n8n_workflow_backups"
},
{
"id": "00843c18-7d09-4d60-ab70-534ca0791504",
"name": "gitlab_workflow_path",
"type": "string",
"value": "workflow_definitions"
},
{
"id": "8fbcc201-dbff-440b-b440-42e8f1735548",
"name": "tags_to_match_for_backup",
"type": "string",
"value": "gitlab_backup_enabled"
},
{
"id": "e17051bc-d8b3-4cef-bad0-efe38a7be464",
"name": "execution_type",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ ( $('Schedule Trigger').isExecuted) ? 'Scheduled' : 'Manual' }}"
},
{
"id": "8b90fba9-df11-4e07-a7ae-31405143e831",
"name": "execution_time",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ $now }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "b6b44b4b-e5a7-4ce6-9cff-e7a21679ad32",
"name": "Create New File(s)",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gitlab",
"position": [
2060,
540
],
"parameters": {
"owner": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_owner }}",
"branch": "main",
"filePath": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_workflow_path }}/{{ $('Derive Filename From Workflow Name').item.json.normalized_filename }}",
"resource": "file",
"repository": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_project }}",
"fileContent": "={{ JSON.stringify($('n8n').item.json, null, 4) }}",
"commitMessage": "=(Initial) {{ $('Globals').first().json.execution_type }} Backup - {{ $('Globals').first().json.execution_time }}."
},
"credentials": {
"gitlabApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "167ae6cd-b8dd-4e01-aca4-4888fcaf9958",
"name": "Edit Existing File(s)",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gitlab",
"position": [
2060,
340
],
"parameters": {
"owner": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_owner }}",
"branch": "main",
"filePath": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_workflow_path }}/{{ $('Derive Filename From Workflow Name').item.json.normalized_filename }}",
"resource": "file",
"operation": "edit",
"repository": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_project }}",
"fileContent": "={{ JSON.stringify($('n8n').item.json, null, 4) }}",
"commitMessage": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.execution_type }} Backup - {{ $('Globals').first().json.execution_time }}."
},
"credentials": {
"gitlabApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "a4437388-9143-4c91-841e-c062ab9af3c0",
"name": "Derive Filename From Workflow Name",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
1160,
520
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "d2110dc6-1f31-46b3-991e-556b2255d76e",
"name": "normalized_filename",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ $json.name.replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/g, '') }}.json"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "cb0fca8f-dc43-4903-a8e1-5b7acf9157b1",
"name": "Fetch Existing File Content",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gitlab",
"position": [
1640,
340
],
"parameters": {
"owner": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_owner }}",
"filePath": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_workflow_path }}/{{ $('Derive Filename From Workflow Name').item.json.normalized_filename }}",
"resource": "file",
"operation": "get",
"repository": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_project }}",
"asBinaryProperty": false,
"additionalParameters": {
"reference": "main"
}
},
"credentials": {
"gitlabApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "816843c4-769c-4033-a38e-1c6ef5325e15",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
940,
120
],
"parameters": {
"color": 5,
"width": 401,
"height": 246,
"content": "## Gather Gitlab Info"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "19f3fe4d-acba-4e7b-b92c-ce9024a8f37d",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
940,
460
],
"parameters": {
"color": 5,
"width": 398,
"height": 240,
"content": "## Gather n8n Info"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "418bef31-adf6-419b-87f1-faa2581e5766",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1380,
280
],
"parameters": {
"width": 598,
"height": 384.41789416257484,
"content": "## Decide Whether to Create or Edit or Skip"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "f3b98ded-c767-4822-bcf4-25931be03f48",
"name": "Skip Unchanged Files",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.filter",
"position": [
1820,
340
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "3298ab8b-9934-4ed7-9c38-03f325dc71e2",
"operator": {
"type": "string",
"operation": "notEquals"
},
"leftValue": "={{ JSON.stringify($('n8n').item.json, null, 4) }}",
"rightValue": "={{ $json.content.base64Decode() }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "6bbf5146-7129-4ca8-8576-39d5cbe8e0b9",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
480,
220
],
"parameters": {
"color": 4,
"width": 402,
"height": 452,
"content": "## Start / Trigger & Configure"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "0e5d9c9f-40b4-494d-8233-a2b4fea67d76",
"name": "Schedule Trigger",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
"position": [
520,
520
],
"parameters": {
"rule": {
"interval": [
{
"field": "cronExpression",
"expression": "30 21 * * 6"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.2
},
{
"id": "be08176e-3961-43d7-b182-89a4f45805f6",
"name": "Fetch List of Existing Files",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gitlab",
"position": [
980,
180
],
"parameters": {
"owner": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_owner }}",
"filePath": "={{ $('Globals').first().json.gitlab_workflow_path }}",
"resource": "file",
"operation": "list",
"returnAll": true,
"repository": "={{ $('Globals').item.json.gitlab_project }}",
"additionalParameters": {
"ref": "main"
}
},
"credentials": {
"gitlabApi": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "674cdaa8-f8fe-4f6d-8743-062d3fd1ff95",
"name": "Combine Gitlab Existing Files as Single List Item",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.aggregate",
"position": [
1180,
180
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"fieldsToAggregate": {
"fieldToAggregate": [
{
"renameField": true,
"outputFieldName": "gitlab_existing_filenames",
"fieldToAggregate": "name"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "463ae3fb-4d66-497d-81eb-7e55b5945d84",
"name": "File Exists in Gitlab?",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"position": [
1440,
460
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "0740c2be-ab9d-4249-af46-0d94f58c318f",
"operator": {
"type": "array",
"operation": "contains",
"rightType": "any"
},
"leftValue": "={{ $('Combine Gitlab Existing Files as Single List Item').first().json.gitlab_existing_filenames }}",
"rightValue": "={{ $('Derive Filename From Workflow Name').item.json.normalized_filename }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2
}
],
"connections": {
"n8n": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Derive Filename From Workflow Name",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Globals": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Fetch List of Existing Files",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Schedule Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Globals",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Skip Unchanged Files": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Edit Existing File(s)",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"File Exists in Gitlab?": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Fetch Existing File Content",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "Create New File(s)",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Backup Now - Manual Trigger": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Globals",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Fetch Existing File Content": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Skip Unchanged Files",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Fetch List of Existing Files": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Combine Gitlab Existing Files as Single List Item",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Derive Filename From Workflow Name": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "File Exists in Gitlab?",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Combine Gitlab Existing Files as Single List Item": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "n8n",
"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.
gitlabApin8nApi
About this workflow
Gitlab Filter. Uses manualTrigger, n8n, gitlab, stickyNote. Event-driven trigger; 16 nodes.
Source: https://github.com/Zie619/n8n-workflows — original creator credit. Request a take-down →