Automated Daily n8n Workflow Backup to GitLab Repos

This workflow automates the daily backup of n8n workflows to a GitLab repository. It retrieves all workflows from the n8n REST API, loops through each one, fetches the corresponding file from GitLab, compares the JSON content, and commits updates only if differences are detected. This ensures your workflows are always version-controlled without manual effort.

Key benefits include robust version control for self-hosted n8n instances, automatic change detection to avoid unnecessary commits, and integration with GitLab's API for reliable storage. It saves significant time for developers and teams managing multiple workflows, preventing data loss and enabling easy rollback via Git history.

Ideal use cases: DevOps teams maintaining n8n automations, agencies handling client workflows, or any self-hosted n8n user needing backups. Schedule it daily via cron trigger for hands-off operation. Requires GitLab PAT with api/write_repository scopes and n8n API access.

Setup involves configuring credentials for GITLAB_TOKEN, REPO, BRANCH, and FILE_PATH_PREFIX in n8n environment variables. Uses HTTP Request nodes for APIs, Code nodes for diffing, and SplitInBatches for looping—highly efficient for large workflow sets.