Purge n8n MySQL Execution History Older Than 30 Days

This n8n workflow efficiently purges old execution history from the MySQL database table 'execution_entity', targeting records where the 'stoppedAt' date is older than 30 days. It uses a simple SQL DELETE query executed via the MySQL node, triggered either manually or automatically via a cron schedule set to run daily at 7 AM. This is ideal for n8n instances with high-volume workflows that generate numerous execution logs daily—for instance, tasks running every minute can produce over 1,000 rows per day per workflow, rapidly inflating database size and impacting performance.

The workflow's benefits include maintaining optimal database performance, reducing storage costs, and ensuring smooth n8n operations without manual intervention. By automating the cleanup during low-traffic hours, it minimizes disruptions. Users simply need to configure MySQL credentials and optionally tweak the cron timing or query interval (e.g., change from 30 to 10 days).

Use cases span production n8n setups with cron-based or frequent API-triggered automations, such as monitoring systems, data pipelines, or e-commerce bots. It's particularly valuable for self-hosted n8n on resource-constrained servers, preventing slowdowns from unchecked log accumulation. Extend it for other databases like Postgres by swapping the node.