Automatic Workflow Backups to GitLab with GPT-4.1 Documentation Generation

Auto backup n8n workflows to GitLab with AI-generated documentation

This n8n template automatically backs up your workflows to a GitLab repository whenever they're updated or activated, and generates README documentation using AI. This workflow can be aslo added as a sub-workflow to any existing workflow to enable backup functionality.

Who's it for

This template is perfect for n8n users who want to: Maintain version control of their workflows Create automatic backups in Git repositories Generate documentation for their workflows using AI Keep their workflow library organized and documented

How it works

The workflow monitors n8n for workflow updates and activations, then automatically saves the workflow JSON to GitLab and generates a README file using OpenAI:

Trigger Detection: Uses n8n Trigger to detect when workflows are updated or activated Workflow Retrieval: Fetches the complete workflow data using the n8n API Repository Check: Lists existing files in GitLab to determine if the workflow already exists Smart File Management: Either creates a new file or updates an existing one based on the repository state AI Documentation: Generates a README.md file using OpenAI's GPT model to document the workflow GitLab Storage: Saves both the workflow JSON and README to organized folders in your GitLab repository

Requirements

GitLab account** with API access and a repository named "all_projects" n8n API credentials** for accessing workflow data OpenAI API key** for generating documentation GitLab personal access token** with repository write permissions

How to set up

Configure GitLab credentials: Add your GitLab API credentials in the GitLab nodes Set up n8n API: Configure your n8n API credentials for the workflow retrieval node Add OpenAI credentials: Set up your OpenAI API key in the "Message a model" node Update repository details: Modify the owner and repository name in GitLab nodes to match your setup Test the workflow: Save and activate the workflow to test the backup functionality

How to customize the workflow

Change repository structure**: Modify the file path expressions to organize workflows differently Customize commit messages**: Update the commit message templates in GitLab nodes Enhance AI documentation**: Modify the OpenAI prompt to generate different styles of documentation Add file filtering**: Include conditions to backup only specific workflows Extend triggers**: Add webhook or schedule triggers for different backup scenarios Multiple repositories**: Duplicate GitLab nodes to backup to multiple repositories simultaneously