Readable Workflow Export & Deployment Pipeline for Multi-Environment CI/CD

This n8n workflow template uses community nodes and is only compatible with the self-hosted version of n8n.

Export workflows with readable names, tagged for different environments

To ensure understandable workflow exports, ease of use in delivery pipelines, and a better developer experience, this workflow helps with exporting workflows.

Inner workings First, the workflow ensures that the directory structure for storing the workflows is correct. Exports all workflows. Next, it processes all workflow files and stores them with readable names. Based on tags, it will also export to dev and prod folders for easy commit and usage in a delivery pipeline.

Configration No special setup is required for readable exporting.

Usage Create a workflow and tag it with 'Auto deploy to dev' Run the workflow, this will create the needed folders and workflows with readable names. Commit these in your version control. Have a CICD pipeline build an n8n container —see the attached Dockerfile.

Check our Auto Starter workflow for auto-starting workflows after deployment.

CI/CD Bonus: Attached are two nodes with some example configuration on building your own automated n8n deployment. A Dockerfile, to get the new entrypoint and exported workflows packaged in the container. An updated entrypoint to build your own container, import the workflows, and run the Auto Starter.

Set the following environment variables:

STARTUP_WORKFLOWS_LOAD_LOCATION: to specify the folder to import from and distinguish between environments. STARTUP_WORKFLOW_ID: the ID of the workflow to run after starting n8n.
> Note: The 'Instance Started' n8n trigger won't work, as all workflows are disabled upon import.