n8n Workflow Backup, Restore & Security Audit

Your n8n instance holds the automations your business runs on — and by default they live in one SQLite file / database on that one machine. If the server dies, gets reprovisioned, or someone deletes the wrong workflow, everything is gone. The popular DIY fix (a backup workflow inside n8n) has an obvious flaw: it dies with the instance.

This Actor keeps your backups off-instance, on Apify storage, and gives you three tools in one:

Mode	What it does
🗄️ Backup	Exports all workflows (full restorable JSON: nodes, connections, settings), tags and variables to the run's dataset + a single restorable archive in the key-value store.
♻️ Restore	Imports a backup into any n8n instance — disaster recovery, staging→production promotion, or migration between self-hosted and n8n Cloud. Recreates tags, optionally re-activates workflows.
🛡️ Audit	Runs n8n's built-in security audit (credentials, nodes, filesystem, instance risks) plus extra hygiene checks: active workflows without an error workflow, abandoned workflows, workflows without triggers, duplicate names.

Works with n8n Cloud and self-hosted instances (any instance where the public API is enabled).

🚀 Try it without connecting anything

Just press Start with the default input. With no instance URL, the Actor runs a free demo on bundled sample workflows so you can inspect the exact output format. Connect your real instance when you're ready.

🕑 Scheduled offsite backups in 2 minutes

1. In n8n: Settings → n8n API → Create API key.
2. In this Actor's input: set your instance URL and paste the API key (stored encrypted by Apify).
3. Create an Apify Schedule for the Actor — e.g. daily at 03:00.

Every run stores a complete restorable archive at:

https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/{STORE_ID}/records/backup

Each run keeps its own archive, so you automatically get point-in-time snapshots — restore yesterday's state, or last month's.

♻️ Restoring

Set mode to Restore and pick a source:

• Nothing at all — the latest backup made by this Actor on your account is used automatically. Backup daily, restore with two clicks.
• Backup URL — the signed Backup archive link from any previous backup run's Output tab (point-in-time restore), or
• Backup JSON — paste the archive, a JSON array of workflows, or even a single workflow exported from the n8n editor.

Conflict handling when a workflow with the same name exists on the target: update it (default), skip it, or create a copy. Workflows that were active in the backup are only re-activated if you opt in — a restore never silently starts triggers.

Note on credentials: n8n's API intentionally never exposes credential secrets, so no tool can back them up — you re-enter credentials once on a new instance. Everything else (the actual logic you built) is fully restored, and restored nodes keep their credential references, so workflows reconnect as soon as you recreate the credential with the same name.

🛡️ Audit output example

{
  "recordType": "audit-finding",
  "auditCategory": "hygiene",
  "riskLevel": "medium",
  "finding": "3 active workflow(s) have no error workflow configured",
  "recommendation": "Set an error workflow so failures alert someone instead of dying silently.",
  "affected": ["Daily sales report", "Lead enrichment", "Invoice sync"]
}

💰 Pricing

Pay only for what is processed — no start fee, demo runs are free:

• $0.005 per workflow backed up
• $0.008 per workflow restored (skipped/failed workflows are never charged)
• $0.005 per workflow audited (the instance-level n8n security audit report is included free)

A 50-workflow instance backed up daily costs about $7.50/month — offsite disaster recovery for less than a coffee.

🔐 Security

• The API key input is marked secret — Apify stores it encrypted; it never appears in logs or output.
• The Actor only calls your instance's official public API (/api/v1) over HTTPS.
• Backups live in your Apify storage, under your account's access control.

❓ FAQ

Does this work with n8n Cloud? Yes — n8n Cloud exposes the public API. Use your https://your-team.app.n8n.cloud URL.

My instance is on an old n8n version. Workflows/tags always work. Variables and the built-in security audit degrade gracefully when the endpoint is unavailable — the run tells you in the summary row.

Can I back up executions? No — execution history is transient runtime data and not restorable via the API. This Actor backs up the things you can lose permanently: your workflows.

How do I restore to a brand-new instance? Spin up n8n, create an owner + API key, run this Actor in restore mode with the new instance URL and your latest backup URL. Done.