Bidirectional GitHub workflow sync & version control for n8n workflows
**Who is this for?**
This template is ideal for **n8n administrators, automation engineers, and DevOps teams** who want to maintain bidirectional synchronization between their n8n workflows and GitHub repositories. It helps teams keep their workflow backups up-to-date and ensures consistency between their n8n instance and version control system.
**What problem is this workflow solving?**
Managing workflow versions across n8n and GitHub can become complex when changes happen in both places. This workflow solves that by **automatically synchronizing workflows bidirectionally**, ensuring that the most recent version is always available in both systems without manual intervention or version conflicts.
**What this workflow does:**
* Runs on a **weekly schedule** (every Monday) to check for synchronization needs.
* Fetches all workflows from your n8n instance and compares them with GitHub repository files.
* Identifies workflows that exist **only in n8n** and uploads them to GitHub as JSON backups.
* Identifies workflows that exist **only in GitHub** and creates them in your n8n instance.
* For workflows that exist in both places, compares timestamps and **syncs the most recent version**:
* If n8n version is newer → Updates GitHub with the latest workflow
* If GitHub version is newer → Updates n8n with the latest workflow
* Automatically handles file naming, encoding/decoding, and commit messages with timestamps.
**Setup:**
1. **Connect GitHub**: Configure GitHub API credentials in the GitHub nodes.
*Note: Use a GitHub Personal Access Token (classic) with `repo` permissions to read and write workflow files.*
2. **Connect n8n API**: Provide your n8n API credentials in the `n8n` nodes. [Check this doc](https://docs.n8n.io/api/authentication/)
3. **Configure GitHub Details** in the **Set GitHub Details** node:
* `github_account_name`: Your GitHub username or organization
* `github_repo_name`: The repository name where workflows should be stored
* `repo_workflows_path`: The folder path in your repo (e.g., `workflows` or `n8n-workflows`)
4. **Adjust Schedule**: Modify the Schedule Trigger if you want a different sync frequency (currently set to weekly on Mondays).
5. **Test the workflow**: Run it manually first to ensure all connections and permissions are working correctly.
**How to customize this workflow to your needs:**
* **Change sync frequency**: Modify the Schedule Trigger to run daily, hourly, or on-demand.
* **Add filtering**: Extend the Filter node to exclude certain workflows (e.g., test workflows, templates).
* **Add notifications**: Insert Slack, email, or webhook notifications to report sync results.
* **Implement conflict resolution**: Add custom logic for handling workflows with the same timestamp.
* **Add workflow validation**: Include checks to validate workflow JSON before syncing.
* **Branch management**: Modify to sync to different branches or create pull requests instead of direct commits.
* **Backup retention**: Add logic to maintain multiple versions or archive old workflows.
**Key Features:**
* **Bidirectional sync**: Handles changes from both n8n and GitHub
* **Timestamp-based conflict resolution**: Always keeps the most recent version
* **Automatic file naming**: Converts workflow names to valid filenames
* **Base64 encoding/decoding**: Properly handles JSON workflow data
* **Comprehensive comparison**: Uses dataset comparison to identify differences
* **Automated commits**: Includes timestamps in commit messages for traceability
This automated synchronization workflow provides a robust backup and version control solution for n8n workflows, ensuring your automation assets are always safely stored and consistently available across environments.
