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Safely update n8n with version checks and Telegram notifications

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Who’s it for

This workflow is for system administrators or self-hosted n8n users who want to automatically check and update their n8n instance to the latest version — with Telegram notifications for every step.

How it works

  1. The workflow runs daily at 9 AM or every time n8n starts.
  2. It retrieves your current version using the Execute Command node.
  3. It checks the latest release from the official n8n GitHub API.
  4. It compares both versions and decides whether an update is needed.
  5. If an update is available:
    • Sends a Telegram alert.
    • Verifies that there are no running executions.
    • Runs the update command safely.
    • Sends a confirmation message when done.
  6. If your instance is already up to date, it sends a “latest version” message instead.

Requirements

  • Self-hosted n8n instance with access to run terminal commands.
  • A valid Telegram Bot API credential (configured in n8n Credentials; not hardcoded).
  • SSH credentials To run commands on the server where n8n is installed
  • n8n API credentials To query running executions

How to set up

  1. Import this workflow into your n8n instance.
  2. Connect your Telegram Bot credential to the Telegram nodes.
  3. Adjust the chat ID and message thread ID if needed.
  4. (Optional) Change the schedule time in the Schedule Trigger node.
  5. Save and activate the workflow.

How to customize

  • Change the update command if you’re running n8n via Docker:
    docker pull n8nio/n8n:latest