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Daily workflow backups to GitHub with Slack notifications

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Important notice

This workflow is provided as-is. Please review and test before using in production.

1. Workflow Overview

Who is this for? This workflow is ideal for n8n self hosted users, DevOps engineers, and automation developers who want to automatically back up their n8n workflows to GitHub on a regular basis. Wh...

Best for

  • DevOps automation workflows
  • advanced n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.merge, n8n-nodes-base.code, n8n-nodes-base.github, n8n-nodes-base.filter, n8n-nodes-base.stickynote, n8n-nodes-base.switch, n8n-nodes-base.n8n

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Andrew.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Daily workflow backups to GitHub with Slack notifications
Workflow name
Daily workflow backups to GitHub with Slack notifications

Who is this for?

This workflow is ideal for n8n self-hosted users, DevOps engineers, and automation developers who want to automatically back up their n8n workflows to GitHub on a regular basis.

What problem is this workflow solving

Manually backing up n8n workflows can be time-consuming and prone to human error. This workflow automates the backup process, ensuring that all workflows are safely stored in a version-controlled GitHub repository every 24 hours.

What this workflow does

This automation runs daily to back up all workflows from your n8n instance to a specified GitHub repository. Each workflow is saved as a .json file using its unique ID, organized into a folder path defined by repo_path. The workflow is designed to manage memory usage efficiently by recursively calling itself. Once the backup is complete, it optionally sends a Slack notification to confirm success.

Setup

  1. Configure the Config node in the subworkflow to set:
    • GitHub Repo Owner
    • GitHub Repo Name
    • Main folder path (repo_path)
  2. Connect your GitHub and (optionally) Slack credentials.
  3. Set the workflow to run on a daily cron schedule.
  4. Test the workflow manually to confirm the GitHub integration works.

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1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Return

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.3

Block 2 - Merge Items

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.merge - merge
Config choices
Version 2

Block 3 - isDiffOrNew

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 1

Block 4 - Create new file

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.github - github
Config choices
Version 1

Block 5 - Edit existing file

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.github - github
Config choices
Version 1

Block 6 - Filter

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.filter - filter
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 7 - Sticky Note3

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 8 - Sticky Note4

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 9 - Switch

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.switch - switch
Config choices
Version 3.2

Block 10 - Get Workflows

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.n8n - n8n
Config choices
Version 1

Block 11 - Config

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.4

Block 12 - Schedule Trigger

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger - scheduleTrigger
Config choices
Version 1.2

Block 13 - Get a file

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.github - github
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 14 - Is File too large?

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 15 - Get File

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 16 - Starting Message

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.slack - slack
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 17 - Completed Notification

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.slack - slack
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 18 - Loop Over Items

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches - splitInBatches
Config choices
Version 3

3. Summary Table

Workflow Daily workflow backups to GitHub with Slack notifications
Complexity advanced
Nodes 18
Categories DevOps
Author Andrew
Published 10 Jul 2025

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/5851/5851.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Daily workflow backups to GitHub with Slack notifications do?

Who is this for? This workflow is ideal for n8n self hosted users, DevOps engineers, and automation developers who want to automatically back up their n8n workflows to GitHub on a regular basis. Wh...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your DevOps use case.