Skip to main content

Nightly n8n backup to Dropbox

Workflow preview

Workflow preview
100%
Nightly n8n backup to Dropbox preview
Open on n8n.io

Important notice

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

1. Workflow Overview

This template will create a nightly backup of all your n8n workflows to a Dropbox folder. Each night, the previous night's backups are moved into an "old" folder, and renamed with the date they wer...

Best for

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

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.scheduletrigger, n8n-nodes-base.datetime, n8n-nodes-base.dropbox, n8n-nodes-base.stickynote, n8n-nodes-base.n8n, n8n-nodes-base.movebinarydata, n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.merge

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Joey D’Anna.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Nightly n8n backup to Dropbox
Workflow name
Nightly n8n backup to Dropbox

This template will create a nightly backup of all your n8n workflows to a Dropbox folder. Each night, the previous night's backups are moved into an "old" folder, and renamed with the date they were taken.

Backups over a specified age are deleted. (this is disabled by default for safety until you manually enable and verify it with your own setup)

Prerequisites

  • Dropbox account and credentials
  • A destination folder for backups

Setup

  • Update all dropbox nodes with your credential
  • Edit the Schedule Trigger node with the desired time to run the backup
  • Edit the DESTINATION FOLDER node to specify the path in dropbox to upload to. This should be a folder and include the trailing /
  • If you want to automatically purge old backups
    • Edit the PURGE DAYS node to specify the age to purge
    • Enable the PURGE DAYS node, and the 3 subsequent nodes
  • Enable the workflow to run on the specified schedule

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 - Schedule Trigger

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

Block 2 - PURGE DAYS

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

Block 3 - DELETE OLD BACKUPS

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

Block 4 - Sticky Note

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

Block 5 - Sticky Note1

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

Block 6 - Sticky Note2

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

Block 7 - GET WORKFLOWS

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

Block 8 - MAKE JSON FILES

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

Block 9 - UPLOAD WORKFLOWS

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

Block 10 - DESTINATION FOLDER

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

Block 11 - WAIT FOR MOVE TO FINISH

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.merge - merge
Config choices
Version 2.1

Block 12 - GET CURRENT BACKUPS

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

Block 13 - IGNORE FOLDERS

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

Block 14 - MOVE INTO OLD FOLDER

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

Block 15 - LIST OLD BACKUPS

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

Block 16 - CHECK DATES

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

Block 17 - GET CURRENT DATE

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

3. Summary Table

Workflow Nightly n8n backup to Dropbox
Complexity advanced
Nodes 17
Categories DevOps
Author Joey D’Anna
Published 30 Jan 2024

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/2075/2075.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 Nightly n8n backup to Dropbox do?

This template will create a nightly backup of all your n8n workflows to a Dropbox folder. Each night, the previous night's backups are moved into an "old" folder, and renamed with the date they wer...

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.