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n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool, a self-hosted Zapier alternative with hundreds of integrations. You build workflows visually by chaining nodes, and trigger them on a schedule, a webhook, or manually. This page covers running n8n on Suji end-to-end. n8n is maintained upstream; Suji provides the marketplace packaging.

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Before you install

Nothing to prepare, no API keys or tokens. You’ll set up your admin account in the browser after install, and add credentials for individual integrations from inside n8n as you build workflows.
n8n 2.x dropped HTTP basic-auth in favour of an interactive owner-account setup on first run. There is no generated password and no credentials file, the first person to open the URL creates the owner account, so set yours up immediately after install (see below).

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Install

Dashboard → Apps → n8n → Install: There are no secrets to fill in. n8n is lightweight (it needs only ~512 MB), so Small is plenty for most setups. See Recommended size. Click Deploy. The install reaches running in ~1 minute. You’ll get a public URL like https://n8n-<random>.suji.fr: that’s the n8n editor, served over HTTPS through the tunnel.

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First connection: create your owner account

  1. Open the install URL (https://n8n-<random>.suji.fr).
  2. n8n shows a Set up owner account screen on first run.
  3. Enter your email, name, and a password. This becomes your admin login.
  4. You’re taken straight into the workflow editor.
The URL is public the moment the install is running. Until you complete the owner setup, anyone who reaches it can claim the owner account. Do the setup right after deploy. Don’t leave a fresh install unclaimed.
On later visits the same URL shows a Sign in screen instead. Forgot the password? Reset it from a shell. See Troubleshooting.

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Build your first workflow

Inside the editor:
  1. Click Add first step and pick a trigger (Manual, Schedule, or Webhook).
  2. Add action nodes and connect them by dragging between the node dots.
  3. For nodes that talk to an external service (Slack, Google, an HTTP API…), n8n prompts you to add a credential: these are stored encrypted on the install’s volume.
  4. Click Execute workflow to test, then toggle Active (top right) to run it on its trigger.

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Webhooks & external triggers

Webhook and “Wait for webhook” nodes generate a callback URL using the install’s public address, e.g. https://n8n-<random>.suji.fr/webhook/.... Give that URL to the external service.
  • Test vs Production URLs: the editor shows a test URL that’s only live while the canvas is open, and a production URL that works whenever the workflow is Active. Use the production URL for real integrations.
  • OAuth-based credentials (Google, etc.) use the same public host for their redirect URL, register that redirect in the provider’s console.

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Day-to-day management

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Troubleshooting

Reset it from the dashboard’s per-app Terminal (pick n8n):
This resets the owner account so you can set a new password on the next visit. (Exact subcommand can vary by n8n version. Run n8n --help to confirm.)
Always reach n8n through its https://<subdomain>.suji.fr URL. n8n sets a secure cookie; if you tunnel directly to the plain-HTTP container port, the browser refuses the cookie and login fails. The Suji subdomain is HTTPS end-to-end, so it works.
n8n derives webhook URLs from the request host, which is your *.suji.fr subdomain, so they should be correct out of the box. If you’ve put another proxy in front, or the URL still looks wrong, set an explicit WEBHOOK_URL via Edit Install → environment variables and redeploy.
n8n isn’t reachable through the tunnel yet. Usually it’s still starting. Wait ~30 s and retry, especially right after an upgrade. If it persists, the Logs tab shows why the container isn’t up.

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Where things live

Saved credentials are encrypted with the key in /home/node/.n8n/config. If you lose the volume, you lose that key and can’t decrypt your stored credentials: you’d have to re-enter them. Keep this in mind before uninstalling: choose keep data during uninstall if you want to preserve workflows and credentials.
  • Small is plenty. n8n needs only ~512 MB to run and the compose caps it at 1 GB.
  • Memory/CPU pressure comes from what your workflows do, heavy data transforms, large HTTP payloads, or many concurrent executions. If you run big batch workflows, size up; for typical automation a Small VM is comfortable.
  • If you run other apps on the same VM, remember the VM’s total CPU/memory is shared.

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Reporting issues