n8n Local Stack

This project runs n8n locally with PostgreSQL for persistence and cloudflared to expose the instance through a Cloudflare Tunnel token.

Services

• postgres: persistent database for n8n
• n8n: workflow automation UI and runtime
• cloudflared: outbound tunnel connector for public exposure through Cloudflare

Prerequisites

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• A Cloudflare account and a zone you control

Quick start

1. Copy the environment template:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Copy the Docker Compose override template:

   cp docker-compose.override.yml.dist docker-compose.override.yml

3. Create the PostgreSQL data directory before the first start:

   mkdir -p .docker/postgres/data

   Keep this directory empty before PostgreSQL initializes, otherwise the container may fail to start.

4. Edit .env and set at least:

   • POSTGRES_PASSWORD
   • N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY
   • N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER
   • N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD
   • CLOUDFLARE_TUNNEL_TOKEN

5. Start the local stack:

   docker compose up -d

6. Open http://localhost:5678 for local access.

Environment variables

The main settings live in .env.

• N8N_HOST, N8N_PROTOCOL, N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL: editor URL settings
• WEBHOOK_URL: public base URL used by n8n for webhooks
• N8N_BASIC_AUTH_*: default protection for the internet-facing instance
• CLOUDFLARE_TUNNEL_TOKEN: token used by the cloudflared container
• CLOUDFLARE_PUBLIC_HOSTNAME: placeholder for your public DNS name

Cloudflare tunnel setup

1. In Cloudflare Zero Trust, create a new tunnel.

2. Choose the Docker connector flow.

3. Create a public hostname such as n8n.example.com that points to http://n8n:5678.

4. Copy the generated tunnel token into .env as CLOUDFLARE_TUNNEL_TOKEN.

5. Set:

   • CLOUDFLARE_PUBLIC_HOSTNAME=n8n.example.com
   • WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.example.com/
   • N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=https://n8n.example.com/

6. Start or restart the stack:

   docker compose up -d

Cloudflare will terminate HTTPS. The local n8n container still listens on plain HTTP inside Docker.

Common commands

Start:

docker compose up -d

Stop:

docker compose down

Stop and remove volumes:

docker compose down -v

Logs:

docker compose logs -f n8n postgres cloudflared

Security notes

• Keep .env private.
• Use a strong random value for N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY.
• Do not expose n8n publicly without authentication.

Troubleshooting

• If n8n cannot start, check that PostgreSQL is healthy with docker compose ps.
• If webhooks use the wrong URL, confirm WEBHOOK_URL and N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL.
• If the public hostname does not connect, verify the tunnel is healthy in the Cloudflare dashboard and inspect docker compose logs cloudflared.