Templates / N8N backup flow to Nextcloud (7-day retention)

N8N backup flow to Nextcloud (7-day retention)

Ready for 3.0

by Joachim Hummel ✓ · 1,512 views · created 2025-05-23 · DevOps

Ready for 3.0. This template uses no nodes that n8n 3.0 removes. No removed nodes, versions or helpers found. Static check, last run 2026-10-19.

Nodes used (8)

Nextcloud

What it does

This workflow automates the daily backup of all your n8n workflows to a designated folder in Nextcloud. It ensures that you always have the last 7 days of backups available while automatically deleting older ones to save space. 🔧 Features Scheduled Trigger: Runs automatically once per day (can be executed manually as well). Directory Management: Creates the /N8N-Backup directory in Nextcloud if it doesn't already exist. Backup Collection: Retrieves all workflows from the n8n instance. JSON Conversion: Converts each workflow into a JSON file. Upload to Nextcloud: Saves each backup file into the specified backup directory. Retention Control: Keeps only the latest 7 backups and deletes the rest from Nextcloud. 📌 Notes Make sure to manually create the /N8N-Backup directory in your Nextcloud account before using this flow. Update the Backup Path node if you wish to change the upload directory. Ideal for teams using n8n with self-hosted instances and requiring offsite backup via Nextcloud. 🔒 Requirements n8n instance with access to the Nextcloud node. Valid credentials for your Nextcloud account with API access. Update: 08/11/2025 “Backup Flows to Nextcloud” – Import format fixed Summary: The workflow now exports one clean JSON object per workflow (no arrays, no backup/meta fields), so files can be imported 1:1 via the n8n UI. What changed: Switched from “Convert to File” to a Set node that builds the JSON in binary data. Enabled filters.include = "all" on Get many workflows to include nodes, connections, settings, pinData, and tags. Sanitized filenames and removed IDs/metadata that can break UI imports. Fixed Nextcloud path and binary property mapping (data). Verification: Generated multiple backups and imported each via UI (“Import from file”) without errors. Each file begins with { (single object) and loads with full workflow structure. Notes: Keep “Binary Property” set to data in the Nextcloud node. Filenames are sanitized to avoid special-character issues.

View the original on n8n.io → Check your own copy

Get the weekly “what broke” email

New templates, newly broken ones, and n8n release changes. One short email a week.

Form not loading? Subscribe here.