You can install n8n on a Linux VPS with npm by installing a supported Node.js release, running npm install n8n -g, and starting it with n8n or n8n start. For a production deployment, that command is only the application install: you must also keep the process alive after SSH disconnects, restrict network access, configure a domain and reverse proxy, terminate HTTPS, and plan backups.
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There is an important timing issue. n8n’s npm installation guide says npm-based installs are deprecated from n8n 3.0. The one-line setup guidance schedules n8n 3.0 for October 2026 and directs new installations toward Docker. The npm procedure below remains useful for an existing npm estate, a temporary deployment, or a controlled test, but check the current n8n release notes before starting a brand-new VPS.
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What you need before installing
This procedure assumes a Linux VPS, an SSH-capable administrative account that is not root, and permission to use sudo for operating-system changes. You also need a firewall policy, a hostname you control if the instance will be accessed over the internet, and a plan for storing n8n data and secrets.
- Operating system: a supported Linux distribution with package-management and service-management tools.
- Access: SSH login using your administrator account and, ideally, key authentication rather than a password.
- Node.js: n8n’s current npm guide requires Node.js 20.19 through 24.x, inclusive. Verify the exact version after installation; do not assume the distribution’s default package is suitable.
- Network: allow SSH only from the addresses that need it, and expose the n8n web endpoint through a reverse proxy rather than directly opening the application port to the internet.
- Storage and recovery: decide where the n8n database, workflow data, credentials, and encryption material will live, and how they will be backed up.
The official material retrieved for this procedure does not establish a universal CPU, memory, disk, or workflow-throughput requirement. Size the VPS from your executions, concurrency, binary data, database choice, and retention policy rather than treating an undocumented minimum as a guarantee.
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npm or Docker for a new VPS?
The commands in this article describe npm because that is the requested installation method. However, the method is transitional: n8n positions Docker as the documented direction for new installations as version 3.0 approaches. Use the following decision table before you provision a long-lived server.
| Consideration | npm installation | Docker installation |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle | npm-based installs are deprecated from n8n 3.0; existing installations are expected to continue temporarily. | Documented direction for new n8n 3.0 installations. |
| Runtime management | You own the Node.js version, npm prefix, global package, and operating-system integration. | The application runtime is packaged with the container image; the host still needs Docker maintenance. |
| Isolation | n8n and its dependencies share the VPS filesystem and process environment. | Container boundaries make repeatable deployments and rollback easier. |
| Upgrades | Coordinate Node.js compatibility, npm package updates, service restarts, and rollback of the global package. | Pull and run a tested image version, while preserving volumes and environment configuration. |
| TLS and proxying | You still need a reverse proxy or equivalent front end to provide HTTPS. | You still need a reverse proxy or equivalent front end to provide HTTPS. |
| Backup scope | Back up the host’s n8n data, credentials, encryption key, configuration, and any external database. | Back up the same application data plus the container configuration and persistent volumes. |
| Best fit | Existing npm deployments, local development, testing, or a deliberately transitional server. | A fresh production deployment being started near the n8n 3.0 transition. |
If you choose npm for compatibility with an existing process, record that decision and set a review date. A successful installation today does not remove the need to migrate later.
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- Connect over SSH. From your workstation, use your provider’s hostname or IP address, for example
ssh [email protected]. Replace the example address with your server’s real address. - Update the operating system. Use the update and security-update procedure documented for your distribution, then reboot if the kernel or other core packages require it.
- Confirm administrative escalation. Run a harmless command such as
sudo -v. If it fails, fix the account’s sudo policy before installing software. - Choose a service identity. You can run n8n under the administrative account for a temporary test. For a persistent service, create a dedicated unprivileged account and a data directory owned by that account. Do not run workflow automation as root unless you have a specific, reviewed reason.
Keep the initial SSH session open until the service has been tested. Closing a terminal does not safely daemonize a foreground n8n process; that is handled later with a service manager.
Step 2: install a supported Node.js release
n8n’s current npm documentation states: “n8n requires a Node.js version between 20.19 and 24.x, inclusive.” That range is the compatibility boundary to check on the VPS. The exact installation command depends on your Linux distribution and whether you use its packages or a Node.js version manager.
Option A: use the distribution’s package method
Consult the package instructions for your VPS distribution and install Node.js and npm only if the resulting Node.js version falls inside the required range. Distribution repositories can lag behind the current release, so verify rather than relying on the package name alone.
Option B: use a Node.js version manager
A version manager is useful when the operating system repository is too old or when you must keep more than one supported Node.js line available. Install the manager using its documented instructions, select a version from 20.19 through 24.x, and make sure the selected version is loaded for the account that will run n8n and for any system service that starts it.
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Verify both executables
After either method, run:
node --version
npm --versionThe first command must report a Node.js release in the supported 20.19–24.x range. The second must return an npm version instead of “command not found.” Also record the binary locations:
command -v node
command -v npmThose paths matter later if a service manager does not inherit your interactive shell’s environment.
Step 3: install n8n globally with npm
Once the version check passes, install n8n globally:
npm install n8n -gThe -g flag places the command in npm’s global prefix so that n8n can be invoked from the shell. If your global prefix is protected, use the distribution’s documented privilege mechanism or configure a user-writable npm prefix; do not solve permission errors by making the entire filesystem writable.
Confirm that the executable is available:
n8n --version
command -v n8nKeep the reported n8n version, Node.js version, npm version, installation date, and global prefix in your deployment notes. That information makes an eventual rollback or migration reproducible.
Step 4: start n8n for the first test
Start the application in the foreground:
n8nYou can also use:
n8n startWatch the startup output for binding errors, permission failures, or database and encryption warnings. From a second SSH session, test the local endpoint using the port shown by your configuration. Do not expose that port publicly just to make the first test work; use a local request or an SSH tunnel while the reverse proxy is being configured.
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Complete the initial owner-account setup in the browser when prompted. Use a unique, long password and store it in an approved password manager. If the process stops when you close the terminal, that is expected at this stage: it is still attached to your SSH session.
Step 5: keep n8n running after SSH disconnects
A production process needs a supervisor that starts n8n at boot, restarts it after an unexpected exit, captures logs, and runs it as an unprivileged account. systemd is the usual choice on current Linux VPS images.
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Use your distribution’s account-management tools to create an n8n service user and a private data directory, then assign ownership to that user. The exact commands vary by distribution; the important properties are that the account has no interactive administrative privileges and that only the service and approved operators can read its data.
Find the absolute n8n path
Run command -v n8n as the account that performed the global npm install. Copy the resulting absolute path into the service definition. A service started by systemd may not load the same PATH as an interactive shell.
Create a systemd unit
Create a unit such as /etc/systemd/system/n8n.service, adapting the user, data directory, PATH, and executable path to your server:
[Unit]
Description=n8n automation service
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=n8n
Group=n8n
WorkingDirectory=/var/lib/n8n
Environment=HOME=/var/lib/n8n
Environment=PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/n8n start
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5
NoNewPrivileges=true
PrivateTmp=true
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetIf command -v n8n returned a different path, replace /usr/local/bin/n8n with that exact path. If you install n8n into a user-only npm prefix, either expose that prefix explicitly in PATH or install the service under the same user and environment instead of guessing a system path.
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Load, enable, and inspect the service
- Reload unit files with
sudo systemctl daemon-reload. - Start n8n with
sudo systemctl start n8n. - Enable startup at boot with
sudo systemctl enable n8n. - Check the state with
sudo systemctl status n8n. - Read recent logs with
sudo journalctl -u n8n -n 100 --no-pager.
Do not run both a foreground copy and the systemd copy on the same port. Stop the foreground process first, then let systemd own the service lifecycle.
Step 6: configure the application endpoint
For a public deployment, bind n8n behind a reverse proxy rather than publishing its internal listener directly. Set the service’s environment through a protected systemd environment file or equivalent secret-management mechanism. Common values include the public hostname, internal listening port, HTTPS protocol, and the public webhook URL. Keep secrets out of shell history and out of world-readable unit files.
The public URL must be consistent across DNS, the reverse proxy, and n8n’s webhook configuration. If a workflow service receives callbacks, an incorrect external URL can produce links that point to localhost or an internal address even though the editor appears to work.
Step 7: add DNS, firewall rules, and HTTPS
Point a domain at the VPS
Create an A or AAAA record for the hostname you intend to use and wait for DNS propagation. Test resolution from a separate network before troubleshooting the application; a stale record can look like a proxy failure.
Limit the firewall
Allow SSH on the port you actually use, allow HTTP and HTTPS if your certificate workflow requires them, and keep n8n’s internal application port restricted to localhost or the private interface. Do not open the database or internal service port to the whole internet.
Place a reverse proxy in front
n8n’s security guidance requires self-hosters to encrypt data in transit by putting a reverse proxy in front of the instance to handle TLS. Its SSL guidance names Traefik or a network load balancer as examples; Nginx and Caddy can perform the same front-end role when correctly configured.
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A proxy configuration must:
- Listen on the public hostname for HTTP and HTTPS.
- Forward requests to n8n’s private address and port.
- Preserve the original
Hostand forwarding headers. - Support connection upgrades when the editor or nodes require a persistent connection.
- Redirect plain HTTP to HTTPS after certificate issuance.
- Renew certificates automatically and reload the proxy without interrupting service.
For Nginx, the essential shape is a server block that proxies to the private n8n listener and includes headers similar to these:
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proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";Use the exact syntax and certificate procedure documented by your chosen proxy. Verify the result from outside the VPS with an HTTPS request, then confirm that the browser shows the expected hostname and certificate before enabling external webhooks.
Step 8: protect credentials and encryption material
Automation credentials are sensitive even when the editor is behind a login. Restrict filesystem permissions on the n8n data directory, the service environment file, SSH keys, and proxy certificate keys. Do not paste encryption keys into public issue trackers or commit them to a repository.
Backups must include the n8n data required to restore workflows and credentials, the encryption material needed to decrypt those credentials, service and proxy configuration, and any external database used by the deployment. A backup that contains workflows but not the matching encryption key is not a complete recovery.
Test restoration on a separate instance. Record which n8n version, Node.js version, environment variables, database, and proxy settings were used in the test so that recovery is an executable procedure rather than an assumption.
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Step 9: upgrade safely
npm upgrades change application code while the VPS, Node.js runtime, service unit, and data remain in place. Before an upgrade:
- Read the n8n release notes and verify that the target release still supports your Node.js version.
- Take and verify a backup, including encryption material.
- Record the currently running n8n and Node.js versions.
- Stop the service with
sudo systemctl stop n8n. - Install the tested n8n version with npm, using the global prefix that your service actually uses.
- Start the service and inspect
systemctl statusandjournalctl. - Run a health check: sign in, open a workflow, execute a safe test, and verify one representative webhook or integration.
Do not automatically combine an n8n upgrade with a Node.js major-version change. Changing one layer at a time makes failures diagnosable and rollback practical. Because npm installs are deprecated from n8n 3.0, include migration planning in the upgrade record rather than treating npm as a permanent path.
Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Checks and corrective action |
|---|---|---|
npm: command not found |
Node.js/npm was not installed for the current account or PATH. | Run node --version, npm --version, and command -v npm. Load the version manager in the shell or install the distribution package. |
| Unsupported engine or install error | Node.js is outside n8n’s supported 20.19–24.x range. | Install a supported release, verify with node --version, then retry the n8n installation. |
n8n works interactively but systemd fails |
The service does not inherit the interactive PATH or npm prefix. | Use command -v n8n, put the absolute path in ExecStart, define PATH explicitly, reload systemd, and inspect the journal. |
| Browser cannot connect | Firewall, DNS, proxy, or listener binding problem. | Check local service status first, then DNS resolution, firewall rules, proxy logs, and the certificate. Keep the internal port private. |
| HTTPS works but webhooks fail | The configured public URL or forwarded protocol is wrong. | Check the external hostname, HTTPS termination, forwarding headers, and n8n’s webhook URL settings. Test from outside the VPS. |
| Service starts, then exits | Permission, environment, database, or encryption configuration error. | Read the complete output from sudo journalctl -u n8n, confirm the service user’s access to its data directory, and compare its environment with the known-good foreground test. |
| Credentials cannot be decrypted after restore | The backup omitted or changed the encryption material. | Restore the matching key and configuration together with the n8n data; do not generate a new key over the restored files. |
Production readiness checklist
- Node.js reports a version from 20.19 through 24.x, inclusive.
npm install n8n -gcompleted andn8n --versionreturns the installed release.- n8n runs under a non-root service identity and starts through systemd after reboot.
- The internal n8n port is not exposed to the public internet.
- DNS points to the VPS and the reverse proxy serves the intended hostname.
- TLS is active, renews automatically, and redirects HTTP to HTTPS.
- Webhook URLs use the public HTTPS address.
- Firewall rules restrict SSH and leave only required public ports open.
- Backups include workflows, database data, credentials, encryption material, and configuration.
- A restoration test has succeeded.
- An upgrade and rollback plan acknowledges the npm deprecation arriving with n8n 3.0.
Bottom line
The npm path is straightforward: install supported Node.js, run npm install n8n -g, and start with n8n or n8n start. On a real VPS, the difficult and security-critical work comes afterward: supervise the process, isolate the internal port, terminate TLS at a reverse proxy, protect encryption material, and maintain tested backups. Since n8n is deprecating npm installations from version 3.0 and directing new deployments to Docker, use npm deliberately for an existing or transitional installation and reassess the deployment method before committing to a new production system.
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