📘 Introduction

n8n is a powerful workflow automation platform that lets you connect apps, automate processes, and even build AI agents — all without writing a single line of code. Running n8n locally using Docker Compose gives you a clean, reliable, and easily reproducible environment that’s perfect for development, experimentation, and learning.

This guide walks you through the complete Docker-based setup, making it simple to get n8n running on your machine in just a few minutes.

💡 Why Install n8n with Docker?

Docker makes managing n8n incredibly smooth by encapsulating everything in a self-contained environment. You don’t need to worry about dependencies or OS-specific configuration — everything runs the same way on any system.

It’s easy to start, stop, update, and back up your setup, and Docker volumes ensure your workflows remain safe even when containers are removed or updated. With Docker, you get a stable and future-proof local environment that works exactly as intended.

✅ Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following:

🐳 ☑️ Docker installed
📦☑️ Docker Compose installed

📁1️⃣ Create a Project Folder

Start by creating a folder for your n8n setup:

mkdir n8n-docker
cd n8n-docker
💡
This is where your Docker Compose file and persistent data will live.

🧩2️⃣ Create Your Docker Compose File

Inside the folder, create a file named docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.8'

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Europe/Berlin
      - TZ=Europe/Berlin
      - N8N_ENFORCE_SETTINGS_FILE_PERMISSIONS=true
      - N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true
    volumes:
      - ./n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
    restart: unless-stopped

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