🚀 Install Self-Hosted n8n on Linux EC2 with Domain & SSL

n8n is a powerful workflow automation tool, similar to Zapier, but open-source and self-hosted. In this guide, we’ll install n8n on a Linux EC2 instance, configure it with a custom domain, and secure it using SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt.

✅ Prerequisites

• An AWS EC2 Instance (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended)
• Domain name (already purchased)
• Port 80 and 443 open in EC2 Security Group
• Basic SSH access to your server

🖥 Step 1: Connect to Your EC2 Instance

ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-ec2-public-ip

📦 Step 2: Update Server & Install Dependencies

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose certbot python3-certbot-nginx

🐋 Step 3: Create n8n Docker Setup

Create a new folder for n8n:

mkdir ~/n8n && cd ~/n8n

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following content:

version: '3.3'
services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=strongpassword
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.yourdomain.com
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
    volumes:
      - ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n

Save & exit (CTRL+X, Y, Enter).

🌐 Step 4: Setup Reverse Proxy with Nginx

sudo apt install -y nginx
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n

Paste the following config (replace n8n.yourdomain.com):

server {
    server_name n8n.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;
        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;
    }
}

Enable the site & restart Nginx:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

🔐 Step 5: Secure with Let’s Encrypt SSL

sudo certbot --nginx -d n8n.yourdomain.com

🚀 Step 6: Start n8n

cd ~/n8n
docker-compose up -d

Now visit: https://n8n.yourdomain.com 🎉

🛡 Security Notes

• Change N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER and N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD in your docker-compose.yml.
• Regularly update n8n with: docker-compose pull && docker-compose up -d
• Renew SSL automatically: sudo systemctl enable certbot.timer

🎯 Conclusion

You’ve successfully installed self-hosted n8n on an EC2 instance, secured it with SSL, and mapped it to your custom domain. Now you can start building automation workflows like a pro!