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Nightly n8n backup to Google Drive

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Created by: Jeyson Orozco || jeyson-orozco

Jeyson Orozco

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Last update 4 days ago

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Description

This template creates a nightly backup of all n8n workflows and saves them to a Google Drive folder. Each night, the previous night's backups are moved to an “n8n_old” folder and renamed with the corresponding date.

Backups older than a specified age are automatically deleted using a precise code-based verification. This ensures your cloud storage remains organized without manual intervention.

What's New in v5 (Optimized)

  • Lightning-Fast Search: Optimized Google Drive nodes with specific queries (name contains 'n8n_') and limits. This prevents the workflow from scanning your entire Drive, reducing execution time from minutes to seconds.
  • Dynamic ID Mapping: Updated the Code node to map folder IDs on the fly. The workflow now "remembers" IDs for n8n_backups and n8n_old, allowing for seamless transitions even if folders are newly created.
  • Modernized Loops: Fully migrated from legacy "Split In Batches" to the modern "Loop Over Items" architecture for better stability and readability.
  • Smart Purge Logic: Uses a Javascript-based Code node (you can delete) to extract timestamps from filenames and strictly delete files older than 30 days.
  • Auto-Healing Infrastructure: Intelligent check-and-create logic. If the system detects a missing folder, it creates it and immediately passes the new ID to the rest of the flow.

Prerequisites

  • Google Drive Account: OAuth2 credentials required. Console Cloud Setup
  • n8n Version: Recommended v1.70.1 or higher (Required for modern Loop nodes).
  • n8n API Key: Required for the "Get many workflows" node to fetch your local data. API Key Guide
  • Permissions: Ensure the Google Drive API is enabled in your Google Cloud Project.

Configuration

  1. Credentials: Update all Google Drive nodes with your OAuth2 credentials and the "Get many workflows" node with your n8n API Key.
  2. Folder Detection: The "GET CURRENT FOLDER" node is pre-configured to find folders starting with n8n_. Do not rename the base folders unless you update the search query.
  3. Dynamic Paths: The node "MOVE INTO OLD FOLDER" now uses a smart fallback expression:
    {{ $node["Code"].json.ids.n8n_old || $node["Create n8n_old"].json.id }}
    This ensures it always finds the correct destination.

Automated Purge Settings:

  1. Retention Policy: Open the "you can delete" Code node. You can modify const THIRTY_DAYS_IN_MS to change your retention period.
  2. Activation: Enable the "PURGE DAYS" Schedule Trigger (set to 30 days by default) to start the cleanup cycle.

Last updated

March 2026 (v5.2 Optimized)