Auto backup n8n workflows to GitLab with AI-generated documentation
This n8n template automatically backs up your workflows to a GitLab repository whenever they're updated or activated, and generates README documentation using AI.
This workflow can be aslo added as a sub-workflow to any existing workflow to enable backup functionality.
Who's it for
This template is perfect for n8n users who want to:
- Maintain version control of their workflows
- Create automatic backups in Git repositories
- Generate documentation for their workflows using AI
- Keep their workflow library organized and documented
How it works
The workflow monitors n8n for workflow updates and activations, then automatically saves the workflow JSON to GitLab and generates a README file using OpenAI:
- Trigger Detection: Uses n8n Trigger to detect when workflows are updated or activated
- Workflow Retrieval: Fetches the complete workflow data using the n8n API
- Repository Check: Lists existing files in GitLab to determine if the workflow already exists
- Smart File Management: Either creates a new file or updates an existing one based on the repository state
- AI Documentation: Generates a README.md file using OpenAI's GPT model to document the workflow
- GitLab Storage: Saves both the workflow JSON and README to organized folders in your GitLab repository
Requirements
- GitLab account with API access and a repository named "all_projects"
- n8n API credentials for accessing workflow data
- OpenAI API key for generating documentation
- GitLab personal access token with repository write permissions
How to set up
- Configure GitLab credentials: Add your GitLab API credentials in the GitLab nodes
- Set up n8n API: Configure your n8n API credentials for the workflow retrieval node
- Add OpenAI credentials: Set up your OpenAI API key in the "Message a model" node
- Update repository details: Modify the owner and repository name in GitLab nodes to match your setup
- Test the workflow: Save and activate the workflow to test the backup functionality
How to customize the workflow
- Change repository structure: Modify the file path expressions to organize workflows differently
- Customize commit messages: Update the commit message templates in GitLab nodes
- Enhance AI documentation: Modify the OpenAI prompt to generate different styles of documentation
- Add file filtering: Include conditions to backup only specific workflows
- Extend triggers: Add webhook or schedule triggers for different backup scenarios
- Multiple repositories: Duplicate GitLab nodes to backup to multiple repositories simultaneously