Borg SSH Server Directory Backup to Google Drive (n8n Workflow)

Automatically back up a server directory over SSH and store it in Google Drive

This n8n workflow creates a Borg SSH backup of a chosen directory on your server, packages the Borg repository into a tar.gz archive, and uploads it to Google Drive in either a sync (single latest file) or versioned (timestamped files) mode.

What this workflow does

• Collects backup settings via an n8n Form Trigger (protected with basic-auth) and stores them in an n8n Data Table for reuse on scheduled runs.
• Schedules the backup and loads the saved configuration to determine the source directory, encryption/passphrase settings, repository behavior, and Google Drive upload mode.
• Connects over SSH to the target server and ensures BorgBackup is available (installs if needed).
• Creates a Borg archive of the configured directory, optionally using an on-server passphrase file, then prunes and compacts the repository to keep backups efficient.
• Packages the repository by compressing the Borg repository into a single tar.gz archive.
• Uploads to Google Drive:
  • Sync mode: searches for an existing latest-backup file and updates it, or uploads a new one.
  • Versioned mode: uploads a new timestamped backup file on every run.
• Cleans up by removing the temporary staged tar.gz archive from the server after upload completes.

Use cases

• SaaS operators backing up application data directories from a single remote server to Google Drive.
• Automation engineers setting up scheduled, encrypted Borg SSH backups with Google Drive retention control.
• Teams who want an easy “latest” restore point (sync mode) or full historical recovery (versioned mode).

Technical details

• n8n nodes/blocks: Form Trigger, Data Table, SSH, Code, IF, Sticky Note.
• Integrations: SSH connection to the target server, BorgBackup creation/prune/compact, Google Drive upload (sync or versioned).
• Credentials: An SSH private-key credential that can read the source directory and run BorgBackup commands.