n8n Cron Backup: Export Workflows to Nextcloud + Discord

Automatic n8n Workflow Backups to Nextcloud + Discord Alerts

This n8n Cron Backup workflow exports every workflow from your n8n instance using the n8n API, saves each workflow as a JSON file to Nextcloud, and posts a Discord message when the backup run completes—either on a schedule (4:00 AM America/Edmonton) or when you manually execute it.

What this workflow does

• Runs on a Cron schedule or manually (daily at 4:00 AM America/Edmonton, or start on demand).
• Retrieves all workflows from n8n via the n8n API.
• Loops through each workflow ID and fetches the full workflow JSON for that ID.
• Exports each workflow JSON by converting it into a binary file.
• Uploads the backup files to Nextcloud into your configured backup folder (e.g., /N8N Workflow Backup/).
• Sends a completion notification to Discord after the entire batch finishes.

Use cases

• Keep an off-platform backup of your n8n automations in case you need to restore workflows later.
• For automation engineers and SaaS operators, maintain a reliable daily workflow export without manual effort.
• Get visibility via Discord alerts so you know backups are running and completing as expected.

Technical details

• n8n + Cron: schedules the backup loop daily (4:00 AM America/Edmonton) or supports manual execution.
• n8n API: lists workflow IDs and fetches each workflow’s JSON.
• Nextcloud: uploads each exported workflow JSON file to the selected backup folder path.
• Discord OAuth2: posts a completion message to your configured guild (server) and channel.
• Workflow structure includes nodes such as split out and sticky note to support iterative export and clarity.

Setup checklist

• Create/select an n8n API credential with permission to read workflows.
• Create/select a Nextcloud credential and ensure the target folder exists (or update the upload path).
• Create/select a Discord OAuth2 credential, then set the guild ID and channel ID for completion notifications.
• Optionally adjust the Cron time and workflow timezone to match your preferred backup window.