How to run n8n on a VPS and set up automation
Install n8n on a VPS step by step
Running n8n on a server
1. What it is used for
n8n is a tool that helps automate workflows without coding.
It is often used to connect different services and build automated processes.
For example, you can:
- receive form submissions from a website
- send messages to Telegram
- work with external APIs
2. What you need before starting
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- a VPS server
- SSH access to the server
- Docker installed
If Docker is not installed yet, you need to install it first.
3. Running via Docker
Connect to your server via SSH and run the following command:
docker run -d \
--name n8n \
-p 5678:5678 \
-v ~/.n8n:/home/node/.n8n \
n8nio/n8n
After that, n8n will be available in your browser at:
http://SERVER_IP:5678
4. First login and setup
When you open it for the first time, the service will ask you to:
- create an account
- log in to the dashboard
After that, you can immediately start creating workflows.
n8n also supports webhooks — special URLs that receive requests from other services and trigger actions automatically.
5. How to check it works
To make sure everything is working:
- open
http://SERVER_IP:5678 - create a simple workflow with manual trigger
- click Execute
If it runs without errors, the setup is successful.
6. What to do if it does not work
Most common cases:
- The page does not open
Check if port 5678 is open
- The container is not running
Run:
docker ps
- Docker is not working
Make sure it is installed and running
7. Where it can be used
n8n is suitable for:
- automating routine tasks
- integrating different services
- processing requests and webhook calls