# n8n Server Setup: Ubuntu 24 + Nginx Reverse Proxy + Public Domain

````markdown
## Hosting n8n on Ubuntu 24.04 with Nginx Reverse Proxy

### **Prerequisites**
1. **Server Requirements**:
   - **CPU**: Minimum 10 CPU cycles (small cloud instances like AWS/GCP suffice).
   - **Memory**: 320 MB–2 GB (idle usage ~100 MB; scales with workflow complexity).
   - **Database**: SQLite (default) or PostgreSQL (recommended for production, 512 MB–4 GB SSD).
   - **OS**: Ubuntu 24.04 with root/sudo access.
   - **Domain**: A public domain (e.g., `n8n.yourdomain.com`) pointing to your server’s IP.

2. **Dependencies**:
   - Node.js (LTS version, e.g., v20.x) and npm.
   - Nginx (for reverse proxy and HTTPS).
   - PostgreSQL (optional but recommended for production).

---

### **Installation Steps**

#### **1. Update System & Install Node.js**
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
sudo npm install -g npm@latest  # Update npm
````

#### **2\. Install n8n Globally**

```bash
sudo npm install -g n8n
```

#### **3\. Configure PostgreSQL (Optional)**

```bash
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib
sudo -u postgres psql
CREATE DATABASE n8n;
CREATE USER n8n_user WITH PASSWORD 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE n8n TO n8n_user;
\q
```

Set environment variables for n8n to use PostgreSQL:

```bash
export DB_TYPE=postgresdb
export DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n
export DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n_user
export DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=your_password
export DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=localhost
```

#### **4\. Set Up Nginx Reverse Proxy**

Install Nginx:

```bash
sudo apt install nginx -y
```

Create a configuration file for your domain:

```bash
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n.conf
```

Add the following (replace [`n8n.yourdomain.com`](http://n8n.yourdomain.com) with your domain and SSL paths):

```nginx
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name n8n.yourdomain.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name n8n.yourdomain.com;

    ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;
    ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    }
}
```

Enable the configuration and restart Nginx:

```bash
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t  # Test configuration
sudo systemctl restart nginx
```

#### **5\. Secure with HTTPS**

Use Let’s Encrypt for free SSL certificates:

```bash
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d n8n.yourdomain.com
```

#### **6\. Run n8n as a Service**

Create a systemd service to ensure n8n runs persistently:

```bash
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/n8n.service
```

Add:

```ini
[Unit]
Description=n8n service
After=network.target

[Service]
Environment="DB_TYPE=postgresdb"
Environment="DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n"
Environment="DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=n8n_user"
Environment="DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=your_password"
Environment="DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=localhost"
User=root
ExecStart=/usr/bin/n8n
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```

Start the service:

```bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable n8n
sudo systemctl start n8n
```

---

### **Verification**

* Access n8n at [`https://n8n.yourdomain.com`](https://n8n.yourdomain.com).
    
* Check service status: `sudo systemctl status n8n`.
    
* Monitor logs: `journalctl -u n8n -f`.
    

### **Notes**

* **Performance**: For heavy workflows, allocate more RAM (≥2 GB) and CPU.
    
* **Backups**: Regularly back up PostgreSQL/SQLite databases.
    
* **Updates**: Keep Node.js and n8n updated for security patches.
    

For Docker-based installation, refer to [Hostinger’s guide](https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/how-to-install-n8n).