If you’re running n8n on a LumaDock VPS using Docker, updates are simple but only if the encryption key and data volume are handled correctly.
This guide shows the exact process to update n8n on Ubuntu 24.04 without losing workflows credentials or executions.
You can skip all manual steps by deploying our n8n-ready VPS image during the purchase process or from the LumaDock control panel.
Assumptions
This guide applies to the following setup:
Ubuntu 24.04 on a LumaDock VPS
n8n installed using Docker and Docker Compose
n8n exposed on port
5678Data stored in a Docker volume named
n8n_data
If your setup differs, review each step carefully before running commands.
Confirm n8n is running in Docker
Start by checking that n8n is actually running as a Docker container.
Step 1 – Check running containers
docker ps | grep n8n
If you see an n8n container listed, you’re good to continue. This confirms the installation is Docker-based and not managed by npm or systemd.
Locate your docker-compose.yml file
Docker Compose commands must always be executed from the directory that contains docker-compose.yml.
Step 2 – Find the Compose file
find / -name docker-compose.yml 2>/dev/null
Most setups place it under /root/n8n. Once found, move into that directory:
cd /root/n8n
If you run Compose commands from the wrong path, Docker won’t touch the correct container or volumes.
Back up the n8n data volume
This is the most important step. Do not skip it.
Step 3 – Create a full volume backup
Run the commands below one by one, exactly as shown. Do not copy-paste them as a single command.
docker run --rm \
-v n8n_data:/data \
-v $PWD:/backup \
alpine tar czf /backup/n8n-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz /data
This backup includes workflows credentials executions and any binary data stored by n8n. If anything goes wrong, this archive is your safety net.
Recover the existing encryption key
n8n encrypts all credentials using a single key. Losing or changing this key permanently breaks access to saved secrets.
Step 4 – Read the current encryption key
docker exec -it n8n-n8n-1 sh -lc 'cat /home/node/.n8n/config'
You’ll see output similar to:
{ "encryptionKey": "YOUR_EXISTING_KEY" }
Copy the value of encryptionKey and save it somewhere safe for the next steps.
Persist the encryption key
This step makes the encryption key persistent by defining it in docker-compose.yml.
You will open docker-compose.yml and replace the entire file content.
Step 5 – Persist the encryption key in docker-compose.yml
Step 5.1 – Open docker-compose.yml for editing
nano docker-compose.yml
Step 5.2 – Replace the entire file content
Delete everything in the file and paste this content exactly:
services:
n8n:
image: docker.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
restart: always
ports:
- "5678:5678"
volumes:
- n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n
environment:
- N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY="YOUR_EXISTING_KEY"
- N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false
volumes:
n8n_data:
Important:
To avoid formatting issues, it’s best to paste this content into a simple text editor such as Notepad or Notepad++ first and make sure the indentation looks correct. Once it’s clean, copy it again and paste it into docker-compose.yml.
Replace PASTE_KEY_HERE with your real encryption key. Paste it exactly as you copied it. Don’t add quotes and don’t add extra spaces.
Step 5.3 – Save and exit nano
Press CTRL + O to save
Press ENTER to confirm the filename
Press CTRL + X to exit
Step 5.4 – Verify the file
cat docker-compose.yml
Confirm:
The encryption key is present
PASTE_KEY_HEREis goneIndentation still looks correct
If anything looks off, fix it now before restarting.
Restart n8n without updating
Restart once before pulling a new image. This validates the encryption key works.
Step 6 – Restart the n8n stack
docker compose down && docker compose up -d
After restart, log in to n8n and confirm workflows load and credentials don’t show errors.
Update n8n
Once the restart is confirmed, update the image.
Step 7 – Pull the new image and recreate the container
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
This updates the container without touching the n8n_data volume.
Verify the update
Check logs for migration success and clean startup.
Step 8 – Check recent container logs
docker logs n8n-n8n-1 --tail 50
If you see encryption errors here, the key in Compose does not match the original key.
Optional Python installation
Some nodes may warn about missing Python. Install it only if you need it.
Step 9 – Install Python 3
apt update && apt install -y python3
Restore from backup
If something goes wrong, restore the volume from your backup archive.
docker run --rm \
-v n8n_data:/data \
-v $PWD:/backup \
alpine tar xzf /backup/n8n-backup-YYYY-MM-DD.tar.gz -C /
After the restore, start n8n again from the Compose directory:
docker compose up -d
As long as the encryption key and n8n_data volume stay the same, updating n8n is safe and repeatable on a LumaDock VPS.