n8n Docker Setup

A minimal Docker Compose configuration to run n8n locally with secure HTTPS support via Caddy reverse proxy. Optimized for macOS (Apple Silicon compatible).

🎯 Features

• ✅ n8n workflow automation engine
• 🔒 HTTPS locally with automatic TLS certificates (Caddy internal mode)
• 🐳 Docker Compose orchestration
• 🔧 Fully configurable via .env
• 📊 Persistent data volumes for workflows & settings

📋 Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop (Download)
• Internet connection (for initial image pull)

🚀 Quick Start

1. Setup Local Domain

Add localhost.n8n to your system hosts file:

echo "127.0.0.1 localhost.n8n" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts

Verify:

grep localhost.n8n /etc/hosts

2. Configure Environment (Optional)

Edit .env to customize (defaults are production-ready for local dev):

N8N_HOST=localhost.n8n          # Domain/hostname
N8N_PORT=443                    # Internal port (HTTPS)
N8N_PROTOCOL=https              # Protocol scheme
TZ=Europe/Paris                 # Timezone
IMAGE_N8N=n8nio/n8n:latest      # n8n image version
IMAGE_CADDY=caddy:latest        # Caddy image version

3. Start Services

docker compose up -d

Monitor logs:

docker compose logs -f

Watch for this message:

n8n ready on ::, port 443
Editor is now accessible via: https://localhost.n8n

4. Open n8n

🌐 https://localhost.n8n

⚠️ Browser Security Warning: Caddy auto-generates self-signed certificates. Your browser may warn about an untrusted CA—this is normal and safe for local development. Click "Advanced" → "Continue" or your browser's equivalent.

🛠️ Common Commands

Lifecycle Management

# Start services (background)
docker compose up -d

# Stop services
docker compose down

# Restart services
docker compose restart

# View real-time logs
docker compose logs -f

# View logs from specific service
docker compose logs n8n -f
docker compose logs caddy -f

# Check service status
docker compose ps

Data & Maintenance

# Reset everything (⚠️ deletes all workflows & data)
docker compose down -v

# Access n8n shell
docker compose exec n8n sh

# View container resource usage
docker stats

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🐛 Troubleshooting

Browser Cannot Reach https://localhost.n8n

Step 1: Verify hosts entry

grep localhost.n8n /etc/hosts
# Should output: 127.0.0.1 localhost.n8n

Step 2: Check containers are running

docker compose ps
# Both 'n8n' and 'caddy' should show status UP

Step 3: Review logs

docker compose logs caddy --tail=50
docker compose logs n8n --tail=50

"Connection Refused"

Solution:

# Restart services
docker compose down
docker compose up -d

# Wait 10-15 seconds for n8n to initialize
sleep 15

# Test connection
curl -k https://localhost.n8n  # -k ignores self-signed cert warning

Certificate/TLS Errors

Expected behavior: Browser shows certificate warning on first visit.

Why: Caddy generates self-signed certificates locally.

Resolution:

• Click "Advanced"
• Click "Continue" (or equivalent in your browser)
• This is safe for local development

Port 443 Already in Use

Solution: Update docker-compose.yml to use a different host port:

caddy:
  # ...
  ports:
    - "80:80"
    - "8443:443"  # Use 8443 instead of 443

Then access: https://localhost.n8n:8443

Services Crash on Startup

Check logs:

docker compose logs --tail=100

Common causes:

• Port 80/443 already in use → use different ports (see above)
• Insufficient disk space → free up disk
• Corrupted volume → docker compose down -v and restart

Slow Performance or Memory Issues

Check resource usage:

docker stats

Optimize:

• Close unused tabs/applications
• Increase Docker Desktop memory allocation (Preferences → Resources)
• Check system logs: docker compose logs

📚 Documentation & Resources

• 📖 n8n Official Docs
• 🐳 Docker Compose Reference
• 🔐 Caddy Documentation

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📄 License

n8n is licensed under the Sustainable Use License.
Caddy is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

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Need help? Check the Troubleshooting section above or review Docker & n8n logs before opening an issue.