n8n on Phala Cloud

Deploy n8n workflow automation platform on Phala Cloud's secure, TEE-protected infrastructure.

What is n8n?

n8n is a powerful workflow automation tool that allows you to connect different services and automate tasks. With n8n, you can:

• Create complex workflows with a visual interface
• Connect to 400+ services and APIs
• Process data, send notifications, and automate business processes
• Self-host with full control over your data

Why Deploy on Phala Cloud?

• Confidential Computing: Your workflows run in secure TEE environments
• Data Privacy: Sensitive API keys and data are protected by hardware-level encryption
• Always On: Reliable cloud infrastructure with automatic scaling
• Easy Deployment: One-click deployment with Phala CLI

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Phala CLI installed
• Phala Cloud account with API key
• Docker installed (for local development)

Deploy to Phala Cloud

1. Clone this template

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/phala-n8n-template.git
   cd phala-n8n-template

2. Configure environment variables

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your credentials

3. Deploy with Phala CLI

   # Login to Phala Cloud
   phala auth login
   
   # Deploy n8n
   phala cvms create --name my-n8n --compose docker-compose.yml --env-file .env

4. Access your n8n instance

   • Your n8n URL will be provided after deployment
   • Login with the credentials from your .env file
   • Start building workflows!

Configuration

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Required
N8N_USER	Admin username	Yes
N8N_PASSWORD	Admin password	Yes
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY	Encryption key for credentials	Yes
OPENAI_API_KEY	OpenAI API key for AI workflows	No
GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID	Google OAuth client ID	No
GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET	Google OAuth client secret	No

OAuth Setup (Google/Gmail)

For Gmail integration:

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials
3. Add your n8n URL as authorized redirect URI:

   https://your-instance-domain.dstack-prod10.phala.network/rest/oauth2-credential/callback
   

4. Add the client ID and secret to your .env file

Management Commands

# List deployments
phala cvms list

# Get deployment details
phala cvms get your-app-id

# Update deployment
phala cvms upgrade your-app-id --compose docker-compose.yml --env-file .env

# Stop deployment
phala cvms stop your-app-id

# Start deployment
phala cvms start your-app-id

# Delete deployment
phala cvms delete your-app-id

Common Use Cases

Email Automation

• Gmail lead detection and CRM integration
• Automated email responses
• Email parsing and data extraction

Communication

• Slack/Discord notifications
• Telegram bots
• SMS alerts via Twilio

Data Processing

• API data synchronization
• File processing and conversion
• Database operations

AI Workflows

• OpenAI integration for content generation
• Document analysis and summarization
• Automated decision making

Security Features

TEE Protection

Your n8n instance runs in Phala Cloud's Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), providing:

• Hardware-level encryption of sensitive data
• Isolated execution environment
• Tamper-proof workflow execution

Credential Security

• API keys encrypted with TEE protection
• Secure credential storage in n8n vault
• No plain-text secrets in logs or memory dumps

Troubleshooting

OAuth Issues

If OAuth callbacks fail:

1. Verify the redirect URI in your OAuth provider
2. Ensure it matches your Phala Cloud domain exactly
3. Check that DSTACK_GATEWAY_DOMAIN is properly set

Workflow Execution Issues

• Check the execution logs in n8n UI
• Verify API credentials are correctly configured
• Ensure required environment variables are set

Performance Optimization

• Use webhooks instead of polling when possible
• Implement proper error handling in workflows
• Monitor execution times and optimize bottlenecks

Support

• n8n Documentation
• Phala Cloud Documentation
• n8n Community
• Phala Network Discord

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve this template:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

License

This template is released under the MIT License.