execution logs and user roles in n8n cloud

Questions
1

Questions about execution logs and user roles in n8n cloud

Describe the problem/error/question

Hi everyone,
I’m currently self-hosting n8n and don’t have experience with the cloud version yet. However, I need to understand how it works for an upcoming project. I have two main questions:

  1. How long are execution logs retained in n8n cloud? (I’m asking mainly from a data privacy perspective.)
  2. Could someone clarify how user roles function in practice? For instance, would it be possible for me to log in as an editor while a client has admin rights, and still make manual changes on my end?
    Thanks in advance for any insights! I’d also really appreciate hearing from anyone with hands-on experience deploying workflows in production.

What is the error message (if any)?

Please share your workflow

(Select the nodes on your canvas and use the keyboard shortcuts CMD+C/CTRL+C and CMD+V/CTRL+V to copy and paste the workflow.)

Share the output returned by the last node

Information on your n8n setup

  • n8n version:
  • Database (default: SQLite):
  • n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
  • Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app):
  • Operating system:
2

Hi @JamesBrandow Welcome!

  1. Execution log retention on Cloud is set by plan and pruned oldest first once you hit either the time limit or the max saved count: Start and Starter keep 7 days and 2500 executions, Pro keeps 30 days and 25000, Enterprise is unlimited time and 50000. For privacy you can also cut what gets stored: in the Admin Panel under “Executions to Save”, turn off saving successful or manual runs so that data is never written in the first place.
    Manage your data | Deploy | n8n Docs
  2. There are two separate role layers. Instance roles (Owner, Admin, Member) govern the whole instance, while project roles (Admin, Editor, Viewer) govern access inside a project, and one account can hold different project roles across different projects. So your setup works: the client is the instance Owner or Admin, and you are added as a Project Editor on the project. A Project Editor can create, update, and manually run the workflows, credentials, and executions in that project. The Editor project role needs at least a Pro Cloud plan (Viewer is Enterprise only).
    See available roles | Administer | n8n Docs
    Since both of these depend on the tier, this breaks down the Cloud plans:
    n8n Cloud Plans Breakdown: Starter, Pro, Business & Enterprise (2026) - n8n Guide