Please help me on how can I fix this EPROTO error this happens when I execute google sheets node on a workflow
@leppu the EPROTO error you’re seeing with the Google Sheets node is a TLS/SSL protocol error, typically caused by network or certificate issues in your Docker environment.
here are solutions you can try:
- Update n8n to Latest Version
Your Docker image may not be up-to-date. Try updating to the latest version using the following commands:
docker pull n8nio/n8n:latest
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d
- Check System Time
SSL/TLS requires accurate system time. Verify your Docker host’s time is correct:
date
# If wrong, sync it:
sudo ntpdate -s time.nist.gov
- Add DNS Configuration
Add Google’s DNS to your docker-compose.yml:
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
dns:
- 8.8.8.8
- 8.8.4.4
# ... rest of your config
4. Set Node.js TLS Options
Add environment variables to relax TLS requirements (use cautiously):
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
environment:
- NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 # Only for testing!
- NODE_OPTIONS=--tls-min-v1.0
# ... rest of your config
Warning: NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 disables certificate validation. Only use temporarily to diagnose the issue, not in production.
5. Check Docker Network Mode
If using custom networks, try switching to host network temporarily:
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
network_mode: host
# ... rest of your config
6. Verify Google API Access
Test if your container can reach Google APIs:
# Enter your n8n container
docker exec -it <container_name> sh
# Test connection
curl -v https://sheets.googleapis.com/
# Check DNS resolution
nslookup sheets.googleapis.com
7. Rebuild Credentials
Sometimes the OAuth credentials get corrupted:
-
Delete your Google Sheets credential in n8n
-
Create a new one
-
Re-authenticate with Google
-
Test the connection
8. Check for Proxy/Firewall
If you’re behind a corporate firewall:
services:
n8n:
image: n8nio/n8n:latest
environment:
- HTTP_PROXY=http://your-proxy:port
- HTTPS_PROXY=http://your-proxy:port
- NO_PROXY=localhost,127.0.0.1
# ... rest of your config
9. Update CA Certificates
The container might have outdated root certificates:
# Create a custom Dockerfile
FROM n8nio/n8n:latest
RUN apk update && apk add ca-certificates && update-ca-certificates
Then build and use this custom image.
10. Check Docker Logs
Look for more detailed error information:
docker logs <container_name> --tail 100
After trying these solutions, restart Docker completely: docker-compose down && docker-compose up -dClear browser cache and re-login to n8n, test the Google Sheets node again
let me know if this works!
Hey , that ssl3_read_bytes:tlsv1 alert protocol version error usually means something between your Docker container and Google’s API is messing with the TLS handshake. Are you running n8n behind a reverse proxy like Nginx or Traefik or a Cloudflare tunnel? If so that’s almost certainly the culprit, the proxy might be trying to do SSL termination incorrectly. If you’re not using a proxy, try adding NODE_OPTIONS=--openssl-legacy-provider as an environment variable in your docker-compose file and restart the container, that forces Node.js to allow older SSL behavior that sometimes fixes this.
Hey this is a TLS issue inside your Docker container, try adding NODE_OPTIONS=--openssl-legacy-provider as an environment variable in your docker-compose file and restart. Also worth running date inside the container to make sure the clock isn’t off since that breaks SSL handshakes too.
Are you running n8n behind a reverse proxy like Nginx, Traefik, or a Cloudflare Tunnel? That’s usually what causes this, the proxy does its own SSL termination and it messes with n8n’s outbound HTTPS connections to Google’s API. Try adding NODE_OPTIONS=--openssl-legacy-provider as an environment variable in your docker-compose file and restart the container, that fixes it in most cases.