Self Hosted Workflow Templates

Questions
1

n8n version: 1.114.0
Database (default: SQLite): SQLte
n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main): Main.
Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app): Docker.

Hello, I am using self hosted N8N where we are trying to upload our own templates to our own library.
We have set up the env variable: N8N_TEMPLATES_HOST on our docker and we have our own backend service which pulls JSON’s of workflows we exported and uploaded to a database.

When we are trying to use a specific template from the menu of existing templates there is an API reqeust to our backend service to this route:
templates/workflow/{workflowID}.

As I understand this reqeust expects to receive the JSON of that specific workflow and allow the user to starting working on that workflow.
However I can’t find any information about which response this end point needs to return.
Has anyone worked with their own library and has successfully was able to use this endpoint?

Thank you.

2

Hi @Nikita_Karpushin

This does not work the way you are trying to use it, and it is not a mistake on your side.

The N8N_TEMPLATES_HOST environment variable is not meant for custom template libraries. It is only used to point n8n to the official templates service (or a mirror of it).

When n8n calls
/templates/workflow/{id}, it does not expect only a workflow JSON.
It expects additional internal metadata that is not documented or publicly available.

Because of that, even if you return a valid exported workflow, the template will not load.

Correct solution:
Store your workflows as JSON and import them manually or via the n8n REST API (POST /workflows). This is the only supported and stable way to use custom templates in self-hosted n8n.

3

Hello Tamy,

Thank you for the quick response, which internal metadata should be included?
Is it the position of the nodes? Is there an example somewhere I can use for us?

4

Hello @Nikita_Karpushin

For self-hosted setups, the only supported approach is:

  • Store workflows as JSON
  • Import them via the UI or via the REST API (POST /workflows)

Anything else would rely on reverse-engineering internals and may break on any update.

I know that’s not ideal, but that’s the current state of support.

Hope that clarifies it

5

Hi @Nikita_Karpushin, welcome!

The minimal response that should work is:

{
  "workflow": {
    "id": 1,
    "workflow": {}
  }
}

The result looks something like this:

image
image1222×711 28.5 KB

If you want all the other fields as well, like in this example:

image
image1125×899 41.5 KB

you’ll need to retrieve the schema and edit the properties you need, for example you can get it from:

https://api.n8n.io/templates/workflows/1

This documentation is also useful:

6

Hello Mohamed3nan,

Thank you we will try this.

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