How to export your data from n8n

n8n stores every workflow as a JSON file, which you can download one at a time from the Editor UI, or export in bulk (workflows, credentials, and optionally execution history) using the self-hosted Server CLI; there is no native CSV export.

Formats: JSON, .n8np (package, Preview feature)Plan: Any plan — per-workflow JSON download works on n8n Cloud and self-hosted; bulk CLI export (--all, --backup, export:entities) requires a self-hosted instance with server/shell accessRole: Any user with access to the workflow for UI download; instance operator / server access for Server CLI bulk export and backups

✓ Verified against n8n's official documentation, October 2026

Step by step

1To export a single workflow: open it in the Editor UI, click the Workflow menu (three-dot icon) in the canvas header, then select Download to save it as a JSON file to your computer.
2To export all workflows at once (self-hosted, via the built-in Server CLI): run `n8n export:workflow --all --output=backups/latest/`, or add `--separate` to get one file per workflow.
3To export all credentials: run `n8n export:credentials --all --output=backups/latest/file.json`; add `--decrypted` if you need them in plain text (e.g. migrating to an instance with a different encryption key).
4For a one-step workflow+credential backup, use the `--backup` flag instead of `--all`: `n8n export:workflow --backup --output=backups/latest/` and the equivalent for `export:credentials`.
5To export an entire database (for migrating between SQLite and Postgres, including execution history if needed), run `n8n export:entities --outputDir=./outputs --includeExecutionHistoryDataTables=true`.
6To bundle workflows together with their folders and projects into a single portable file, use the separate n8n CLI (not the Server CLI) to export a `.n8np` package — this feature is in Preview.
7To export/import programmatically instead of via shell access, use the workflow endpoints in the n8n API.

What the export includes

✓Workflow definitions as JSON: nodes, connections, and settings
✓Credential names and IDs referenced inside exported workflow JSON (not the credential secrets themselves)
✓Full credential data when using export:credentials (encrypted by default, plain text with --decrypted)
✓Version metadata (historical name/description) when exporting a specific or published workflow version
✓Execution history data tables, but only if you explicitly pass --includeExecutionHistoryDataTables=true to export:entities

What it doesn't include

✗Execution history — excluded by default from export:entities because it can be very large
✗Credential secret values — not included in a plain workflow JSON download; you must run a separate export:credentials command
✗Bulk multi-workflow export and database-level backups are not available from the n8n Cloud dashboard UI — they require self-hosted Server CLI access

Before you start

⚠Exported workflow JSON includes credential names and IDs; names can be sensitive depending on how you labeled them, so anonymize before sharing files.
⚠HTTP Request nodes imported from cURL may carry authentication headers inside the exported JSON.
⚠Exports carry the original record IDs — importing into a database that already has entities with the same IDs will overwrite them; delete or change IDs first if you want to avoid that.
⚠Importing deactivates all imported workflows by default; use --activeState=fromJson to preserve active status (only supported in multi-main/queue mode).
⚠Known bug: on non-multi-main instances, cron triggers of a previously active workflow keep running after import until you restart n8n.
⚠n8n limits workflow/credential names to 128 characters but SQLite doesn't enforce that limit, which can cause 'Data too long for column name' errors when importing into SQLite.
⚠The .n8np package export/import and the n8n CLI (distinct from the Server CLI) are Preview features and may change in future releases.
⚠n8n recommends the n8n CLI over the older Server CLI export/import commands for new work; Server CLI export/import is planned for deprecation (not yet scheduled).

Where to take your data

Free and cheaper tools that can take a n8n export. See all n8n alternatives →

n8n Self-Hosted

Use Import from File or Import from URL in the Editor UI's Workflow menu, or run `n8n import:workflow --input=file.json` (add --separate for a directory of files) via the Server CLI; use `n8n import:entities --inputDir ./outputs` to restore a full export:entities backup.

Make

Alternatives n8n vs Make

Make does not import n8n's workflow JSON format — there is no official converter, so each scenario/module typically has to be rebuilt manually from the exported JSON as a reference.

Pipedream

Alternatives

Pipedream does not support importing n8n workflow JSON either; use your exported files as a reference for each step while rebuilding the workflow as a Pipedream workflow.

Exporting from n8n: common questions

Can I export all my n8n workflows at once?+

Yes, on a self-hosted instance via the Server CLI with `n8n export:workflow --all` (add --separate for individual files per workflow). On n8n Cloud there's no bulk-export button in the dashboard — you download workflows one at a time from the Editor UI, or use the n8n API.

Does exporting a workflow also export my credentials?+

No. A workflow JSON download only includes the referenced credential's name and ID, not its secret values. To get actual credential data you run a separate `n8n export:credentials` command, with --decrypted if you need plain text.

Can I export my execution history/logs?+

Only via `n8n export:entities`, and only if you add --includeExecutionHistoryDataTables=true — it's excluded by default because it can be very large.

What file format does n8n export to?+

JSON for workflows and credentials. There's also a newer .n8np package format that bundles workflows with their folders and projects, but it's currently a Preview feature.

Can I move my exported n8n workflows into Make or Pipedream?+

Not directly — neither Make nor Pipedream has an official importer for n8n's JSON format, so you'd use the exported file as a reference and rebuild each workflow's logic manually on the new platform.

Will importing my export overwrite existing workflows?+

It can — exports retain original IDs, and importing into a database with matching IDs overwrites those records. Delete or change the IDs in the JSON first if you want to avoid that, and note that imported workflows are deactivated by default unless you pass --activeState=fromJson in multi-main/queue mode.