# n8n-azure

> n8n workflow automation configuration for Azure. Use when deploying n8n specifically to Azure Container Apps.

- Author: Dan Wahlin
- Repository: DanWahlin/oss-to-azure
- Version: 20260207002924
- Stars: 0
- Forks: 0
- Last Updated: 2026-02-07
- Source: https://github.com/DanWahlin/oss-to-azure
- Web: https://mule.run/skillshub/@@DanWahlin/oss-to-azure~n8n-azure:20260207002924

---

---
name: n8n-azure
description: n8n workflow automation configuration for Azure. Use when deploying n8n specifically to Azure Container Apps.
---

# n8n Azure Configuration Skill

Application-specific configuration for deploying n8n to Azure Container Apps with PostgreSQL.

## When to Use

- Deploying n8n to Azure
- Troubleshooting n8n on Azure
- Configuring n8n environment variables

**Note:** This skill is n8n-specific. Use `azure-bicep-generation` for generic Azure patterns.

## Official Documentation

- n8n Docker Installation: https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/installation/docker/
- n8n Environment Variables: https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/configuration/environment-variables/

## Quick Start (Verified)

```bash
# 1. Register providers (one-time per subscription)
az provider register --namespace Microsoft.App
az provider register --namespace Microsoft.DBforPostgreSQL
az provider register --namespace Microsoft.OperationalInsights

# 2. Create environment
azd env new my-n8n-env

# 3. Set required variables
azd env set AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID "$(az account show --query id -o tsv)"
azd env set AZURE_LOCATION "westus"
azd env set POSTGRES_PASSWORD "$(openssl rand -base64 16)"
azd env set N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD "$(openssl rand -base64 16)"

# 4. Deploy (~7 minutes)
azd up

# 5. Access n8n
azd env get-value N8N_URL
# Login: admin / <your N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD>
```

**Deployment time breakdown:**
- Resource Group: ~4s
- Log Analytics: ~25s
- Container Apps Environment: ~38s
- PostgreSQL Flexible Server: ~4-5 min
- n8n Container App: ~20s
- **Total: ~7 minutes**

## Key Configuration Files

| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `config/environment-variables.md` | All n8n environment variables for Azure |
| `config/health-probes.md` | Health probe timing for n8n startup |
| `troubleshooting.md` | Common issues and solutions |

## Architecture

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Azure Container Apps                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │  n8n Container App  │────│  Log Analytics Workspace    │ │
│  │  (0-3 replicas)     │    │  (monitoring)               │ │
│  └─────────┬───────────┘    └─────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │ SSL/TLS (port 5678)
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server              │
│  (B_Standard_B1ms, 32GB, version 16)                       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## n8n-Specific Requirements

### Container Configuration

| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---------|-------|--------|
| Image | `docker.io/n8nio/n8n:latest` | Official Docker Hub image |
| Port | 5678 | n8n default port |
| CPU | 1.0 cores | Minimum for responsive UI |
| Memory | 2Gi | n8n recommended minimum |
| Min Replicas | 0 | Scale-to-zero for cost |
| Max Replicas | 3 | Handle traffic spikes |

### Health Probes (CRITICAL)

n8n requires **60+ seconds** to start. See `config/health-probes.md`.

**Without proper health probes, containers will crash before n8n initializes!**

### Database Requirements

- PostgreSQL 15 or 16 (Flexible Server)
- SSL enabled (required by Azure)
- FQDN connection (not internal hostname)

## Cost Estimate (Dev Environment)

| Resource | Monthly Cost |
|----------|--------------|
| Container Apps (scale-to-zero) | ~$5-15 |
| PostgreSQL Flexible Server | ~$15 |
| Log Analytics | ~$2-5 |
| **Total** | **~$25-35/month** |

## Verification Checklist

After `azd up` completes:

```bash
# 1. Get URL
N8N_URL=$(azd env get-value N8N_URL)

# 2. Test HTTP response
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "$N8N_URL"  # Should be 200

# 3. Verify n8n page loads
curl -s "$N8N_URL" | grep -o "<title>[^<]*</title>"
# Expected: <title>n8n.io - Workflow Automation</title>

# 4. Check WEBHOOK_URL is set (by post-provision hook)
azd env get-value N8N_CONTAINER_APP_NAME
az containerapp show --name <app-name> --resource-group <rg-name> \
  --query "properties.template.containers[0].env[?name=='WEBHOOK_URL'].value" -o tsv

# 5. Check container logs
az containerapp logs show --name <app-name> --resource-group <rg-name> --tail 20
```

## Tear Down

```bash
azd down --force --purge
```

**Note:** Teardown takes 5-10 minutes (PostgreSQL deletion is slow).

## Differences from Generic Patterns

n8n has specific quirks not covered by generic Azure skills:

1. **Slow startup** - Needs 60s+ initial delay on liveness probe
2. **SSL configuration** - Requires `SSL_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false` for Azure
3. **WEBHOOK_URL** - Must be set post-deployment (circular dependency via post-provision hook)
4. **Encryption key** - Auto-generated via `newGuid()` parameter default
5. **Port 5678** - Non-standard port for health checks and ingress

## Reproducibility Notes

This deployment has been tested multiple times and is verified working:
- ✅ Clean environment deployment
- ✅ Teardown and redeploy
- ✅ Parameter interpolation via `${VAR}` syntax in main.parameters.json
- ✅ Post-provision hook correctly sets WEBHOOK_URL