n8n Clone - Workflow Automation Platform

A powerful workflow automation tool inspired by n8n, enabling you to connect apps and automate tasks with a visual interface.

Features

• Visual Workflow Builder - Drag-and-drop interface for creating automation workflows
• Extensive Integration Support - Connect with hundreds of apps and services
• Custom Node Development - Build your own nodes to extend functionality
• Conditional Logic - Add branching and decision-making to your workflows
• Error Handling - Built-in retry mechanisms and error workflows
• Webhook Support - Trigger workflows via HTTP requests
• Scheduled Executions - Run workflows on a schedule using cron expressions
• Self-Hosted - Full control over your data and infrastructure
• Real-time Execution - Monitor workflow executions in real-time
• Execution History - Track and debug past workflow runs

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Node.js, Express
• Database: PostgreSQL / MongoDB
• Queue System: Bull (Redis-based)
• Authentication: JWT

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• PostgreSQL (v14 or higher) or MongoDB
• Redis (for queue management)

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/n8n-clone.git
cd n8n-clone

2. Install Dependencies

# Install root dependencies
npm install

# Install frontend dependencies
cd frontend
npm install

# Install backend dependencies
cd ../backend
npm install

3. Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

# Server Configuration
PORT=5678
NODE_ENV=development

# Database Configuration
DATABASE_TYPE=postgres
DATABASE_HOST=localhost
DATABASE_PORT=5432
DATABASE_NAME=n8n_clone
DATABASE_USER=your_username
DATABASE_PASSWORD=your_password

# Redis Configuration
REDIS_HOST=localhost
REDIS_PORT=6379

# Authentication
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=7d

# Encryption
ENCRYPTION_KEY=your_encryption_key_for_credentials

# Frontend URL
FRONTEND_URL=http://localhost:3000

Create a .env file in the frontend directory:

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5678/api

4. Database Setup

Run database migrations:

cd backend
npm run migrate

5. Start the Application

Development Mode:

# Terminal 1 - Start Backend
cd backend
npm run dev

# Terminal 2 - Start Frontend
cd frontend
npm start

# Terminal 3 - Start Worker (for executing workflows)
cd backend
npm run worker

Production Mode:

# Build frontend
cd frontend
npm run build

# Start backend with worker
cd ../backend
npm run start:prod

The application will be available at:

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:5678

Usage

Creating Your First Workflow

1. Navigate to the Workflows page
2. Click "Create New Workflow"
3. Drag nodes from the left panel onto the canvas
4. Connect nodes by dragging from one node's output to another's input
5. Configure each node by clicking on it
6. Click "Execute Workflow" to test
7. Save your workflow

Available Node Types

• Trigger Nodes: Webhook, Schedule, Manual
• Action Nodes: HTTP Request, Email, Database Operations
• Logic Nodes: IF, Switch, Merge
• Transform Nodes: Set, Function, Code

API Endpoints

POST   /api/workflows          - Create a new workflow
GET    /api/workflows          - Get all workflows
GET    /api/workflows/:id      - Get workflow by ID
PUT    /api/workflows/:id      - Update workflow
DELETE /api/workflows/:id      - Delete workflow
POST   /api/workflows/:id/execute - Execute workflow
GET    /api/executions         - Get execution history

Development

Project Structure

n8n-clone/
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/     # React components
│   │   ├── pages/          # Page components
│   │   ├── hooks/          # Custom React hooks
│   │   ├── utils/          # Utility functions
│   │   └── types/          # TypeScript types
│   └── package.json
├── backend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── controllers/    # Request handlers
│   │   ├── models/         # Database models
│   │   ├── routes/         # API routes
│   │   ├── services/       # Business logic
│   │   ├── nodes/          # Node implementations
│   │   ├── workers/        # Background workers
│   │   └── utils/          # Utility functions
│   └── package.json
└── README.md

Running Tests

# Backend tests
cd backend
npm test

# Frontend tests
cd frontend
npm test

# E2E tests
npm run test:e2e

Creating Custom Nodes

1. Create a new file in backend/src/nodes/
2. Implement the node interface:

export class CustomNode implements INode {
  name = 'customNode';
  displayName = 'Custom Node';
  group = ['transform'];
  
  properties = [
    {
      displayName: 'Property Name',
      name: 'propertyName',
      type: 'string',
      default: '',
    }
  ];
  
  async execute(context: IExecuteContext): Promise<INodeExecutionData[]> {
    // Your node logic here
    return context.inputData;
  }
}

Docker Deployment

Using Docker Compose

docker-compose up -d

Docker Compose Configuration

version: '3.8'

services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:14
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: n8n_clone
      POSTGRES_USER: n8n
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: n8n_password
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine

  backend:
    build: ./backend
    ports:
      - "5678:5678"
    depends_on:
      - postgres
      - redis
    environment:
      DATABASE_HOST: postgres
      REDIS_HOST: redis

  frontend:
    build: ./frontend
    ports:
      - "3000:80"
    depends_on:
      - backend

volumes:
  postgres_data:

Configuration

Webhook URL Configuration

By default, webhooks are available at:

http://localhost:5678/webhook/{workflowId}

For production, configure your domain in the environment variables.

Scaling Workers

To handle more concurrent executions, run multiple worker instances:

npm run worker -- --concurrency 10

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Database Connection Failed

• Verify PostgreSQL is running
• Check database credentials in .env
• Ensure database exists

Redis Connection Failed

• Verify Redis is running
• Check Redis host and port in .env

Workflows Not Executing

• Ensure worker process is running
• Check execution logs in the database
• Verify node credentials are configured

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Coding Standards

• Follow ESLint configuration
• Write tests for new features
• Update documentation as needed
• Use meaningful commit messages

Security

Reporting Vulnerabilities

If you discover a security vulnerability, please email security@yourdomain.com instead of using the issue tracker.

Best Practices

• Never commit .env files
• Use strong JWT secrets
• Regularly update dependencies
• Enable HTTPS in production
• Implement rate limiting for webhooks

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by n8n.io
• Built with amazing open-source libraries
• Thanks to all contributors

Roadmap

• Additional node integrations (Slack, Discord, Notion)
• Advanced error recovery mechanisms
• Workflow templates marketplace
• Multi-tenant support
• Advanced analytics and monitoring
• Mobile app for monitoring
• AI-powered workflow suggestions

Support

• Documentation: docs.yourdomain.com
• Community Forum: community.yourdomain.com
• Discord: Join our Discord
• Email: support@yourdomain.com

Changelog

Version 1.0.0 (2024-01-15)

• Initial release
• Basic workflow builder
• 20+ built-in nodes
• Webhook and schedule triggers
• Execution history

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