You decide when n8n is updated: we do not apply updates on our own. Your VPS includes a command that backs up the database and updates n8n and its helper processes in one step.
Before you update
- If you are jumping to a new major version (for example from 1.x to 2.x), read the release notes in the n8n documentation first.
- Make sure you have the
N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEYat hand (where it is). - Pick a quiet moment: n8n restarts and does not answer webhooks for about a minute.
Update to the latest stable release
Log in to your VPS over SSH as root and run:
astrol-n8n-update
The command shows the current and target versions, saves a database backup in /opt/n8n/backups/, downloads the new version and restarts n8n.
Update to a specific version
Add the version at the end:
astrol-n8n-update 2.44.1
It also lets you go back to the previous version if something does not convince you. If the new version had already changed the database, the older one may not start with it; in that case open a ticket before touching anything else and we will tell you how to restore the backup.
Check that everything went well
cd /opt/n8n && docker compose ps
n8n, postgres, runners and caddy should all be running. The installed version is in /opt/n8n/.env (the N8N_VERSION line) and inside n8n, under Help → About n8n.
Update the operating system
Ubuntu is updated separately, also whenever you decide:
apt update && apt upgrade -y
If it asks you to reboot, reboot: n8n starts again on its own.
Tip: after a few updates, old n8n versions keep taking up disk space. You can remove them with docker image prune -a; the ones in use are not touched.
Related
Order: n8n VPS in Frankfurt · in Miami
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