| --- |
| |
| title: Tutorial - Create environments with source control |
| description: How to use n8n's source control feature to create environments. |
| contentType: tutorial |
| --- |
| |
| # Tutorial: Create environments with source control |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/feature-availability.md" |
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| This tutorial walks through the process of setting up environments end-to-end. You'll create two environments: development and production. It uses GitHub as the Git provider. The process is similar for other providers. |
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| n8n has built its environments feature on top of Git, a version control software. You link an n8n instance to a Git branch, and use a push-pull pattern to move work between environments. You should have some understanding of environments and Git. If you need more information on these topics, refer to: |
| |
| * [Environments in n8n](/source-control-environments/understand/environments.md): the purpose of environments, and how they work in n8n. |
| * [Git and n8n](/source-control-environments/understand/git.md): Git concepts and source control in n8n. |
| |
| ## Choose your source control pattern |
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| Before setting up source control and environments, you need to plan your environments, and how they relate to Git branches. n8n supports different [Branch patterns](/source-control-environments/understand/patterns.md). For environments, you need to choose between two patterns: multi-instance, multi-branch, or multi-instance, single-branch. This tutorial covers both patterns. |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/one-direction.md" |
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| ### Multiple instances, multiple branches |
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|  |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/multi-instance-multi-branch-pros-cons.md" |
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| ### Multiple instances, one branch |
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|  |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/multi-instance-one-branch-pros-cons.md" |
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| ## Set up your repository |
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| Once you've chosen your pattern, you need to set up your GitHub repository. |
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| === "Multi-branch" |
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| 1. [Create a new repository](https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/creating-a-new-repository){:target=_blank .external-link}. |
| * Make sure the repository is private, unless you want your workflows, tags, and variable and credential stubs exposed to the internet. |
| * Create the new repository with a README so you can immediately create branches. |
| 1. Create one branch named `production` and another named `development`. Refer to [Creating and deleting branches within your repository](https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/proposing-changes-to-your-work-with-pull-requests/creating-and-deleting-branches-within-your-repository){:target=_blank .external-link} for guidance. |
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| === "Single-branch" |
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| [Create a new repository](https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/creating-a-new-repository){:target=_blank .external-link}. |
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| * Make sure the repository is private, unless you want your workflows, tags, and variable and credential stubs exposed to the internet. |
| * Create the new repository with a README. This creates the `main` branch, which you'll connect to. |
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| ## Connect your n8n instances to your repository |
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| Create two n8n instances, one for development, one for production. |
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| ### Configure Git in n8n |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/configure-git-in-n8n.md" |
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| ### Set up a deploy key |
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| Set up SSH access by creating a deploy key for the repository using the SSH key from n8n. The key must have write access. Refer to [GitHub | Managing deploy keys](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh/managing-deploy-keys){:target=_blank .external-link} for guidance. |
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| ### Connect n8n and configure your instance |
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| === "Multi-branch" |
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| 1. In **Settings** > **Environments** in n8n, select **Connect**. n8n connects to your Git repository. |
| 1. Under **Instance settings**, choose which branch you want to use for the current n8n instance. Connect the production branch to the production instance, and the development branch to the development instance. |
| 1. Production instance only: select **Protected instance** to prevent users editing workflows in this instance. |
| 1. Select **Save settings**. |
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| === "Single-branch" |
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| 1. In **Settings** > **Environments** in n8n, select **Connect**. |
| 1. Under **Instance settings**, select the main branch. |
| 1. Production instance only: select **Protected instance** to prevent users editing workflows in this instance. |
| 1. Select **Save settings**. |
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| ## Push work from development |
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| In your development instance, create a few workflows, tags, variables, and credentials. |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/push.md" |
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| ## Pull work to production |
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| Your work is now in GitHub. If you're using a multi-branch setup, it's on the development branch. If you chose the single-branch setup, it's on main. |
| |
| === "Multi-branch" |
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| 1. In GitHub, create a pull request to merge development into production. |
| 1. Merge the pull request. |
| 1. In your production instance, select **Pull** <span class="inline-image">{.off-glb}</span> in the main menu. |
| |
| === "Single-branch" |
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| In your production instance, select **Pull** <span class="inline-image">{.off-glb}</span> in the main menu. |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/push-pull-menu-state.md" |
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| ### Optional: Use a GitHub Action to automate pulls |
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| If you want to avoid logging in to your production instance to pull, you can use a [GitHub Action](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/creating-actions/about-custom-actions){:target=_blank .external-link} and the [n8n API](/api/index.md) to automatically pull every time you push new work to your production or main branch. |
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| --8<-- "_snippets/source-control-environments/github-action.md" |
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| ## Next steps |
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| Learn more about: |
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| * [Environments in n8n](/source-control-environments/understand/environments.md) and [Git and n8n](/source-control-environments/understand/git.md) |
| * [Source control patterns](/source-control-environments/understand/patterns.md) |
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