How to Load and Save Files to your Local System from N8N

Introduction

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to load and save files between your local system and an n8n instance. This process involves setting up a shared folder between your host machine and the n8n container, enabling seamless file transfer. This guide is helpful for automating workflows and managing files effectively with n8n.

Step 1: Set Up Docker and n8n

To start working with n8n, you need to have Docker installed on your system. Follow these steps:

1. Install Docker:

   • Download and install Docker from the official website for your operating system.
   • Ensure Docker is running correctly.

2. Set Up n8n:

   • Create a docker-compose.yml file for n8n.
   • Define the necessary services in the file, ensuring you specify a shared volume for file storage.

Example of a simple docker-compose.yml configuration:

version: '3'
services
  n8n
    image: n8n
    volumes
      - ./files:/files
    ports
      - "5678:5678"

In this example, ./files is the directory on your host that will be shared with the n8n container.

Step 2: Understand Docker's File System Limitations

Before proceeding, it's essential to understand how Docker handles file systems:

• Docker containers use their own isolated file systems.
• To share files with the host, you must mount a volume (as shown in Step 1).
• Ensure the folder you want to share exists on your host machine before starting the container.

Step 3: Save Files from n8n to Host System

To save files generated or processed in n8n back to your local system, follow these steps:

1. Use the Write Binary File Node:

   • Add the Write Binary File node to your workflow in n8n.
   • Set the file path to point to the shared volume (e.g., /files/myfile.txt).
   • Configure the data you want to write into the file.

2. Execute the Workflow:

   • Run the workflow.
   • Check the specified folder on your host for the saved file.

Step 4: Write Files to the Local Drive

You can write files directly to the shared folder in n8n. Make sure to:

• Specify the correct path in your workflow.
• Test the workflow to confirm that the files are being saved correctly.

Step 5: Read Files Back into n8n

To read files from your local system into n8n, follow these steps:

1. Use the Read Binary File Node:

   • Add the Read Binary File node to your workflow.
   • Set the file path to point to the shared volume (e.g., /files/myfile.txt).

2. Process the File:

   • After reading the file, you can process the data as needed in your workflow.
   • Ensure the file exists in the shared folder before executing the workflow.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to effectively manage file transfers between your local system and an n8n instance. By setting up a shared folder and using the appropriate nodes in n8n, you can automate file handling in your workflows. As a next step, consider exploring more complex workflows or integrating additional file types for processing with n8n.