How to set up n8n
· Updated 31 July 2026 · SparkBox team
Automate anything with visual workflows. This guide covers how to access it, log in for the first time, configure the basics, and where its data lives so you can back it up.
1. What is n8n?
A powerful workflow automation tool that lets you connect apps, APIs, and services with a visual editor. Build complex automations without coding using 400+ integrations.
2. How to access it
Once it's enabled, n8n runs on your SparkBox at:
http://<your-NAS-IP>:5678Start with a workflow template or create a new one from scratch
3. First login
n8n shows a setup screen on first launch. Create your owner account there — it becomes the admin.
If it instead asks for a password you didn't set, check Settings → Passwords in your SparkBox dashboard — every auto-generated credential is listed there.
4. Tips
- Use the workflow templates to quickly set up common automations
- Connect n8n to other SparkBox services like Gotify for notifications
5. Settings you can change
You can set these when you enable the module, or later from Apps → n8n in the dashboard:
- Database Password — Configurable value.
- Encryption Key — Configurable value.
6. Where your data lives
n8n's config and persistent data are stored on the SparkBox host under:
/opt/sparkbox/modules/n8n/config/Backups via the SparkBox dashboard's Backup tile include this directory by default, so a single restore brings n8n back to its current state on a fresh install.
Next steps
That's n8n live on SparkBox.
If something doesn't match what you see, post in d/sparkbox or hit us up on YouTube. Every SparkBox bug gets patched; every UX-stumble in this guide gets rewritten.
Questions, or did this not match your box?
Every guide here came from a real problem someone hit. If yours behaves differently, say so — that is how these get corrected, and how the fix gets prioritised.
We answer there rather than in a comment box, because that is where the people who have already solved it are.