How to Install n8n on CyberPanel Using Docker (Complete Step-by-Step Guide)

Self-hosting n8n on your own VPS gives you unlimited workflow executions, full data privacy, and custom webhook endpoints at a fraction of cloud pricing. In this step-by-step guide, you will install n8n on a CyberPanel server using Docker and reverse-proxy it behind OpenLiteSpeed with automatic Let’s Encrypt SSL.

Prerequisites

• An Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 VPS with CyberPanel installed (minimum 2 GB RAM).
• A domain or subdomain (for example, n8n.yourdomain.com) pointed to your server IP.
• Root SSH access to your server.

Step 1: Create a Website in CyberPanel & Issue SSL

1. Log into your CyberPanel dashboard and navigate to Websites → Create Website.
2. Enter your subdomain (e.g., n8n.yourdomain.com), select PHP 8.1+, and check SSL.
3. Once created, go to SSL → Manage SSL to verify that a valid Let’s Encrypt certificate is active.

Step 2: Install Docker & Docker Compose

Connect to your server via SSH and install Docker if it is not already installed:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose-v2
sudo systemctl enable --now docker

Step 3: Create the n8n Docker Compose Configuration

Create a dedicated directory for your n8n data and configuration:

mkdir -p /opt/n8n && cd /opt/n8n
nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following docker-compose.yml configuration, replacing n8n.yourdomain.com with your actual domain:

services:
  n8n:
    image: docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:latest
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:5678:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.yourdomain.com
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.yourdomain.com/
    volumes:
      - n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

volumes:
  n8n_data:

Start the container in detached mode:

docker compose up -d

Step 4: Configure OpenLiteSpeed Reverse Proxy in CyberPanel

In CyberPanel, go to Websites → List Websites → Manage next to your n8n domain, click vHost Conf, and add the external application and rewrite proxy rules so OpenLiteSpeed forwards HTTPS traffic (including WebSockets) to 127.0.0.1:5678:

extprocessor n8n_docker {
  type                    proxy
  address                 127.0.0.1:5678
  maxConns                100
  pcKeepAliveTimeout      60
  initTimeout             60
  retryTimeout            0
  respBuffer              0
}

rewrite  {
  enable                  1
  autoLoadHtaccess        1
  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ HTTP://n8n_docker/$1 [P,L]
}

Step 5: Complete Your n8n Owner Setup

Restart OpenLiteSpeed from CyberPanel (systemctl restart lsws), then visit https://n8n.yourdomain.com in your browser to create your owner account and build your first automated workflow!