I attempted to run my local n8n with HTTPS enabled by updating my bash profile, yet it still launches via HTTP. Below is my modified configuration:
export WORKFLOW_USE_HTTPS="true"
export WORKFLOW_SSL_PRIVATE="/new/path/privkey.pem"
export WORKFLOW_SSL_CERTIFICATE="/new/path/cert.pem"
The service shows:
Access available at: http://127.0.0.1:5678/
hey, check if u r starting n8n via systemd or docker - bash profile might not be read there. try adding those env vars directly to the service config and verify n8n settings. good luck!
Based on my own experience working with on-prem n8n setups, it turns out that even though environment variables are set in your bash profile, the process running n8n may not be sourcing them. In my case, I had to pass the HTTPS configuration directly into my systemd service file. Additionally, verifying file permissions on the certificate and key files is crucial, as the service account needs proper access rights. Adjusting the startup method to ensure that these settings are read resolved the problem in my deployment.
My experience with activating HTTPS in my on-prem n8n setup showed that relying solely on bash profile exports can prove unreliable. I ended up modifying the startup command to include settings directly, which made a huge difference. Additionally, it is helpful to examine the exact user context under which n8n is running since sometimes systemd or Docker services do not inherit the environment variables. Verifying that file paths and permissions for the certificates were correct also played a key role in getting HTTPS support working.
hey, i found that launching n8n with cli flags for ssl certs worked bettr than relying on bash profile. check your service startup config and file permssions too. hope this steb helps!