I’m curious about different approaches for sharing n8n workflows with customers. Are you running them on your own servers or using cloud platforms? Or maybe you just export the workflow files and let clients import them?
Another thing I’m wondering about is handling client authentication data. When workflows need access to things like Google Drive or Gmail accounts, what’s the safest way to manage those login details?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences and best practices!
honestly, it really depends on the client size. for smaller ones, i usually just share the json export and guide them through setting it up. for bigger clients, they get their own instances on Digital Ocean or AWS. as for auth, i always tell them to create their own API keys—too risky to handle their creds.
We’ve been self-hosting n8n for about two years now, mostly with Docker containers. The biggest win is controlling when updates happen - crucial when clients have mission-critical workflows that can’t go down unexpectedly. For auth, we make clients handle their own credentials. We give them docs on setting up OAuth apps and API keys, then do a screen share to walk them through the setup. This keeps us out of any liability issues and they keep full control of their data. One hard lesson: always spin up separate n8n instances for each client. Don’t try cramming multiple workflows onto shared instances. The isolation prevents conflicts and makes troubleshooting way easier when things break.
After 18 months of workflow distribution, I’ve found a hybrid approach that works well. Most clients get containerized deployments on their own cloud infrastructure, but I handle setup and ongoing maintenance. The biggest lesson? Always include proper backup automation from day one - you don’t want to scramble when a client accidentally deletes something important. For credentials, I make clients use dedicated service accounts instead of personal ones. This prevents access issues when employees leave and gives better audit trails. Takes more upfront work, but saves headaches later. One thing that’s really helped is creating standardized documentation templates for each workflow type. Clients understand exactly what permissions they’re granting and how to rotate credentials when needed.