Unable to rename workflows in dockerized n8n setup

Other Questions N8n
1

I’ve got n8n running through Docker Compose but I’m facing a weird issue. Everything works fine - I can create new workflows, run them, and delete them without problems. However, when I try to rename any workflow, nothing happens. The interface doesn’t seem to respond to name changes at all.

Here’s my current Docker setup:

version: '3.1'

services:
  automation-server:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:5678"
    environment:
      - N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=myencryptionkey123
      - N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin_user
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=secretpass
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://mysite.com
      - DB_TYPE=postgresdb
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=n8n_db
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=database
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=db_admin
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_SCHEMA=public
      - DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=dbpassword
    volumes:
      - workflow_data:/home/node/.n8n
    depends_on:
      - database

  database:
    image: postgres:16.2
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_DB=n8n_db
      - POSTGRES_USER=db_admin
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=dbpassword
    volumes:
      - db_storage:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  workflow_data:
  db_storage:

I’ve checked various environment variables but can’t find anything related to workflow naming permissions. Is there some configuration I’m missing or could this be a permission issue with the Docker setup?

2

You’ve got a config conflict that’s likely causing this. You’re setting N8N_PROTOCOL=https but running the container on HTTP internally with N8N_SECURE_COOKIE=false. This mixed setup breaks certain API calls, especially workflow metadata updates like renaming. I hit the same issue when my reverse proxy wasn’t handling HTTPS termination right. Just remove the N8N_PROTOCOL=https line and let your external proxy handle SSL instead. Also, your WEBHOOK_URL points to an external domain while the service runs locally - this mismatch messes with internal API calls. Add N8N_HOST=0.0.0.0 and N8N_PORT=5678 to set the internal binding explicitly, then test renaming again.

3

Looks like a database permissions issue. I ran into the same thing when my PostgreSQL user couldn’t write to the workflow metadata tables. Your setup seems right, but I’d double-check if the database connection actually works for updates. Connect directly to your PostgreSQL container and make sure the n8n_db database has the right schema. Sometimes the initial migration doesn’t finish properly and leaves tables read-only. You could also try switching to SQLite storage temporarily - if renaming works there, you’ll know it’s definitely a PostgreSQL config problem. Also check your browser’s dev console for JavaScript errors when you try to rename. HTTPS/HTTP mixed content issues can cause silent failures in the interface.

4

i had a similar issue! clearing the cache and making sure the n8n image is up to date helped me out. def worth a try if you’re haveing troubles with renaming workflows. good luck!