Self-Hosting n8n on Google Cloud Run (Modified for GoApptiv)

Note: This guide is a modified version of the original n8n Cloud Run setup tailored for GoApptiv's infrastructure and security policies.

Key Modifications:

• Uses GoApptiv's internal PostgreSQL database (instead of creating a new Cloud SQL instance).
• Reuses an existing encryption key stored in Secret Manager (no new key generation).
• Adjusts the public URL and deployment configuration to match GoApptiv’s internal and external access conventions.

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Overview

This guide will help you deploy n8n on Google Cloud Run using an existing PostgreSQL database and Google Secret Manager secrets.

With this setup:

• No new database or credentials are provisioned.
• Your internal secrets are reused securely.
• Custom domain and path are supported as per GoApptiv’s standards.

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Key Differences from Original Setup

Area	Original Guide	GoApptiv Modified Version
Database	Creates new Cloud SQL PostgreSQL	Uses existing internal PostgreSQL
Encryption Key	Creates new Secret	Uses existing secret stored in Secret Manager
URL Configuration	Default Cloud Run URL	Uses internal or branded URL
Environment Integration	General-purpose	Aligned with GoApptiv's deployment pipelines

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Step-by-Step Changes Summary

1. No New Cloud SQL Instance

Skip the gcloud sql instances create and related steps.

Instead, ensure that the following env vars match your existing internal DB configuration:

--set-env-vars="
  DB_TYPE=postgresdb,
  DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST=<INTERNAL_DB_HOST>,
  DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT=5432,
  DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE=<EXISTING_DB_NAME>,
  DB_POSTGRESDB_USER=<EXISTING_USER>,
  N8N_PATH=/,
  N8N_PORT=443,
  N8N_PROTOCOL=https
"

Note: The actual DB password will be injected via Secret Manager (see next section).

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2. Use Existing Secrets

Instead of creating new secrets like this:

echo -n "your-value" | gcloud secrets create ...

Replace with referencing existing secrets already created and managed by your platform team.

For example:

--set-secrets="
  DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD=goapptiv-db-password:latest,
  N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY=goapptiv-encryption-key:latest
"

Ensure the Cloud Run service account has the required roles/secretmanager.secretAccessor for these secrets.

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3. Updated URL and OAuth Config

Use the branded or internal URL GoApptiv provides, like:

https://automation.goapptiv.com

Update deployment accordingly:

--update-env-vars="
  N8N_HOST=automation.goapptiv.com,
  N8N_WEBHOOK_URL=https://automation.goapptiv.com,
  N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=https://automation.goapptiv.com
"

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4. Dockerfile & startup.sh (Unchanged)

These are retained from the original guide to resolve Cloud Run port compatibility issues.

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5. Terraform Deployment (Optional)

If GoApptiv uses Terraform (recommended), configure:

• Database host and user from variables
• Secret names injected via terraform.tfvars
• Avoid provisioning new SQL/Secret resources

Your Terraform file should read like this:

variable "db_host" {}
variable "db_password_secret_name" {}
variable "encryption_key_secret_name" {}
...

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Final Notes for GoApptiv Teams

• Always reuse existing resources when possible to align with internal security protocols.
• Coordinate with infra/security teams before updating secret references or modifying service accounts.
• Maintain the Cloud Run YAML or Terraform files in a secure Git repo for reproducibility.
• Update n8n regularly and maintain version-locking in the Dockerfile for production use.
• Use budget alerts in GCP for proactive cost control.

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Recommended Folder Structure for GoApptiv

n8n-gcp-cloudrun/
├── Dockerfile
├── startup.sh
├── terraform/
│   ├── main.tf
│   ├── variables.tf
│   └── terraform.tfvars
├── scripts/
│   └── deploy.sh
└── README.md

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Cost Reminder

GoApptiv's internal setup minimizes the following costs:

Component	Approx. Monthly Cost	Notes
Cloud SQL	Reused	No additional charges
Cloud Run	₹0–₹500	Depends on usage — serverless scaling
Secret Manager	₹0	Free for up to 10,000 access/month
Artifact Registry	₹0	Free for up to 0.5 GB storage per month (approx.)

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