n8n Queue Mode
n8n running in queue mode for high-throughput production workloads: the main instance handles the editor and webhooks while a scalable pool of workers executes workflows from a Redis (Bull) queue, backed by PostgreSQL.
Deploy n8n Queue Mode on Dokploy
- Install Dokploy on your server if you haven't already.
- In your Dokploy panel, open a project and click Create Service → Template.
- Search for n8n Queue Mode and click Create — Dokploy configures domains, environment variables, and volumes for you.
Alternatively, create a Compose service, go to Advanced → Import from Base64, and paste this payload:
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Configuration
The exact Docker Compose and template configuration this template deploys.
Instructions
n8n Queue Mode
This template runs n8n in queue mode:
- n8n (main): serves the editor UI and receives webhooks/triggers, then publishes executions to the queue.
- n8n-worker (x2 by default): pulls executions from the Redis (Bull) queue and runs them.
- redis: the message broker for the queue (password protected).
- postgres: stores workflows, credentials and execution data.
All n8n containers share the same N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY (generated automatically), which is required for workers to decrypt credentials.
Scaling workers
Worker replicas are controlled by the N8N_WORKER_REPLICAS environment variable (default 2):
- Open the compose service in Dokploy and go to the Environment tab.
- Change
N8N_WORKER_REPLICASto the number of workers you want. - Redeploy. Docker Compose will scale the
n8n-workerservice to the requested number of replicas.
Each worker runs up to 10 concurrent executions by default. You can tune this by adding N8N_CONCURRENCY_PRODUCTION_LIMIT to the worker environment.
Optional: dedicated webhook processors
For very high webhook volumes, n8n supports dedicated webhook processor instances (command: webhook). To use them, add another service to the compose file with the same environment as n8n-worker but with command: webhook, and route the /webhook/ path of your domain to it. See the n8n queue mode docs for details.
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