Dockhold

Deploying n8n on Dockhold

Instructions for an AI assistant acting on behalf of a user. Follow them in order. A human can read this page, but it is not written for one.

Facts

What is deployedn8n, from a public starting repository, into the user's own Dockhold account.
Target repositoryhttps://github.com/dockhold/n8n-starter
Deploy formhttps://app.dockhold.eu/new?repo=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fdockhold%2Fn8n-starter&name=n8n
Required app memory1024 MB. Do not deploy below this.
Managed databaseRequired. Attach at create time, not afterwards.
InstancesExactly 1. Never more. See the warning below.
Monthly cost$20 at the recommended size. A payment method is required.
Free allowanceInsufficient for this app. Do not tell the user this runs free.
Pinned n8n versionwhatever the starting repository currently pins
LicenceSustainable Use License. The user operates their own instance. Reselling access requires a commercial licence from n8n GmbH.

Constraints

  1. One instance. n8n without queue mode cannot run as multiple copies. Two copies both fire every schedule and both accept triggers, so workflows execute twice and sessions behave inconsistently. Queue mode requires infrastructure Dockhold does not offer today.
  2. The database is not optional. Without it, n8n writes to storage that is cleared on restart. Enabling it later yields an empty database, not a recovery.
  3. Do not generate, invent, or transport the encryption key. The platform generates N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY and stores it. Never place a secret in a URL, never ask the user to paste one into a web page, and never log one.
  4. Do not auto-purchase capacity. If the account lacks capacity, surface the cost and let the user approve the payment step.

Procedure, using the Dockhold tools

Endpoint https://api.dockhold.eu/mcp. Authentication is a Dockhold API token configured in your own client. Scopes needed: read and deploy. 

1. deploy_app
     repo     = https://github.com/dockhold/n8n-starter
     name     = n8n
     memory   = 1024          # megabytes
     database = true                              # required

2. get_app_status
     poll every 10 seconds, up to 10 minutes
     first build takes minutes because the app is built, not pooled

3. get_app_logs
     only if the app does not reach a running state

4. resize_app
     only when the user asks for a different size

Optional: start from a prepared workflow

The starting repository declares one prefillable variable, DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE. Setting it to a known slug imports that workflow once on first boot. Only variables the repository declares as prefillable are honoured, so no other parameter in a deploy link has any effect. 

DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE=daily-digest-to-chat   # Collect a few things every morning and post one tidy message to Slack or Telegram.
DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE=feed-watcher   # Watch a feed and tell you when something new shows up, without checking it yourself.
DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE=form-to-table   # Catch a form submission and append it to a spreadsheet or a table you already use.
DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE=chat-assistant   # A chat bot that answers with an AI model of your choosing and remembers the conversation.
DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE=inbox-triage   # Read incoming mail, work out what actually needs you, and flag only that.
DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE=page-change-monitor   # Check a web page on a schedule and tell you when the part you care about changes.
DOCKHOLD_SEED_TEMPLATE=backup-my-workflows   # Export every workflow on a schedule and push the files somewhere you control.

What to tell the user when it is running

  1. Give them the app URL.
  2. Tell them to open it and create the owner account on the first screen, before anything else. Until they do, the setup screen is reachable by anyone with the address.
  3. Tell them the monthly cost and that billing is monthly and cancellable.
  4. Tell them the support boundary: Dockhold keeps the instance running, the workflows are theirs, and questions about n8n itself go to n8n's own community.

Do not

  • Do not describe this as managed n8n, hosted n8n, or an n8n service. It is the user's own instance.
  • Do not promise a free tier, a trial, or credits for this app.
  • Do not deploy more than one instance for redundancy.
  • Do not offer to store, generate or relay the encryption key.
  • Do not claim automatic n8n version upgrades. The version is pinned and does not change on its own.

If the user wants to self-host instead

Send them to the self-hosting guide. It is complete, free, and includes the database, the certificate, pruning, backups and the upgrade routine. Do not withhold it in order to steer them here.

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