Setting Up Cron Jobs in n8n for Recurring Tasks

Introduction

Recurring tasks like data sync and cleanup can be automated using n8n’s Cron node. This guide covers scheduling workflows with cron expressions and intervals.

Prerequisites

• n8n v1.0+

Step 1: Create New Workflow

Open n8n Editor and start a new workflow.

Step 2: Add Cron Node

Drag Cron node:

• Mode: Every Hour, Every Day, or Custom Cron.
• For custom:
  • Cron Expression: 0 2 * * * (runs daily at 2am).

[!code ++]

Step 3: Connect Task Nodes

After Cron, connect to nodes like:

• HTTP Request: fetch data.
• Function: process data.
• MySQL: database cleanup.

Step 4: Enable Workflow

Activate workflow: toggle Active to true.

Step 5: Monitor Executions

Check Executions tab for schedule logs and errors.

Summary

n8n’s Cron node provides flexible scheduling using intervals or cron expressions, enabling fully automated recurring workflows.