> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/n8n-io/n8n/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# CLI Commands

> Complete reference of all n8n CLI commands for starting services, executing workflows, and managing your instance

The n8n CLI provides a comprehensive set of commands for managing your n8n instance. Access the CLI through the `n8n` command in your terminal.

## Getting Help

To see available commands:

```bash theme={null}
n8n --help
```

To check your n8n version:

```bash theme={null}
n8n --version
# or
n8n -v
```

## Main Commands

### start

Starts the n8n server with Web UI and activates all workflows.

```bash theme={null}
n8n start
```

<ParamField path="--open" type="boolean" default="false">
  Automatically opens the n8n UI in your default browser after startup.
</ParamField>

**Examples:**

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Basic Start theme={null}
  n8n start
  ```

  ```bash Auto-open Browser theme={null}
  n8n start --open
  # or
  n8n start -o
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  The start command initializes the full n8n server including:

  * Web UI (Editor)
  * Workflow execution engine
  * Active workflow triggers
  * Webhook endpoints
  * REST API
</Note>

### worker

Starts an n8n worker process for queue mode execution. Workers handle workflow executions from the queue.

```bash theme={null}
n8n worker
```

<ParamField path="--concurrency" type="number" default="10">
  Number of jobs that can run in parallel on this worker.
</ParamField>

**Examples:**

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Default Worker theme={null}
  n8n worker
  ```

  ```bash Custom Concurrency theme={null}
  n8n worker --concurrency=5
  ```

  ```bash High Concurrency theme={null}
  n8n worker --concurrency=20
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  **Important:** Concurrency less than 5 can lead to an unstable environment. Consider setting it to at least 5 for best performance.
</Note>

**Environment Variables:**

* `N8N_CONCURRENCY_PRODUCTION_LIMIT`: Overrides the `--concurrency` flag if set to a value other than -1
* `QUEUE_WORKER_TIMEOUT`: Graceful shutdown timeout (deprecated, use `N8N_GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT`)

### webhook

Starts a dedicated webhook process that intercepts production webhook URLs. Useful for scaling webhook handling separately.

```bash theme={null}
n8n webhook
```

<Note>
  **Queue Mode Required:** The webhook command only works when execution mode is set to `queue`. It cannot run in regular execution mode.
</Note>

**Use Cases:**

* Separate webhook handling from main process
* Scale webhook endpoints independently
* Improve reliability for high-traffic webhooks

### execute

Executes a specific workflow once from the command line.

```bash theme={null}
n8n execute --id=WORKFLOW_ID
```

<ParamField path="--id" type="string" required>
  The ID of the workflow to execute.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--rawOutput" type="boolean" default="false">
  Outputs only JSON data with no additional text.
</ParamField>

**Examples:**

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Execute Workflow theme={null}
  n8n execute --id=5
  ```

  ```bash JSON Output Only theme={null}
  n8n execute --id=10 --rawOutput
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  The execute command does not support queue mode and will automatically fall back to regular execution mode.
</Note>

### execute-batch

Executes multiple workflows for testing and comparison purposes.

```bash theme={null}
n8n execute-batch
```

<ParamField path="--ids" type="string">
  Comma-separated workflow IDs or path to file containing IDs.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--concurrency" type="number" default="1">
  How many workflows can run in parallel.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--debug" type="boolean" default="false">
  Display all errors and debug messages.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--output" type="string">
  Path to save execution results JSON file.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--snapshot" type="string">
  Directory to save execution snapshots for later comparison.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--compare" type="string">
  Directory containing snapshots to compare against current execution.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--shallow" type="boolean" default="false">
  Compare only top-level attributes, ignoring nested JSON objects.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--skipList" type="string">
  Path to JSON file containing workflow IDs to skip.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--retries" type="number" default="1">
  Number of times to retry failed workflows (0 to disable).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--shortOutput" type="boolean" default="false">
  Show only summary, omitting full execution details.
</ParamField>

**Examples:**

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Execute All Workflows theme={null}
  n8n execute-batch
  ```

  ```bash Execute Specific Workflows theme={null}
  n8n execute-batch --ids=10,13,15 --shortOutput
  ```

  ```bash With Concurrency theme={null}
  n8n execute-batch --concurrency=10 --skipList=/data/skipList.json
  ```

  ```bash Debug Mode theme={null}
  n8n execute-batch --debug --output=/data/output.json
  ```

  ```bash Create Snapshots theme={null}
  n8n execute-batch --snapshot=/data/snapshots --shallow
  ```

  ```bash Compare Executions theme={null}
  n8n execute-batch --compare=/data/previousExecutionData --retries=2
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  This command is particularly useful for automated testing, regression testing, and CI/CD workflows.
</Note>

## Additional Commands

### List Commands

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="list:workflow">
    Lists all workflows in the database.

    ```bash theme={null}
    n8n list:workflow
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Database Commands

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="db:reset">
    Resets the database (development only).

    ```bash theme={null}
    n8n db:reset
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="db:prune">
    Prunes execution data according to retention settings.

    ```bash theme={null}
    n8n db:prune
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Command-Line Options

### Global Options

These options work with most commands:

| Option              | Description              |
| ------------------- | ------------------------ |
| `--version, -v, -V` | Display n8n version      |
| `--help`            | Display help for command |

## Interactive Features

When running `n8n start` in a TTY terminal:

* Press **`o`** to open the n8n editor in your browser
* Press **`Ctrl+C`** to gracefully shut down n8n

## Environment Configuration

All CLI commands respect environment variables for configuration. See the [Environment Variables](/hosting/configuration) documentation for details.

Key configuration areas:

* Database connection
* Execution mode (regular/queue)
* Network and ports
* Security settings
* Node.js settings

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Execution Modes" icon="gears" href="/cli/execution">
    Learn about different execution modes and flags
  </Card>

  <Card title="Import/Export" icon="arrow-right-arrow-left" href="/cli/import-export">
    Import and export workflows and credentials
  </Card>

  <Card title="User Management" icon="users" href="/cli/user-management">
    Manage users via CLI
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="sliders" href="/configuration/configuration">
    Configure n8n settings
  </Card>
</CardGroup>