colbymchenry/n8n-gcp-firebase

n8n-gcp-firebase

This repository contains scripts to set up and deploy n8n (nodemation) workflows with Firebase integration on Google Cloud Platform.

Getting Started

This repository provides three main scripts:

• main.sh - Creates a new n8n project with PostgreSQL and optional Firebase integration
• docker.sh - Runs n8n locally in Docker
• deploy-cloud-run.sh - Deploys n8n to Google Cloud Run

To get started quickly:

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/n8n-gcp-firebase.git
   cd n8n-gcp-firebase
   

2. Make all scripts executable:

   chmod +x main.sh docker.sh deploy-cloud-run.sh ...
   

Table of Contents

1. Local Setup
   • Prerequisites
   • Creating a New Project
   • Running Locally
2. Cloud Run Deployment
   • Prerequisites
   • Setting Up Google Cloud
   • Deploying to Cloud Run
3. Webhook Configuration
4. Troubleshooting
5. Firebase Integration
   • Setting Up Firebase
   • Using Firebase in n8n Workflows

Local Setup

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Bash shell environment
• A Neon PostgreSQL account and database (or other PostgreSQL provider)
• (Optional) Firebase project for Firebase integration

Creating a New Project

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/n8n-gcp-firebase.git
   cd n8n-gcp-firebase
   

2. Make the setup script executable:

   chmod +x main.sh
   

3. Run the setup script with your desired project name:

   ./main.sh my-n8n-project
   

   The script will prompt you for:

   • n8n username and password
   • Neon PostgreSQL database details
   • (Optional) Firebase configuration if you want to integrate with Firebase

4. After completion, you'll have a new directory with your project name containing:

   • docker-compose.yml
   • Dockerfile (if Firebase integration was selected)
   • .env file with your configuration
   • README.md with project-specific instructions

Running Locally

1. Navigate to your project directory:

   cd my-n8n-project
   

2. Copy the docker.sh script to your project directory:

   cp ../docker.sh .
   

3. Make the docker script executable:

   chmod +x docker.sh
   

4. Start n8n using the provided docker script:

   ./docker.sh
   

5. Access n8n at http://localhost:5678 and log in using the credentials you provided during setup.

Cloud Run Deployment

Cloud Prerequisites

• Google Cloud account with billing enabled
• Google Cloud CLI (gcloud) installed
• Docker installed
• Neon PostgreSQL database (or other PostgreSQL provider)

Setting Up Google Cloud

1. Install the Google Cloud CLI if you haven't already:

   # For macOS (using Homebrew)
   brew install --cask google-cloud-sdk
   
   # For Ubuntu/Debian
   echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/cloud.google.gpg] https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt cloud-sdk main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-cloud-sdk.list
   curl https://packages.cloud.google.com/apt/doc/apt-key.gpg | sudo apt-key --keyring /usr/share/keyrings/cloud.google.gpg add -
   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install google-cloud-sdk
   
   # For other operating systems, see: https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install
   

2. Initialize and log in to Google Cloud:

   gcloud init
   

   Follow the prompts to log in and select your Google Cloud project.

3. Enable billing for your project (required for Cloud Run):

   gcloud billing projects link YOUR_PROJECT_ID --billing-account=YOUR_BILLING_ACCOUNT_ID
   

   You can find your billing account ID with gcloud billing accounts list.

Deploying to Cloud Run

1. Make sure you're in the repository root directory (not inside your project folder):

   cd /path/to/n8n-gcp-firebase
   

2. Make the deployment script executable:

   chmod +x deploy-cloud-run.sh
   

3. Run the deployment script:

   ./deploy-cloud-run.sh
   

4. Follow the script prompts to configure your deployment:

   • Select your existing project directory
   • Choose your GCP project and region
   • Configure CPU, memory, and scaling options
   • (Optional) Specify a custom domain

5. After deployment completes, you'll receive:

   • The URL of your n8n instance
   • Your n8n username and password
   • The encryption key (save this for future deployments)
   • Webhook configuration details

Webhook Configuration

When deploying to Cloud Run, webhooks require special configuration due to the serverless nature of the platform. The deploy-cloud-run.sh script handles this automatically by setting:

• WEBHOOK_URL: The complete URL to your Cloud Run service
• N8N_HOST: The hostname of your Cloud Run service
• N8N_PROTOCOL: Set to "https" (always use HTTPS with Cloud Run)
• N8N_SKIP_WEBHOOK_DEREGISTRATION_SHUTDOWN: Set to "true" to maintain webhooks during scaling

After deploying to Cloud Run, you may need to:

1. Log in to your n8n instance
2. Recreate any webhook workflows to ensure proper registration
3. Test your webhooks using the provided curl commands

Troubleshooting

Webhook Issues

If webhooks aren't working after deployment:

1. Verify environment variables with:

   gcloud run services describe YOUR_SERVICE_NAME --region=YOUR_REGION --format='value(spec.template.spec.containers[0].env)'
   

2. Update environment variables if needed:

   gcloud run services update YOUR_SERVICE_NAME --region=YOUR_REGION \
     --set-env-vars="WEBHOOK_URL=https://your-service-url.a.run.app,N8N_HOST=your-service-url.a.run.app,N8N_PROTOCOL=https,N8N_SKIP_WEBHOOK_DEREGISTRATION_SHUTDOWN=true"
   

3. Check logs:

   gcloud run logs read YOUR_SERVICE_NAME --region=YOUR_REGION --limit=50
   

Cold Start Issues

If you're experiencing slow response times or webhook failures due to cold starts:

1. Update your Cloud Run service to maintain at least one instance:

   gcloud run services update YOUR_SERVICE_NAME --region=YOUR_REGION --min-instances=1
   

   Note: This will prevent scaling to zero and increase costs.

Database Connection Issues

Ensure your Neon PostgreSQL database (or other provider):

• Has the correct IP allowlist settings for Cloud Run
• Has SSL properly configured
• Has the correct database user permissions

Firebase Integration

This setup supports Firebase integration with n8n, allowing you to use Firebase services (Firestore, Authentication, etc.) in your n8n workflows.

Setting Up Firebase

1. Create a Firebase project at firebase.google.com

2. Generate a new private key for your service account:

   • Go to Project Settings > Service Accounts
   • Click "Generate New Private Key"
   • Save the JSON file

3. During the main.sh script execution, select "Yes" when asked about Firebase integration

4. Enter the Firebase credentials from your service account JSON:

   • Project ID
   • Private Key ID
   • Private Key (formatted with \n for newlines)
   • Client Email
   • Client ID
   • Client X509 Cert URL

Using Firebase in n8n Workflows

When creating n8n workflows with Firebase, use the Function node with this template:

const admin = require('firebase-admin');

// Create service account from environment variables
const serviceAccount = {
  "type": "service_account",
  "project_id": process.env.FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID,
  "private_key_id": process.env.FIREBASE_PRIVATE_KEY_ID,
  "private_key": process.env.FIREBASE_PRIVATE_KEY.replace(/\\n/g, '\n'),
  "client_email": process.env.FIREBASE_CLIENT_EMAIL,
  "client_id": process.env.FIREBASE_CLIENT_ID,
  "auth_provider_x509_cert_url": "https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v1/certs",
  "client_x509_cert_url": process.env.FIREBASE_CLIENT_X509_CERT_URL
};

// Initialize Firebase (only if not already initialized)
if (admin.apps.length === 0) {
  admin.initializeApp({
    credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount)
  });
}

// Example: Get Firestore document
const db = admin.firestore();
const docRef = db.collection('users').doc('user123');
const doc = await docRef.get();

if (doc.exists) {
  // Document exists, return its data
  return {
    data: doc.data()
  };
} else {
  // Document doesn't exist
  return {
    data: { error: 'Document not found' }
  };
}

This integration works both locally and when deployed to Cloud Run.