---
title: "Updating n8n Running in Docker"
domain: selfhosting
category: services
tags: [n8n, docker, update, self-hosting, automation]
status: published
created: 2026-03-30
updated: 2026-03-30
---

# Updating n8n Running in Docker

n8n's in-app update notification checks against their npm release version, which often gets published before the `latest` Docker Hub tag is updated. This means you may see an update prompt in the UI even though `docker pull` reports the image as current. Pull a pinned version tag instead.

## Check Current vs Latest Version

```bash
# Check what's running
docker exec n8n-n8n-1 n8n --version

# Check what npm (n8n's upstream) says is latest
docker exec n8n-n8n-1 npm show n8n version
```

If the versions differ, the Docker Hub `latest` tag hasn't caught up yet. Use the pinned version tag.

## Get the Running Container's Config

Before stopping anything, capture the full environment so you can recreate the container identically:

```bash
docker inspect n8n-n8n-1 --format '{{json .Config.Env}}'
docker inspect n8n-n8n-1 --format '{{range .Mounts}}{{.Source}} -> {{.Destination}}{{println}}{{end}}'
```

For MajorsHouse, the relevant env vars are:

```
N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=https://n8n.majorshouse.com/
N8N_PORT=5678
TZ=America/New_York
N8N_TRUST_PROXY=true
GENERIC_TIMEZONE=America/New_York
N8N_HOST=n8n.majorshouse.com
N8N_PROTOCOL=https
WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.majorshouse.com/
```

Data volume: `n8n_n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n`

## Perform the Update

```bash
# 1. Pull the specific version (replace 2.14.2 with target version)
docker pull docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:2.14.2

# 2. Stop and remove the old container
docker stop n8n-n8n-1 && docker rm n8n-n8n-1

# 3. Start fresh with the new image and same settings
docker run -d \
  --name n8n-n8n-1 \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 127.0.0.1:5678:5678 \
  -v n8n_n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  -e N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=https://n8n.majorshouse.com/ \
  -e N8N_PORT=5678 \
  -e TZ=America/New_York \
  -e N8N_TRUST_PROXY=true \
  -e GENERIC_TIMEZONE=America/New_York \
  -e N8N_HOST=n8n.majorshouse.com \
  -e N8N_PROTOCOL=https \
  -e WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.majorshouse.com/ \
  docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n:2.14.2

# 4. Verify
docker exec n8n-n8n-1 n8n --version
docker ps --filter name=n8n-n8n-1 --format '{{.Status}}'
```

No restart of Caddy or other services required. Workflows, credentials, and execution history are preserved in the data volume.

## Reset a Forgotten Admin Password

n8n uses SQLite at `/home/node/.n8n/database.sqlite` (mapped to `n8n_n8n_data` on the host). Use Python to generate a valid bcrypt hash and update it directly — do **not** use shell variable interpolation, as `$` characters in bcrypt hashes will be eaten.

```bash
python3 -c "
import bcrypt, sqlite3
pw = b'your-new-password'
h = bcrypt.hashpw(pw, bcrypt.gensalt(rounds=10)).decode()
db = sqlite3.connect('/var/lib/docker/volumes/n8n_n8n_data/_data/database.sqlite')
db.execute(\"UPDATE user SET password=? WHERE email='marcus@majorshouse.com'\", (h,))
db.commit()
db.close()
db2 = sqlite3.connect('/var/lib/docker/volumes/n8n_n8n_data/_data/database.sqlite')
row = db2.execute(\"SELECT password FROM user WHERE email='marcus@majorshouse.com'\").fetchone()
print('Valid:', bcrypt.checkpw(pw, row[0].encode()))
"
```

`Valid: True` confirms the hash is correct. No container restart needed.

## Why Arcane Doesn't Always Catch It

[Arcane](https://getarcaneapp.com) watches Docker Hub for image digest changes. When n8n publishes a new release, there's often a delay before the `latest` tag on Docker Hub is updated to match. During that window:

- n8n's in-app updater (checks npm) reports an update available
- `docker pull latest` and Arcane both report the image as current

Once Docker Hub catches up, Arcane will notify normally. For immediate updates, use pinned version tags as shown above.

## Troubleshooting

**Password still rejected after update:** Shell variable interpolation (`$2b`, `$10`, etc.) silently truncates bcrypt hashes when passed as inline SQL strings. Always use the Python script approach above.

**Container exits immediately after recreate:** Check `docker logs n8n-n8n-1`. Most commonly a missing env var or a volume permission issue.

**Webhooks not firing after update:** Verify `N8N_TRUST_PROXY=true` is set. Without it, Caddy's `X-Forwarded-For` header causes n8n's rate limiter to drop webhook requests before parsing the body.

**`npm show n8n version` returns old version:** npm registry cache inside the container. Run `docker exec n8n-n8n-1 npm show n8n version --no-cache` to force a fresh check.