Community Node Option Not Showing in n8n Community Edition on Docker

Below is a checklist of items to review when the Community Nodes option does not appear:

1. Verify Container Environment Variables
Make sure the container is actually started with the required environment variables. In particular, check that:

• N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES_ENABLED is set to true
• N8N_DEFAULT_EXECUTION_MODE is set to unrestricted

If you’re using Portainer, inspect the container configuration to confirm the variables are set. (You can remove N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES_REGISTRY if you are using the default npm registry.)

2. Restart and Check Logs
After applying the changes, fully restart your container. Then inspect the container logs for any warnings or errors related to community nodes. This may show if any packages failed to load.

3. Docker and Data Persistence
Remember that n8n installs community nodes directly onto disk (inside ~/.n8n/nodes). If that folder isn’t persisted across container restarts, you could run into issues. Ensure that you have set up your Docker volumes as described in the Docker installation guide so that changes persist.

4. Version Considerations
Community nodes are designed to work in the Community Edition with unrestricted execution mode. It may help to verify that you are running the expected n8n version (1.78.0 in your case). If you have the option, try testing with a newer release to see if this resolves the issue.

5. Manual Installation as a Workaround
If the UI option still does not appear, consider manually installing a community node. For example, open a shell in your container:

SHCopied
docker exec -it n8n sh

Then create the nodes directory (if necessary) and install the community node package:

SHCopied
mkdir -p ~/.n8n/nodes
cd ~/.n8n/nodes
npm install n8n-nodes-nodeName

After installing the node, restart n8n. This manual install method is documented in the Manual Installation guide.

Following these steps should help diagnose and resolve why the Community Nodes option isn’t showing in your instance.