How can I safely invite collaborators to work on my local N8N flows without exposing credentials?

Below are some recommendations for working with an external helper on your flows while safeguarding your credentials, given that you’re running the community edition:

1. Avoid Direct Sharing via the UI:
   The built-in workflow and credential sharing features that allow different permission levels (such as restricting credential edits) are available only on Pro or Enterprise plans. With the community version running locally, there isn’t a native mechanism to invite someone while hiding credential details.

2. Export and Anonymize Workflows:
   One approach is to export your workflows as JSON. Note that exported JSON files include credential names and IDs—even though IDs aren’t sensitive, naming conventions might expose details. Before sharing, manually remove or anonymize credential details from the JSON file. This minimizes the risk if you need to send the configuration to someone for review or editing.

   For instance, you might open the exported JSON in a text editor and replace or remove credential-related properties, ensuring its safe to pass along to your assistant.

3. Use a Staging Environment:
   Another best practice is to set up a separate instance (or a staging environment) of n8n without the sensitive credentials configured. In this instance, you can safely import your workflows after temporarily substituting real credentials with dummy or placeholder values. Your external helper can then work on the logic and structure of the flows without having access to your production credentials.

4. Manual Collaboration:
   If setting up a staging environment isn’t practical, consider reviewing flows together through screen sharing sessions. This way, you maintain control of the environment while your assistant guides improvements or debugging, keeping all credentials hidden.

By exporting workflows and cleaning the JSON or creating a credential-free staging instance, you reduce the risk of credential exposure while still benefiting from external expertise in your flows.

Remember always to verify that no sensitive information is accidentally included before sharing any workflow data.