What is the execution log retention and deletion policy in n8n?

Below is a summary of how execution logs are managed on a hosted n8n instance (n8n Cloud):

Execution Log Retention Period

• Cloud Plans Vary:
  • Start/Starter Plans: Execution logs are retained for 7 days.
  • Pro/Power Plans: Execution logs are retained for 30 days.
  • Enterprise Plan: There’s no fixed retention time (logs persist indefinitely) but still subject to storage limits.

Limits on Stored Logs & Purging Criteria

• Maximum Number of Executions Stored:
  • Start/Starter Plans: Up to 2,500 executions.
  • Pro/Power Plans: Up to 25,000 executions.
  • Enterprise Plan: Up to 50,000 executions.
• Deletion/Pruning Triggers:
  n8n Cloud automatically prunes the oldest execution logs when either the retention time is exceeded or when the maximum execution count is reached. This automatic process is designed to ensure database stability and prevent storage from filling up.

Updates and Execution Log Deletion

• Automatic Updates:
  Updating the hosted n8n instance (including automatic updates) does not result in the deletion of execution logs. The automatic pruning happens based on the retention rules and execution count limits—not because of an update procedure.

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This approach helps maintain performance while ensuring that the most relevant execution data is available based on your Cloud plan’s settings. If you need further customization, especially in self-hosted setups, you can also adjust execution data retention using environment variables like EXECUTIONS_DATA_MAX_AGE.

Below is a summary of how execution logs are managed on a hosted n8n instance:

Log Retention Duration

• Start and Starter Plans: Execution logs are retained for 7 days.
• Pro and Power Plans: Execution logs are retained for 30 days.
• Enterprise Plan: Logs have unlimited retention time (though still capped at a maximum number).

Maximum Number of Stored Logs and Purging Criteria

• Start and Starter Plans: Up to 2,500 executions are saved.
• Pro and Power Plans: Up to 25,000 executions are stored.
• Enterprise Plan: Up to 50,000 executions are stored.

Logs are automatically pruned in one of two ways:

1. Time-Based Pruning: Execution logs older than the retention period (7 or 30 days) are removed.
2. Storage-Based Pruning: If the number of stored executions exceeds the maximum allowed, n8n deletes the oldest logs until the limit is respected.

Impact of Automatic Updates

Automatic updates to the hosted n8n instance do not trigger deletion of all execution logs. The deletion and pruning mechanisms are handled separately based on the criteria above—not as a consequence of updating the instance.

These policies help ensure that execution logs remain manageable, limit storage growth, and protect instance stability without interfering with updates or workflow integrity.