How to reset admin credentials in n8n?

If you need to reset the n8n admin user, the reliable way is to clear (delete) the authentication rows from the database. After that, when you open the n8n UI again, n8n will behave as if no admin user exists and will prompt you to create a new one. This works for all real deployments (Postgres, MySQL, and SQLite).

 

How to reset the admin credentials

 

The core idea: n8n stores the admin user in the database table called user. If you remove the existing user entry, n8n thinks it is a fresh setup and asks you to create a new admin account.

• This does not delete workflows, credentials, or executions.
• You only remove the user authentication record.
• After restart, you immediately get the “Create User” screen again.

 

Step-by-step: using Postgres (most common production setup)

 

-- Connect to your Postgres DB (for example via psql)
-- Then delete all users

DELETE FROM "user";

Then restart your n8n instance (Docker restart, systemctl restart, or n8n restart depending on your deployment). When you open the UI, you’ll get the setup screen again and create a new admin user.

 

Step-by-step: using SQLite (common in small or local installs)

 

// Enter the SQLite CLI:
sqlite3 ~/.n8n/database.sqlite

// Then run:
DELETE FROM user;
.quit

Restart n8n. Open the UI. You will be asked to create a new admin user.

 

Step-by-step: using MySQL

 

DELETE FROM user;

Restart n8n, then open the UI and create a new admin user.

 

If you don’t know which database you're using

 

• In Docker: check your environment variables. Look for DB\_TYPE. If you see postgresdb, mysqldb, or sqlite, that tells you which one you have.
• In n8n Cloud: you cannot access the DB directly, so instead use the “Reset login link” from the Cloud dashboard.

 

Why this works (quick explanation)

 

n8n only allows creating the first admin user when the user table is empty. In normal operation, this table contains exactly one user (the owner/admin). Removing it triggers the initial setup flow again. All workflows, saved credentials, and executions are stored in other tables, so they stay untouched.

This is the cleanest and production-safe way to reset admin access.