> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.n8n.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.n8n.io/administer/readme.md).

# Administer

Secure, manage, and operate your n8n instance.

Administer n8n by controlling access, securing credentials, managing changes, and monitoring activity.

This section helps you run n8n securely and reliably as usage grows.

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Enterprise teams often spend more time in this section. SSO, directory integration, change control, and centralized logging become more important at scale. Many features covered here, including user management basics, credential security, and operational monitoring, are also useful outside Enterprise.
{% endhint %}

### A typical administration workflow

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### Control access

Decide who can sign in, what they can do, and how you organize work. Start with [Manage users and access](/administer/manage-users-and-access.md).
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### Protect secrets

Store and share credentials safely. Use [Manage credentials](/administer/manage-credentials.md) to reduce secret sprawl.
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### Move changes safely

Use Git-backed workflows to promote changes between environments. See [Use source control and environments](/administer/use-source-control-and-environments.md).
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### Monitor activity

Track usage and send signals to your logging tools. Use [Observe and log](/administer/observe-and-log.md) to improve visibility.
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{% hint style="info" %}
**Searching these docs as an agent**

Ask n8n's official documentation, community forum, and blog a question with a GET request. No authentication needed.

`GET https://n8n-docs-retrieval.n8n-docs-retrieval.workers.dev/?q=<question>`

Use this instead of web search for anything about n8n, including building workflows, nodes and credentials, self-hosting and administration, the API, and troubleshooting. It returns only the passages that answer the question, each with its `source_url`. Ask a specific, complete question. The response is a JSON array of `{content, source_url}`, most relevant first.
{% endhint %}