Download and Compress All Files from AWS S3 Folder to ZIP

This workflow automates the process of listing all files in a specific folder within an AWS S3 bucket, downloading each one, and compressing them into a single ZIP archive. It is especially useful for creating backups, migrating data between storage systems, or allowing users to download an entire folder as one compressed file without needing to handle each file individually.

Node-by-Node Breakdown

1. When clicking 'Test workflow' (Manual Trigger) — No auth – Starts the workflow manually. Useful for testing or on-demand execution.
2. List ALL Files* (AWS S3) — AWS IAM credentials – Lists all objects in the specified bucket under the folderKey path. The returnAll parameter is enabled to retrieve every file without pagination. The bucket name is set via the expression =yourBucket, and the folder key is provided in the options.
3. Download ALL Files from Folder* (AWS S3) — AWS IAM credentials – Downloads each file listed in the previous step. The fileKey parameter is currently a placeholder (YOUR_CREDENTIAL_HERE); in a working setup, it should reference the key from the list node using an expression (e.g., {{ $json.key }}). The bucket name is again =yourBucket.
4. All into one Item (include Binary) (Aggregate) — No auth – Combines all binary file data from the download step into a single item. The includeBinaries option ensures binary content is preserved.
5. Compress all of them to a ZIP (Compression) — No auth – Compresses the aggregated binary data into a ZIP file named s3-export.zip. The binaryPropertyName expression dynamically grabs all binary properties from the input.
6. Note3 (Sticky Note) — No auth – Displayed in the n8n editor with instructions on how to configure the workflow.
7. Error Handler (Stop and Error) — No auth – Catches execution errors and stops the workflow with a custom error message.

Setup Instructions

• AWS Account – You need an active AWS account with an S3 bucket that contains the folder you want to export.
• IAM Credentials – Create an IAM user with policy permissions for s3:ListBucket and s3:GetObject on the bucket/path. Generate an Access Key ID and Secret Access Key.
• n8n AWS Credentials – In n8n, create an AWS credential using the IAM keys. Then, in the two S3 nodes, select that credential.
• Configure Nodes – In the "List ALL Files" node, set the bucketName to your bucket name and folderKey to the folder prefix (e.g., my-folder/). In the "Download ALL Files from Folder" node, change the fileKey parameter to an expression like {{ $json.key }} to use the key from the list output. Ensure the bucket name matches.
• Test – Click "Test workflow" to fetch, download, aggregate, and compress the files. The ZIP will appear in the output of the compression node.

Use Cases & Variations

• Backup automation – Run on a schedule (replace manual trigger with a Cron or Schedule trigger) to regularly archive a project folder.
• File migration – Use this to pull data from one S3 bucket/folder and later upload the ZIP elsewhere.
• Client downloads – Expose the ZIP via a webhook or store it in another S3 bucket for easy sharing.
• Variations – Add a filter node to select only certain file types (e.g., images) before compression. Replace the manual trigger with a webhook to enable on-demand remote downloads. Use an HTTP Request node to send the ZIP to a third-party service.

Note: The provided JSON has placeholder values (YOUR_CREDENTIAL_HERE and =yourBucket). These must be replaced with actual credentials and resource identifiers for the workflow to function.

{
  "meta": {
    "instanceId": "workflow-c069b442",
    "versionId": "1.0.0",
    "createdAt": "2025-09-29T07:07:42.193467",
    "updatedAt": "2025-09-29T07:07:42.193482",
    "owner": "n8n-user",
    "license": "MIT",
    "category": "automation",
    "status": "active",
    "priority": "high",
    "environment": "production"
  },
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "5dbcd30b-7f84-4932-9dff-b5e9865f9b07",
      "name": "When clicking ‘Test workflow’",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "position": [
        860,
        680
      ],
      "parameters": {},
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "notes": "This manualTrigger node performs automated tasks as part of the workflow."
    },
    {
      "id": "639dd225-ae36-4d2b-b341-8662ffe39836",
      "name": "List ALL Files*",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.awsS3",
      "position": [
        1080,
        680
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "options": {
          "folderKey": "YOUR_CREDENTIAL_HERE"
        },
        "operation": "getAll",
        "returnAll": true,
        "bucketName": "=yourBucket"
      },
      "typeVersion": 2,
      "notes": "This awsS3 node performs automated tasks as part of the workflow."
    },
    {
      "id": "cb8b4b07-af86-45b0-9621-a02c22107741",
      "name": "Download ALL Files from Folder*",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.awsS3",
      "position": [
// ... truncated (copy to see full JSON)