| Variable | Type | Default | Description |
| :------- | :--- | :------ | :---------- |
| `N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES_MANAGED_BY_ENV` | Boolean | `false` | Set to `true` to manage installed community packages from environment variables. When `true`, n8n reconciles the installed packages against `N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES` on every startup, installing missing packages, correcting versions, and **uninstalling any currently-installed packages that aren't in the list**. The **Community nodes** settings page becomes read-only: you can't install, update, or uninstall packages from the UI while this is enabled. |
| `N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES` | JSON string | - | JSON array of community packages to install. Each entry is an object with a `name` (required) and optional `version` and `checksum` fields. You can also embed the version in the name as `<package-name>@<version>`. See [environment variable installation](/integrations/community-nodes/installation/env-install.md) for the full per-field reference. |