data/skills/n8n-node-configuration/SKILL.md
Expert guidance for operation-aware node configuration with property dependencies.
Progressive disclosure: Start minimal, add complexity as needed
Configuration best practices:
get_node with detail: "standard" is the most used discovery patternKey insight: Most configurations need only standard detail, not full schema!
Not all fields are always required - it depends on operation!
Example: Slack node
// For operation='post'
{
"resource": "message",
"operation": "post",
"channel": "#general", // Required for post
"text": "Hello!" // Required for post
}
// For operation='update'
{
"resource": "message",
"operation": "update",
"messageId": "123", // Required for update (different!)
"text": "Updated!" // Required for update
// channel NOT required for update
}
Key: Resource + operation determine which fields are required!
Fields appear/disappear based on other field values
Example: HTTP Request node
// When method='GET'
{
"method": "GET",
"url": "https://api.example.com"
// sendBody not shown (GET doesn't have body)
}
// When method='POST'
{
"method": "POST",
"url": "https://api.example.com",
"sendBody": true, // Now visible!
"body": { // Required when sendBody=true
"contentType": "json",
"content": {...}
}
}
Mechanism: displayOptions control field visibility
Use the right detail level:
get_node({detail: "standard"}) - DEFAULT
get_node({mode: "search_properties", propertyQuery: "..."}) (for finding specific fields)
get_node({detail: "full"}) (complete schema)
get_node (standard detail is default).get_node({mode: "search_properties"}).The validate-driven loop in practice: start minimal (method, url, authentication), then let each validate_node error surface the next required field (sendBody for POST → body when sendBody=true) until valid. Full step-by-step walkthrough in OPERATION_PATTERNS.md.
✅ Starting configuration
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"
});
// detail="standard" is the default
Returns (~1-2K tokens):
Use: 95% of configuration needs
✅ When standard isn't enough
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
detail: "full"
});
Returns (~3-8K tokens):
Warning: Large response, use only when standard insufficient
✅ Looking for specific field
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
mode: "search_properties",
propertyQuery: "auth"
});
Use: Find authentication, headers, body fields, etc.
get_node (standard).search_properties mode. Otherwise continue.get_node({detail: "full"}).Fields have displayOptions visibility rules: show/hide blocks where multiple conditions are AND'd and multiple values are OR'd (e.g. body shows when sendBody=true AND method IN (POST, PUT, PATCH)). The three recurring patterns are the boolean toggle (sendBody → body), the operation switch (post vs update show different fields), and type selection (string vs boolean conditions). To find what controls a field, use get_node({mode: "search_properties", propertyQuery: "..."}) or get_node({detail: "full"}) — especially when validation flags a field you don't see.
Mechanism details, all four dependency patterns, complex flows, nested dependencies, and troubleshooting are in DEPENDENCIES.md (quick-reference recap under Quick Reference: displayOptions and Common Dependency Patterns).
Examples: Slack, Google Sheets, Airtable
Structure:
{
"resource": "<entity>", // What type of thing
"operation": "<action>", // What to do with it
// ... operation-specific fields
}
How to configure:
Examples: HTTP Request, Webhook
Structure:
{
"method": "<HTTP_METHOD>",
"url": "<endpoint>",
"authentication": "<type>",
// ... method-specific fields
}
Dependencies:
Critical: credentials block, node id, typeVersion
"id": "REPLACE_ME") — n8n's UI renders a permanently disabled credential selector for unknown IDs. Omit the credentials block when the real ID is unknown; the user then gets a normal clickable dropdown.id must be a UUID v4, not a readable slug — the frontend binds forms and the credential component to it.typeVersion values — verify the current version with get_node (httpRequest is 4.4+).Examples: Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB
Structure:
{
"operation": "<query|insert|update|delete>",
// ... operation-specific fields
}
Dependencies:
Critical: Write operations may return 0 items
alwaysOutputData: true on write-operation nodes to keep downstream chains alive$('UpstreamNode').all() instead of $input if they need dataExamples: IF, Switch, Merge
Structure:
{
"conditions": {
"<type>": [
{
"operation": "<operator>",
"value1": "...",
"value2": "..." // Only for binary operators
}
]
}
}
Dependencies:
Required fields shift with resource + operation: Slack post needs channel+text, but update needs messageId+text (channel optional) and channel/create needs name. HTTP GET uses sendQuery+queryParameters; POST needs sendBody+body. IF binary operators (equals) need value1+value2; unary (isEmpty) need only value1 plus auto-added singleValue: true. Concrete minimal configs for each in OPERATION_PATTERNS.md.
Some fields are required only under certain conditions: HTTP body is required when sendBody=true AND method IN (POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE); IF singleValue should be true when the operator is unary (isEmpty, isNotEmpty, true, false) — and auto-sanitization sets it for you. Discover conditional requirements by reading the validation error, searching the property (get_node({mode: "search_properties"})), or iterating from a minimal config. Worked discovery examples in DEPENDENCIES.md.
{
"batchSize": 100, // Number of items per batch
"options": {}
}
Output wiring:
main[0] (done) → Connect to downstream processing (add Limit 1 first)main[1] (each batch) → Connect to loop body, then loop back to SplitInBatches inputSee the n8n Workflow Patterns skill for detailed loop and nested loop patterns.
Per-item execution: Each input item triggers a separate API call. If you have 100 items and use a Google Sheets "Append Row" node, it makes 100 API calls. To write in bulk, aggregate items in a Code node first, then use a single HTTP Request with the Sheets API.
Formula columns: Never use append on sheets with formula columns — it overwrites formulas. Instead, use HTTP Request with Google Sheets API values.update (PUT) method and a googleApi credential.
Bad:
// Adding every possible field
{
"method": "GET",
"url": "...",
"sendQuery": false,
"sendHeaders": false,
"sendBody": false,
"timeout": 10000,
"ignoreResponseCode": false,
// ... 20 more optional fields
}
Good:
// Start minimal
{
"method": "GET",
"url": "...",
"authentication": "none"
}
// Add fields only when needed
Bad:
// Configure and deploy without validating
const config = {...};
n8n_update_partial_workflow({...}); // YOLO
Good:
// Validate before deploying
const config = {...};
const result = validate_node({...});
if (result.valid) {
n8n_update_partial_workflow({...});
}
Bad:
// Same config for all Slack operations
{
"resource": "message",
"operation": "post",
"channel": "#general",
"text": "..."
}
// Then switching operation without updating config
{
"resource": "message",
"operation": "update", // Changed
"channel": "#general", // Wrong field for update!
"text": "..."
}
Good:
// Check requirements when changing operation
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"
});
// See what update operation needs (messageId, not channel)
When you need to edit a specific string inside a node field — rather than replacing the whole field — use patchNodeField in n8n_update_partial_workflow. This is especially useful for:
// Instead of replacing the entire jsCode field:
n8n_update_partial_workflow({
id: "wf-123",
operations: [{
type: "patchNodeField",
nodeName: "Code",
fieldPath: "parameters.jsCode",
patches: [{find: "const limit = 10;", replace: "const limit = 50;"}]
}]
})
patchNodeField is strict — it errors if the find string isn't found or matches multiple times (unless replaceAll: true). This prevents accidental silent failures during configuration updates. See the n8n MCP Tools Expert skill for full syntax and examples.
Start with get_node (standard detail)
Validate iteratively
Use search_properties mode when stuck
get_node({mode: "search_properties", propertyQuery: "..."})Respect operation context
Trust auto-sanitization
Jump to detail="full" immediately
Configure blindly
Copy configs without understanding
Manually fix auto-sanitization issues
Some misconfigurations pass validate_node and validate_workflow clean, run without error, and quietly do the wrong thing — get_node shows the fields exist but not what happens when you omit them. The high-frequency ones:
options.fallbackOutput ⇒ unmatched items silently dropped.numberOfInputs defaults to 2 (extra sources drop); useDataOfInput is 1-indexed vs the 0-indexed connections.<src>.main[idx] slot (useDataOfInput: "N" → main[N-1]).{{ }} interpolation into parameters.query is SQL injection; use $1/$2 placeholders + options.queryReplacement.={{ { "blocks": ... } }} or it posts as plain text.responseCode defaults to 200 even on error branches.Full symptom/cause/fix detail (in JSON + n8n_update_partial_workflow terms) in NODE_FAMILY_GOTCHAS.md.
For comprehensive guides on specific topics:
Configuration Strategy:
get_node (standard detail is default)Key Principles:
Related Skills: