Node Configuration

Node Configuration

Detailed configuration guide for commonly used n8n nodes — HTTP Request, Code, IF, Switch, Merge, Split In Batches, and error handling.

HTTP Request Node

Basic Configuration

{
  "method": "GET",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/data",
  "authentication": "none",
  "options": {}
}

Authentication Types

Headers

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/data",
  "sendHeaders": true,
  "headerParameters": {
    "parameters": [
      { "name": "Content-Type", "value": "application/json" },
      { "name": "X-API-Key", "value": "{{ $env.API_KEY }}" }
    ]
  }
}

Request Body

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/data",
  "sendBody": true,
  "bodyContentType": "json",
  "jsonBody": "={{ JSON.stringify({ name: $json.name, email: $json.email }) }}"
}

Pagination

{
  "options": {
    "pagination": {
      "paginationMode": "offset",
      "limitParameter": "limit",
      "offsetParameter": "offset",
      "pageSize": 100,
      "maxPages": 10
    }
  }
}

Retry on Failure

{
  "options": {
    "retry": {
      "enabled": true,
      "maxRetries": 3,
      "waitBetweenRetries": 1000
    }
  }
}

Response Handling

{
  "options": {
    "response": {
      "fullResponse": false,
      "responseFormat": "json"
    }
  }
}

Code Node

JavaScript Mode

// Access all input items
const items = $input.all();

// Process each item
for (const item of items) {
  item.json.processed = true;
  item.json.timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
}

return items;

Python Mode

# Access all input items
items = _input.all()

# Process each item
for item in items:
    item.json["processed"] = True
    item.json["timestamp"] = "2024-01-01"

return items

Return Format

Code node must return an array of items:

// Create new items
return [
  { json: { name: "Item 1", value: 100 } },
  { json: { name: "Item 2", value: 200 } }
];

Access Previous Node Data

// Get data from a specific node
const userData = $("HTTP Request").first().json;
const allRecords = $("Database Query").all();

// Access environment variables
const apiKey = $env.API_KEY;

IF Node

Basic Condition

{
  "conditions": {
    "string": [
      {
        "value1": "={{ $json.status }}",
        "operation": "equals",
        "value2": "active"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Condition Types

Multiple Conditions

{
  "conditions": {
    "string": [
      { "value1": "={{ $json.status }}", "operation": "equals", "value2": "active" }
    ],
    "number": [
      { "value1": "={{ $json.age }}", "operation": "larger", "value2": 18 }
    ]
  },
  "combineConditions": "AND"
}

Combine modes: AND (all must match), OR (any must match).

Outputs

• true branch: conditions match
• false branch: conditions don't match

Switch Node

Rules Mode

{
  "mode": "rules",
  "rules": [
    { "value": "={{ $json.type }}", "operation": "equals", "value2": "order", "output": 0 },
    { "value": "={{ $json.type }}", "operation": "equals", "value2": "refund", "output": 1 },
    { "value": "={{ $json.type }}", "operation": "equals", "value2": "inquiry", "output": 2 }
  ],
  "fallbackOutput": 3
}

Expression Mode

{
  "mode": "expression",
  "expression": "={{ $json.type }}",
  "outputs": ["order", "refund", "inquiry"]
}

Merge Node

Modes

Combine by Fields (Join)

{
  "mode": "combineMerge",
  "mergeByFields": {
    "values": [
      { "field1": "id", "field2": "userId" }
    ]
  },
  "joinMode": "inner",
  "options": {
    "clashHandling": "preferInput1"
  }
}

Join modes: inner (matching only), left (all from input 1), right (all from input 2), outer (all from both).

Split In Batches Node

Process items in batches (for API rate limiting, memory management).

{
  "batchSize": 10,
  "options": {
    "reset": false
  }
}

Loop Pattern

Split In Batches → Process → [loop back to Split In Batches]

The node outputs items in groups of batchSize. Connect the "loop" output back to itself to process next batch.

Error Handling

Error Trigger Node

Catches errors from any node in the workflow.

Main workflow: Node A → Node B → Node C
Error workflow: Error Trigger → Send Notification

Stop and Error Node

Deliberately stop execution with an error message.

{
  "errorMessage": "Validation failed: missing required field '{{ $json.field }}'"
}

Try/Catch Pattern

Node A → Node B (may fail)
         ↓ error output
         Error Handler → Continue or Notify

Enable "Continue On Fail" on a node to catch its errors:

• Node setting: continueOnFail: true
• Error data available in $json._error

Retry Pattern

Split In Batches → HTTP Request (with retry options) → [loop back]

Node Positioning Guidelines

When creating workflows via MCP:

X spacing: 200px between nodes
Y spacing: 150px between parallel branches
Starting position: x=250, y=300

Common Node Combinations

API Call with Error Handling

HTTP Request → IF (status check) → true: Process / false: Error Handler

Batch Processing

Get All Items → Split In Batches → Process → [loop] → Done

Data Transformation Pipeline

Input → Code (transform) → IF (filter) → Set (format) → Output

Webhook with Validation

Webhook → IF (validate) → true: Process → Respond / false: Respond with Error