n8n Nodes: The Complete Integration Node Reference Guide

n8n nodes are the atomic building blocks of every workflow—each node represents a specific service, operation, or function. The platform ships with 400+ native integration nodes spanning CRMs, databases, messaging tools, AI models, and developer utilities; plus core nodes for data transformation, flow control, and credential management. Built on a hierarchical system of trigger nodes (initiating workflows), action nodes (performing tasks), core nodes (handling logic and data), and cluster nodes (enabling multi-node AI patterns), the node architecture delivers composable, reusable automation through a consistent INodeType interface contract across all node categories. [1]

What types of n8n nodes exist and how are they categorized?

n8n organizes nodes into four architectural categories: trigger nodes that initiate workflow execution and supply initial data, action nodes that connect to external services and perform tasks, core nodes that provide generic data transformation and flow control without external dependencies, and cluster nodes that implement interconnected sub‑node composition patterns primarily for AI workflows. [1]

For a complete taxonomy of trigger mechanisms, action nodes, polling triggers, sub‑nodes, and AI‑specific node patterns, see the types of n8n nodes guide.

What integration nodes does n8n provide for apps, APIs, and databases?

n8n’s integration nodes connect to 400+ external services spanning CRM systems (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho), messaging platforms (Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp), database engines (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Supabase), cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, S3), and developer tools (GitHub, GitLab, Jira). A universal HTTP Request node bridges any REST or GraphQL API lacking a native connector. [5]

The full catalog organized by service category—CRM nodes, database nodes, messaging nodes, cloud storage nodes, and developer tool nodes—is available in the n8n integration nodes catalog.

How do n8n nodes handle authentication, credentials, and webhook verification?

n8n’s credential system supports OAuth2 (with automatic token refresh via the @n8n/client-oauth2 package), Basic Auth, Header Auth, Query Auth, and API Keys. The credential framework encrypts all sensitive values at rest with AES‑256‑CBC and redacts them when displayed or logged. Webhook nodes support HMAC‑SHA256 signature validation and IP allowlisting. [6]

For the complete security model covering OAuth2 flows, credential encryption, environment‑variable‑based secret storage, vault integration, and webhook authentication hardening, explore the n8n node security guide.

How do you configure node parameters, expressions, and data mapping in n8n?

Each node exposes a properties array that defines its parameters in the UI—text fields, dropdowns, and expression editors. Node parameters accept expressions enclosed in {{ }} for dynamic resolution of upstream data. JMESPath provides declarative JSON querying directly within parameters, and dedicated transformation nodes—Set, Merge, and Code—enable programmatic field manipulation. [7]

For a full reference on configuring node parameters, writing expressions with 58 built‑in methods, applying JMESPath for nested JSON extraction, Set node field mapping, Merge node data combination, and Code node JavaScript/Python execution, see the n8n node configuration guide.

How do beginners add, connect, and test nodes on the n8n canvas?

Beginners start by opening the node panel—via the + icon, Tab key, or existing node connector—and selecting a trigger node. Nodes are dragged onto the canvas, connected by pulling from the output handle of one node to the input handle of the next, and configured through the right‑side parameters panel. Individual nodes can be tested via Execute step before running the full workflow. [8]

For a complete walkthrough covering the canvas, node panel, node connections, trigger and action node selection, individual node testing, and community‑node discovery and installation, visit the n8n nodes for beginners guide.

Which nodes power AI, DevOps, and data pipeline use cases in n8n?

The AI Agent node orchestrates LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini) with tool‑calling, memory, and RAG capabilities via LangChain. DevOps nodes (GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Jenkins) automate CI/CD alerts, incident creation, and deployment notifications. Data pipeline nodes (Postgres, MySQL, Google Sheets, Airtable) enable ETL operations using native connectors or the universal HTTP Request node for any REST API. [9]

For practical implementations of AI agent workflows, DevOps incident response, and data pipeline automations with these nodes, see the n8n nodes by use case guide.

How does n8n’s node execution engine handle run order, queue mode, and concurrency?

n8n processes nodes sequentially using a stack‑based execution model through the WorkflowExecute class. In regular mode a single process handles everything; in queue mode, a Redis‑backed BullMQ message broker distributes jobs across independent worker processes, each reading from a shared PostgreSQL database. Concurrency is controlled via N8N_CONCURRENCY_PRODUCTION_LIMIT and per‑worker --concurrency flags. [10]

For a complete breakdown of node execution order, queue mode architecture with Redis and PostgreSQL, worker configuration, concurrency tuning, and execution timeout management, explore the n8n node execution guide.