date
May 30, 2025
slug
n8n-build-custom-node
status
Published
tags
AI
summary
In n8n, nodes are individual components that you compose to create workflows. Nodes define when the workflow should run, allow you to fetch, send, and process data, can define flow control logic, and connect with external services.
type
Post
Step 1: Set up the project
The starter contains example nodes and credentials. Delete the following directories and files:
nodes/ExampleNode
nodes/HTTPBin
credentials/ExampleCredentials.credentials.ts
credentials/HttpBinApi.credentials.ts
Test your node
Make sure you run
npm link <node-name> in the nodes directory within your n8n installation. This can be:~/.n8n/custom/
~/.n8n/<your-custom-name>: if your n8n installation set a different name usingN8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS.
Make sure you search using the node name, not the package name. For example, if your npm package name is
n8n-nodes-weather-nodes, and the package contains nodes named rain, sun, snow, you should search for rain, not weather-nodes.