n8n-enterprise-unlocked/packages/@n8n/create-node/README.md

@n8n/create-node

A powerful scaffolding tool to quickly create custom n8n community nodes with best practices built-in.

🚀 Quick Start

Create a new n8n node in seconds:

pnpm create @n8n/node

Follow the interactive prompts to configure your node, or specify options directly:

pnpm create @n8n/node my-awesome-node --template declarative/custom

📋 Command Line Options

pnpm create @n8n/node [NAME] [OPTIONS]

Options

Flag	Description
-f, --force	Overwrite destination folder if it already exists
--skip-install	Skip automatic dependency installation
--template <template>	Specify which template to use

Available Templates

• declarative/custom - Start with a minimal declarative node structure
• declarative/github-issues - GitHub Issues integration example
• programmatic/example - Full programmatic node with advanced features

🎯 Interactive Setup

The CLI will guide you through setting up your node:

$ pnpm create @n8n/node
┌ @n8n/create-node
│
◇ What is your node called?
│ my-awesome-api-node
│
◇ What kind of node are you building?
│ HTTP API
│
◇ What template do you want to use?
│ Start from scratch
│
◇ What's the base URL of the API?
│ https://api.example.com/v1
│
◇ What type of authentication does your API use?
│ API Key
│
◇ Files copied ✓
│
◇ Dependencies installed ✓
│
◇ Next Steps ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│                                                                                  │
│  cd ./my-awesome-api-node && pnpm run dev                                       │
│                                                                                  │
│  📚 Documentation: https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/creating-nodes/            │
│  💬 Community: https://community.n8n.io                                        │
│                                                                                  │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
│
└ Created ./my-awesome-api-node ✨

🛠️ Development Workflow

1. Navigate to your project

cd ./my-awesome-api-node

2. Start development server

pnpm dev

This command:

• Starts n8n in development mode on http://localhost:5678
• Enables hot reload for your node changes
• Automatically includes your node in the n8n instance
• Links your node to ~/.n8n-node-cli/.n8n/custom for development
• Watches for file changes and rebuilds automatically

3. Test your node

• Open n8n at http://localhost:5678
• Create a new workflow
• Find your node in the node panel
• Test parameters and functionality in real-time

📦 Generated Project Commands

Your generated project comes with these convenient npm scripts:

Development

pnpm dev
# Runs: n8n-node dev

Building

pnpm build
# Runs: n8n-node build

Linting

pnpm lint
# Runs: n8n-node lint

pnpm lint:fix
# Runs: n8n-node lint --fix

Publishing

pnpm run release
# Runs: n8n-node release

📦 Build & Deploy

Build for production

pnpm build

Generates:

• Compiled TypeScript code
• Bundled node package
• Optimized assets and icons
• Ready-to-publish package

Quality checks

pnpm lint

Validates:

• Code style and formatting
• n8n node conventions
• Common integration issues
• Cloud publication readiness

Fix issues automatically:

pnpm lint:fix

Publish your node

pnpm run release

Runs release-it to handle the complete release process:

• Ensures working directory is clean
• Verifies you're on the main git branch
• Increments your package version
• Runs build and lint checks
• Updates changelog
• Creates git tag with version bump
• Creates GitHub release with changelog
• Publishes to npm

📁 Project Structure

Your generated project includes:

my-awesome-api-node/
├── src/
│   ├── nodes/
│   │   └── MyAwesomeApi/
│   │       ├── MyAwesomeApi.node.ts    # Main node logic
│   │       └── MyAwesomeApi.node.json  # Node metadata
│   └── credentials/
│       └── MyAwesomeApiAuth.credentials.ts
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

The CLI expects your project to follow this structure for proper building and development.

⚙️ Configuration

The CLI reads configuration from your package.json:

{
  "name": "n8n-nodes-my-awesome-node",
  "n8n": {
    "n8nNodesApiVersion": 1,
    "nodes": [
      "dist/nodes/MyAwesomeApi/MyAwesomeApi.node.js"
    ],
    "credentials": [
      "dist/credentials/MyAwesomeApiAuth.credentials.js"
    ]
  }
}

🎨 Node Types

Choose the right template for your use case:

Template	Best For	Features
Declarative	REST APIs, simple integrations	JSON-based configuration, automatic UI generation
Programmatic	Complex logic, custom operations	Full TypeScript control, advanced error handling

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Node not appearing in n8n:

# Clear n8n node cli cache and restart
rm -rf ~/.n8n-node-cli/.n8n/custom
pnpm dev

TypeScript errors:

# Reinstall dependencies
rm -rf node_modules pnpm-lock.yaml
pnpm install

Build failures:

# Check for linting issues first
pnpm lint --fix
pnpm build

Development server issues:

# Clear cache and restart development server
rm -rf ~/.n8n-node-cli/.n8n/custom
pnpm dev

🔧 Advanced Usage

Using External n8n Instance

If you prefer to use your own n8n installation:

pnpm dev --external-n8n

Custom User Folder

Specify a custom location for n8n user data:

pnpm dev --custom-user-folder /path/to/custom/folder

📚 Resources

• Node Development Guide - Complete documentation
• API Reference - Technical specifications
• Community Forum - Get help and share your nodes
• Node Examples - Official node implementations
• @n8n/node-cli - The underlying CLI tool

🤝 Contributing

Found a bug or want to contribute? Check out the n8n repository and join our community!

---

Happy node building! 🎉