n8n metadata

Methods for working with n8n metadata.

This includes:

• Access to n8n environment variables for self-hosted n8n.

• Metadata about workflows, executions, and nodes.

• Information about instance Variables and External secrets.

Python support

You can use Python in the Code node. It isn't available in expressions.

JavaScript

Method	Description	Available in Code node?
$env	Contains n8n instance configuration environment variables.	✅
$execution.customData	Set and get custom execution data. Refer to Custom executions data for more information.	✅
$execution.id	The unique ID of the current workflow execution.	✅
$execution.mode	Whether the execution was triggered automatically, or by manually running the workflow. Possible values are test and production.	✅
$execution.resumeUrl	The webhook URL to call to resume a workflow waiting at a Wait node.	✅
$getWorkflowStaticData(type)	This gives access to the static workflow data. Static data doesn't persist when testing workflows: publish the workflow and run it from a trigger or webhook to save static data. For persisting data between executions, consider data tables instead. View an example.	✅
$("<node-name>").isExecuted	Check whether a node has already executed.	✅
$itemIndex	The index of an item in a list of items.	❌
$nodeVersion	Get the version of the current node.	✅
$prevNode.name	The name of the node that the current input came from. When using the Merge node, note that $prevNode always uses the first input connector.	✅
$prevNode.outputIndex	The index of the output connector that the current input came from. Use this when the previous node had multiple outputs (such as an If or Switch node). When using the Merge node, note that $prevNode always uses the first input connector.	✅
$prevNode.runIndex	The run of the previous node that generated the current input. When using the Merge node, note that $prevNode always uses the first input connector.	✅
$runIndex	How many times n8n has executed the current node. Zero-based (the first run is 0, the second is 1, and so on).	✅
$secrets	Contains information about your External secrets setup.	❌
$vars	Contains the Variables available in the active environment.	✅
$version	The node version.	❌
$workflow.active	Whether the workflow is active (true) or not (false).	✅
$workflow.id	The workflow ID.	✅
$workflow.name	The workflow name.	✅

Python (native)

Method	Description
_items	Contains incoming items in "Run once for all items" mode.
_item	Contains the item being iterated on in "Run once for each item" mode.
_query	In the Code Tool, contains the input string the AI Agent passes when it calls the tool. Available in "Run once for all items" mode.

Python (Pyodide, deprecated)

Python (Pyodide) support is deprecated from n8n 1.113.2. Use Python (native) instead.

Method	Description
_env	Contains n8n instance configuration environment variables.
_execution.customData	Set and get custom execution data. Refer to Custom executions data for more information.
_execution.id	The unique ID of the current workflow execution.
_execution.mode	Whether the execution was triggered automatically, or by manually running the workflow. Possible values are test and production.
_execution.resumeUrl	The webhook URL to call to resume a workflow waiting at a Wait node.
_getWorkflowStaticData(type)	This gives access to the static workflow data. Static data doesn't persist when testing workflows: publish the workflow and run it from a trigger or webhook to save static data. For persisting data between executions, consider data tables instead. View an example.
_("<node-name>").isExecuted	Check whether a node has already executed.
_nodeVersion	Get the version of the current node.
_prevNode.name	The name of the node that the current input came from. When using the Merge node, note that _prevNode always uses the first input connector.
_prevNode.outputIndex	The index of the output connector that the current input came from. Use this when the previous node had multiple outputs (such as an If or Switch node). When using the Merge node, note that _prevNode always uses the first input connector.
_prevNode.runIndex	The run of the previous node that generated the current input. When using the Merge node, note that _prevNode always uses the first input connector.
_runIndex	How many times n8n has executed the current node. Zero-based (the first run is 0, the second is 1, and so on).
_secrets	Contains information about your External secrets setup.
_vars	Contains the Variables available in the active environment.
_workflow.active	Whether the workflow is active (true) or not (false).
_workflow.id	The workflow ID.
_workflow.name	The workflow name.