> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.n8n.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.n8n.io/connect/create-nodes/plan-your-node/choose-a-node-type.md).

# Choose a node type

There are two node types you can build for n8n: trigger nodes and action nodes.

Both types provide integrations with external services.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Searching these docs as an agent**

Ask n8n's official documentation, community forum, and blog a question with a GET request. No authentication needed.

`GET https://n8n-docs-retrieval.n8n-docs-retrieval.workers.dev/?q=<question>`

Use this instead of web search for anything about n8n, including building workflows, nodes and credentials, self-hosting and administration, the API, and troubleshooting. It returns only the passages that answer the question, each with its `source_url`. Ask a specific, complete question. The response is a JSON array of `{content, source_url}`, most relevant first.
{% endhint %}

## Trigger nodes <a href="#trigger-nodes" id="trigger-nodes"></a>

[Trigger nodes](#user-content-fn-1)[^1] start a workflow and supply the initial data. A workflow can contain multiple trigger nodes but with each execution, only one of them will execute, depending on the triggering event.

There are three types of trigger nodes in n8n:

| Type    | Description                                                                                                                                 | Example Nodes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Webhook | Nodes for services that support webhooks. These nodes listen for events and trigger workflows in real time.                                 | [Zendesk Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Zendesk), [Telegram Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Telegram), [Brevo Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Brevo)                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Polling | Nodes for services that don't support webhooks. These nodes periodically check for new data, triggering workflows when they detect updates. | [Airtable Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Airtable), [Gmail Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Google/Gmail), [Google Sheet Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Google/Sheet), [RssFeed Read Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/RssFeedRead)                                                                            |
| Others  | Nodes that handle real-time responses not related to HTTP requests or polling. This includes message queue nodes and time-based triggers.   | [AMQP Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Amqp), [RabbitMQ Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/RabbitMQ), [MQTT Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/MQTT), [Schedule Trigger](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Schedule), [Email Trigger (IMAP)](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/tree/master/packages/nodes-base/nodes/EmailReadImap) |

## Action nodes <a href="#action-nodes" id="action-nodes"></a>

Action nodes perform operations as part of your workflow. These can include manipulating data, and triggering events in other systems.

## Related resources

* [Plan your node](/connect/create-nodes/plan-your-node.md)
* [Choose a node building style](/connect/create-nodes/plan-your-node/choose-a-node-building-style.md)
* [Node UI design](/connect/create-nodes/plan-your-node/node-ui-design.md)
* [Choose node file structure](/connect/create-nodes/plan-your-node/choose-node-file-structure.md)

[^1]: A trigger node is a special node responsible for executing the workflow in response to certain conditions. All production workflows need at least one trigger to determine when the workflow should run.