For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

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.

Trigger nodes

Trigger nodes 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.

Polling

Nodes for services that don't support webhooks. These nodes periodically check for new data, triggering workflows when they detect updates.

Others

Nodes that handle real-time responses not related to HTTP requests or polling. This includes message queue nodes and time-based triggers.

Action nodes

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

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