Chat Trigger#

Use the Chat Trigger node when building AI workflows for chatbots and other chat interfaces. You can configure how users access the chat, using one of n8n's provided interfaces, or your own. You can add authentication.

You must connect either an agent or chain root node.

Examples and templates

For usage examples and templates to help you get started, refer to n8n's Chat Trigger integrations page.

Workflow execution usage

Every message to the Chat Trigger executes your workflow. This means that one conversation where a user sends 10 messages uses 10 executions from your execution allowance. Check your payment plan for details of your allowance.

Manual Chat Trigger

This node replaces the Manual Chat Trigger node from version 1.24.0.

Node parameters#

Make Chat Publicly Available: enable this when you're ready to activate the workflow and allow users to access the chat. Leave it disabled when building the workflow.
Mode: choose how users access the chat.
- Choose Hosted Chat to use n8n's hosted chat interface. n8n recommends this for most users: you can configure the interface using the node options, and don't have to do any other setup.
- Embedded Chat requires you to create your own chat interface. You can use n8n's chat widget or build your own. Your chat interface must call the webhook URL shown in Chat URL in the node.
Authentication: you can restrict access to the chat.
- None: no authentication. Anyone can use the chat.
- Basic Auth: set up a username and password. The same username and password must be used by all users.
- n8n User Auth: the user must have an n8n account.
If using hosted chat, you can configure the Initial Message(s). This is the message the n8n chat interface displays when the user arrives on the page.

Node options#

Available options depend on the chat mode.

Hosted chat options#

Input Placeholder, Title, and Subtitle: set text elements in the chat interface.

View screenshot
Load Previous Session: whether to load chat messages from a previous chat session. When you enable this, you must connect the Chat Trigger and the Agent you're using to a memory sub-node. The memory connector on the Chat Trigger appears when you set Load Previous Session to From Memory. n8n recommends connecting both the Chat Trigger and Agent to the same memory sub-node, as this ensures a single source of truth for both nodes.

View screenshot
Response Mode: use this when building a workflow with steps after the agent or chain that's handling the chat.
- When Last Node Finishes: the Chat Trigger node returns the response code and the data output from the last node executed in the workflow.
- Using 'Respond to Webhook' Node: the Chat Trigger node responds as defined in the Respond to Webhook node.
Require Button Click to Start Chat: display a New Conversation button on the chat interface.

View screenshot
Allowed Origin (CORS): which origins can access the chat URL.

Embedded chat options#

Load Previous Session: whether to load chat messages from a previous chat session. When you enable this, you must connect the Chat Trigger and the Agent you're using to a memory sub-node. The memory connector on the Chat Trigger appears when you set Load Previous Session to From Memory. n8n recommends connecting both the Chat Trigger and Agent to the same memory sub-node, as this ensures a single source of truth for both nodes.

View screenshot
Response Mode: use this when building a workflow with steps after the agent or chain that's handling the chat.
- When Last Node Finishes: the Chat Trigger node returns the response code and the data output from the last node executed in the workflow.
- Using 'Respond to Webhook' Node: the Chat Trigger node responds as defined in the Respond to Webhook node.
Allowed Origin (CORS): which origins can access the chat URL.

View n8n's Advanced AI documentation.