N8n Expression Syntax

{{expression}}

✅ {{$json.email}}
✅ {{$json.body.name}}
✅ {{$node["HTTP Request"].json.data}}
❌ $json.email  (no braces - treated as literal text)
❌ {$json.email}  (single braces - invalid)

{{$json.fieldName}}
{{$json['field with spaces']}}
{{$json.nested.property}}
{{$json.items[0].name}}

{{$node["Node Name"].json.fieldName}}
{{$node["HTTP Request"].json.data}}
{{$node["Webhook"].json.body.email}}

{{$now}}
{{$now.toFormat('yyyy-MM-dd')}}
{{$now.toFormat('HH:mm:ss')}}
{{$now.plus({days: 7})}}

{{$env.API_KEY}}
{{$env.DATABASE_URL}}

{
  "headers": {...},
  "params": {...},
  "query": {...},
  "body": {           // ⚠️ USER DATA IS HERE!
    "name": "John",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "message": "Hello"
  }
}

❌ WRONG: {{$json.name}}
❌ WRONG: {{$json.email}}

✅ CORRECT: {{$json.body.name}}
✅ CORRECT: {{$json.body.email}}
✅ CORRECT: {{$json.body.message}}

// Simple nesting
{{$json.user.email}}

// Array access
{{$json.data[0].name}}
{{$json.items[0].id}}

// Bracket notation for spaces
{{$json['field name']}}
{{$json['user data']['first name']}}

// Node without spaces
{{$node["Set"].json.value}}

// Node with spaces (common!)
{{$node["HTTP Request"].json.data}}
{{$node["Respond to Webhook"].json.message}}

// Webhook node
{{$node["Webhook"].json.body.email}}

// Concatenation (automatic)
Hello {{$json.body.name}}!

// In URLs
https://api.example.com/users/{{$json.body.user_id}}

// In object properties
{
  "name": "={{$json.body.name}}",
  "email": "={{$json.body.email}}"
}

// ❌ WRONG in Code node
const email = '={{$json.email}}';
const name = '{{$json.body.name}}';

// ✅ CORRECT in Code node
const email = $json.email;
const name = $json.body.name;

// Or using Code node API
const email = $input.item.json.email;
const allItems = $input.all();

// ❌ WRONG
path: "{{$json.user_id}}/webhook"

// ✅ CORRECT
path: "user-webhook"  // Static paths only

// ❌ WRONG
apiKey: "={{$env.API_KEY}}"

// ✅ CORRECT
Use n8n credential system, not expressions

❌ $json.field
✅ {{$json.field}}

❌ {{$json.field name}}
✅ {{$json['field name']}}

❌ {{$node.HTTP Request.json}}
✅ {{$node["HTTP Request"].json}}

❌ {{$node["http request"].json}}  // lowercase
❌ {{$node["Http Request"].json}}  // wrong case
✅ {{$node["HTTP Request"].json}}  // exact match

❌ {{{$json.field}}}
✅ {{$json.field}}

{
  "body": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "message": "Hello!"
  }
}

New form submission!

Name: {{$json.body.name}}
Email: {{$json.body.email}}
Message: {{$json.body.message}}

{
  "data": {
    "items": [
      {"name": "Product 1", "price": 29.99}
    ]
  }
}

Product: {{$node["HTTP Request"].json.data.items[0].name}}
Price: ${{$node["HTTP Request"].json.data.items[0].price}}

// Current date
{{$now.toFormat('yyyy-MM-dd')}}
// Result: 2025-10-20

// Time
{{$now.toFormat('HH:mm:ss')}}
// Result: 14:30:45

// Full datetime
{{$now.toFormat('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm')}}
// Result: 2025-10-20 14:30

// First item
{{$json.users[0].email}}

// Array length
{{$json.users.length}}

// Last item
{{$json.users[$json.users.length - 1].name}}

// Dot notation (no spaces)
{{$json.user.email}}

// Bracket notation (with spaces or dynamic)
{{$json['user data'].email}}

// Concatenation (automatic)
Hello {{$json.name}}!

// String methods
{{$json.email.toLowerCase()}}
{{$json.name.toUpperCase()}}

// Direct use
{{$json.price}}

// Math operations
{{$json.price * 1.1}}  // Add 10%
{{$json.quantity + 5}}

// Ternary operator
{{$json.status === 'active' ? 'Active User' : 'Inactive User'}}

// Default values
{{$json.email || 'no-email@example.com'}}

// Add days
{{$now.plus({days: 7}).toFormat('yyyy-MM-dd')}}

// Subtract hours
{{$now.minus({hours: 24}).toISO()}}

// Set specific date
{{DateTime.fromISO('2025-12-25').toFormat('MMMM dd, yyyy')}}

// Substring
{{$json.email.substring(0, 5)}}

// Replace
{{$json.message.replace('old', 'new')}}

// Split and join
{{$json.tags.split(',').join(', ')}}