N8n Node Configuration

// For operation='post'
{
  "resource": "message",
  "operation": "post",
  "channel": "#general",  // Required for post
  "text": "Hello!"        // Required for post
}

// For operation='update'
{
  "resource": "message",
  "operation": "update",
  "messageId": "123",     // Required for update (different!)
  "text": "Updated!"      // Required for update
  // channel NOT required for update
}

// When method='GET'
{
  "method": "GET",
  "url": "https://api.example.com"
  // sendBody not shown (GET doesn't have body)
}

// When method='POST'
{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com",
  "sendBody": true,       // Now visible!
  "body": {               // Required when sendBody=true
    "contentType": "json",
    "content": {...}
  }
}

1. Identify node type and operation
   ↓
2. Use get_node_essentials
   ↓
3. Configure required fields
   ↓
4. Validate configuration
   ↓
5. If dependencies unclear → get_property_dependencies
   ↓
6. Add optional fields as needed
   ↓
7. Validate again
   ↓
8. Deploy

// Goal: POST JSON to API

const info = get_node_essentials({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest"
});

// Returns: method, url, sendBody, body, authentication required/optional

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/create",
  "authentication": "none"
}

validate_node_operation({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  config,
  profile: "runtime"
});
// → Error: "sendBody required for POST"

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/create",
  "authentication": "none",
  "sendBody": true
}

validate_node_operation({...});
// → Error: "body required when sendBody=true"

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/create",
  "authentication": "none",
  "sendBody": true,
  "body": {
    "contentType": "json",
    "content": {
      "name": "={{$json.name}}",
      "email": "={{$json.email}}"
    }
  }
}

validate_node_operation({...});
// → Valid! ✅

get_node_essentials({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"
});

get_node_info({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"
});

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Starting new node config?       │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ YES → get_node_essentials       │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
         ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Essentials has what you need?   │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ YES → Configure with essentials │
│ NO  → Continue                  │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
         ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Need dependency info?           │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ YES → get_property_dependencies │
│ NO  → Continue                  │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
         ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Still need more details?        │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│ YES → get_node_info             │
└─────────────────────────────────┘

{
  "name": "body",
  "displayOptions": {
    "show": {
      "sendBody": [true],
      "method": ["POST", "PUT", "PATCH"]
    }
  }
}

// sendBody controls body visibility
{
  "sendBody": true   // → body field appears
}

// Different operations → different fields
{
  "resource": "message",
  "operation": "post"
  // → Shows: channel, text, attachments, etc.
}

{
  "resource": "message",
  "operation": "update"
  // → Shows: messageId, text (different fields!)
}

{
  "type": "string",
  "operation": "contains"
  // → Shows: value1, value2
}

{
  "type": "boolean",
  "operation": "equals"
  // → Shows: value1, value2, different operators
}

const deps = get_property_dependencies({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest"
});

// Returns dependency tree
{
  "dependencies": {
    "body": {
      "shows_when": {
        "sendBody": [true],
        "method": ["POST", "PUT", "PATCH", "DELETE"]
      }
    },
    "queryParameters": {
      "shows_when": {
        "sendQuery": [true]
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "resource": "<entity>",      // What type of thing
  "operation": "<action>",     // What to do with it
  // ... operation-specific fields
}

{
  "method": "<HTTP_METHOD>",
  "url": "<endpoint>",
  "authentication": "<type>",
  // ... method-specific fields
}

{
  "operation": "<query|insert|update|delete>",
  // ... operation-specific fields
}

{
  "conditions": {
    "<type>": [
      {
        "operation": "<operator>",
        "value1": "...",
        "value2": "..."  // Only for binary operators
      }
    ]
  }
}

{
  "resource": "message",
  "operation": "post",
  "channel": "#general",      // Required
  "text": "Hello!",           // Required
  "attachments": [],          // Optional
  "blocks": []                // Optional
}

{
  "resource": "message",
  "operation": "update",
  "messageId": "1234567890",  // Required (different from post!)
  "text": "Updated!",         // Required
  "channel": "#general"       // Optional (can be inferred)
}

{
  "resource": "channel",
  "operation": "create",
  "name": "new-channel",      // Required
  "isPrivate": false          // Optional
  // Note: text NOT required for this operation
}

{
  "method": "GET",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/users",
  "authentication": "predefinedCredentialType",
  "nodeCredentialType": "httpHeaderAuth",
  "sendQuery": true,                    // Optional
  "queryParameters": {                  // Shows when sendQuery=true
    "parameters": [
      {
        "name": "limit",
        "value": "100"
      }
    ]
  }
}

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.example.com/users",
  "authentication": "none",
  "sendBody": true,                     // Required for POST
  "body": {                             // Required when sendBody=true
    "contentType": "json",
    "content": {
      "name": "John Doe",
      "email": "john@example.com"
    }
  }
}

{
  "conditions": {
    "string": [
      {
        "value1": "={{$json.status}}",
        "operation": "equals",
        "value2": "active"              // Binary: needs value2
      }
    ]
  }
}

{
  "conditions": {
    "string": [
      {
        "value1": "={{$json.email}}",
        "operation": "isEmpty",
        // No value2 - unary operator
        "singleValue": true             // Auto-added by sanitization
      }
    ]
  }
}

body is required when:
  - sendBody = true AND
  - method IN (POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)

// Option 1: Read validation error
validate_node_operation({...});
// Error: "body required when sendBody=true"

// Option 2: Check dependencies
get_property_dependencies({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest"
});
// Shows: body → shows_when: sendBody=[true], method=[POST,PUT,PATCH,DELETE]

// Option 3: Try minimal config and iterate
// Start without body, validation will tell you if needed