Basic FTP

Implement the operations from the "basic-ftp" library

Actions6

Overview

The Basic FTP node's "List" operation allows you to retrieve the contents of a specified folder on an FTP server. This is useful for automating file management tasks, such as monitoring directories for new files, auditing remote folders, or preparing for subsequent download or processing steps in your n8n workflows.

Practical examples:

List all files in a remote /uploads directory to trigger further processing.
Monitor a specific folder for new files and process them automatically.
Audit the structure and contents of FTP directories as part of data integration pipelines.

Properties

Name	Type	Meaning
Folder Path	String	The path to the folder on the server whose contents you want to list.

Output

For each item (file or subfolder) found in the specified folder, the node outputs a separate item with its details in the json field. The structure of each output item typically includes properties such as:
- name: Name of the file or folder
- type: Indicates if it's a file or directory
- size: Size in bytes (for files)
- rawModifiedAt: Last modified timestamp
- Other metadata provided by the FTP server
If the folder is empty, the node outputs a single item:
```
{
  "success": true
}
```

Dependencies

External Service: Requires access to an FTP server.
Credentials: Needs valid FTP credentials configured in n8n under "basicFtpApi".
Environment Variables: None required by default, but secure connections may require certificate/key configuration via credentials.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

Invalid Credentials: If the FTP login fails, ensure that the username, password, host, and port are correct.
Folder Not Found: If the specified folder path does not exist, the node will throw an error.
Permission Denied: Lack of read permissions on the target folder will result in errors.
TLS/SSL Errors: If using secure FTP, misconfigured certificates or keys can cause connection failures.

Error Messages:

"The operation \"list\" is not supported!" – This should not occur unless the node is misconfigured.
Connection or authentication errors from the FTP server will be passed through as error messages; check the message for clues (e.g., "530 Login incorrect", "550 No such directory").

How to resolve:

Double-check FTP credentials and folder paths.
Ensure the FTP user has appropriate permissions.
If using secure connections, verify certificate and key formatting.