Actions8
Overview
This node integrates with AWS Step Functions, allowing users to interact with state machine executions programmatically within n8n workflows. Specifically, the "Describe State Machine for Execution" operation retrieves detailed information about the state machine associated with a particular execution ARN (Amazon Resource Name). This is useful when you want to understand or audit the configuration and metadata of the state machine that ran a specific execution.
Common scenarios include:
- Auditing or logging details of the state machine behind a given execution.
- Dynamically fetching state machine metadata during workflow runs to make decisions based on its properties.
- Debugging or monitoring workflows by correlating execution data with state machine definitions.
Example: Given an execution ARN from a previous step, this node can fetch the corresponding state machine's description, including its definition, role ARN, creation date, and other metadata.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Execution ARN | The Amazon Resource Name (ARN) of the execution whose associated state machine you want to describe. This uniquely identifies the execution in AWS Step Functions. |
Output
The output JSON contains the detailed description of the state machine associated with the specified execution ARN. This typically includes fields such as:
stateMachineArn: The ARN of the state machine.name: The name of the state machine.definition: The Amazon States Language definition of the state machine.roleArn: The IAM role ARN used by the state machine.creationDate: Timestamp when the state machine was created.- Other metadata related to the state machine.
The output structure directly reflects the response from the AWS SDK's describeStateMachineForExecution API call.
No binary data is produced by this operation.
Dependencies
- Requires valid AWS credentials with permissions to access AWS Step Functions.
- The node uses the AWS SDK internally; no additional user-installed dependencies are needed.
- AWS credentials must be configured in n8n with appropriate access rights to call
DescribeStateMachineForExecution.
Troubleshooting
- Invalid ARN error: Ensure the provided execution ARN is correct and exists in your AWS account and region.
- Access Denied: Verify that the AWS credentials have permission to call
DescribeStateMachineForExecution. - Network issues: Confirm that n8n has internet access to reach AWS endpoints.
- Malformed input: The execution ARN must be a non-empty string; empty or malformed ARNs will cause errors.
If the node throws errors referencing AWS SDK failures, check the underlying AWS service limits and permissions.