Overview
This node, named "RestoreCredential," is designed to restore credentials in an n8n environment by importing them from binary input data. It reads credential data provided as a binary field, writes it to a JSON file, and then executes a command-line instruction to import these credentials into n8n. This node is useful when migrating or restoring credentials from backups or external sources.
Practical examples include:
- Restoring saved credentials after an n8n instance reset or migration.
- Automating the process of importing credentials from backup files stored externally.
- Integrating credential restoration into workflow automation for seamless environment setup.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Input Binary Field | The name of the binary field containing the credential data to be restored (default: "data"). |
Output
The node outputs an empty JSON object ({}) indicating completion. It does not produce any meaningful JSON data or binary output itself. Its primary function is side-effect based (writing a file and executing a system command).
Dependencies
- Requires access to the local filesystem to write a temporary JSON file named
rs_credentials.json. - Uses the Node.js
child_processmodule to synchronously execute the CLI commandn8n import:credentials --input=rs_credentials.json. - Assumes that the n8n CLI is installed and accessible in the environment where this node runs.
- Requires appropriate permissions to execute shell commands and write files on the host system.
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- If the binary input field does not contain valid JSON or expected structure, the node may fail to write the correct file or throw parsing errors.
- Lack of permission to write files or execute shell commands will cause the node to fail.
- The
n8n import:credentialsCLI command must be available; otherwise, the execution will error out.
Error messages and resolutions:
- JSON parsing errors: Ensure the binary input contains properly formatted JSON with the expected structure.
- File write errors: Verify that the node has write permissions in the working directory.
- Command execution errors: Confirm that the n8n CLI is installed and accessible in the system PATH.
- Empty or incorrect input: Check that the specified binary field name matches the actual input data field.