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Overview
The Directus - Collection: Update operation allows you to update the metadata of an existing collection in your Directus instance. This is useful for programmatically modifying collection-level settings, such as updating notes, descriptions, or other custom metadata fields associated with a collection.
Common scenarios:
- Updating the description or note for a collection after initial creation.
- Modifying custom metadata used by your application or team.
- Automating documentation or tagging of collections as part of a workflow.
Practical example:
You have a collection called articles and want to add or update a note in its metadata to help editors understand its purpose. This node can be used in an n8n workflow to automate that update.
Properties
| Name | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Collection | options | Unique name of the collection to update (e.g., "articles"). |
| Update Fields | collection | A set of additional fields to update. For this operation, only "Meta (JSON)" is relevant. |
| Meta (JSON) | json | Metadata object for the collection. Used to store notes or other custom information. |
Output
- The output will be a single object in the
jsonfield representing the updated collection's data as returned by the Directus API. - The structure typically includes all properties of the collection, including the updated
metafield.
Example output:
{
"collection": "articles",
"meta": {
"note": "Short quotes from happy customers."
},
// ...other collection properties
}
Dependencies
- Directus API: Requires access to a running Directus instance.
- API Credentials: You must configure the
directusApicredentials in n8n for authentication.
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- Invalid Collection Name: If the specified collection does not exist, the API will return an error.
- Malformed JSON in Meta: If the "Meta (JSON)" field contains invalid JSON, the request will fail.
- Insufficient Permissions: The API credentials used must have permission to update collections.
Error messages and resolutions:
"Collection not found": Check that the collection name is correct and exists in Directus."Invalid JSON": Ensure the "Meta (JSON)" input is valid JSON."Unauthorized"or"Forbidden": Verify that your API credentials are correct and have sufficient permissions.