Actions100
- Activity Actions
- Asset Actions
- Authentication Actions
- Collection Actions
- Extension Actions
- Field Actions
- File Actions
- Folder Actions
- Item Actions
- Permission Actions
- Preset Actions
- Relation Actions
- Revisions Actions
- Roles Actions
- Settings Actions
- Users Actions
- Utilities Actions
Overview
The Directus n8n node's "File" resource with the "Create / Upload" operation allows you to upload new files to a Directus instance. This is useful for automating file management tasks, such as uploading images, documents, or other assets directly from your workflow into your Directus project's file library.
Common scenarios:
- Automating the upload of user-submitted files (e.g., from forms).
- Syncing files from external sources (like cloud storage) into Directus.
- Attaching files to items in collections as part of a data import process.
Practical example:
You could use this node to automatically upload PDF invoices generated earlier in your workflow to Directus, making them available for download or further processing.
Properties
| Name | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Send Binary Data | boolean | Determines whether to upload a file using binary data from a previous node. Set to true to upload a file; set to false to create a file record without uploading binary content. Required. |
| Binary Property | string | The name of the binary property that contains the file data to be uploaded. For multiple files, provide a comma-separated list of property names. Required when "Send Binary Data" is true. |
| Additional Fields | collection | Allows you to specify extra properties for the file object as defined by the Directus file object. Use the "File Object (JSON)" field for custom metadata. |
| File Object (JSON) | json | (Within Additional Fields) JSON object containing additional file metadata/properties as accepted by Directus. |
Output
- The output will be a single item with a
jsonfield containing the response from Directus after the file is created/uploaded. - The structure of the
jsonfield typically matches the Directus file object, including fields likeid,filename_download,title,type,filesize,url, etc. - If the operation fails and "Continue On Fail" is enabled, the output will contain an
errorfield with the error message.
Example output:
{
"id": "abc123",
"filename_download": "invoice.pdf",
"title": "Invoice April",
"type": "application/pdf",
"filesize": 102400,
"url": "/assets/abc123",
...
}
Dependencies
- Directus API: You must have access to a running Directus instance.
- API Credentials: The node requires valid Directus API credentials (
directusApi) configured in n8n. - Binary Data: If uploading a file, the binary data must be present in the input under the specified property name.
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- Missing Binary Data: If "Send Binary Data" is true but the specified binary property does not exist, the node will throw an error.
- Invalid JSON: If the "File Object (JSON)" field contains invalid JSON, the request will fail.
- Authentication Errors: Invalid or missing API credentials will result in authentication errors from Directus.
- File Size Limits: Uploads may fail if the file exceeds server-side limits set in Directus.
Error messages and resolutions:
"Cannot read property 'fileName' of undefined": Check that the binary property name matches the actual property in the input."Unexpected token ... in JSON": Ensure any JSON fields are properly formatted."401 Unauthorized": Verify your Directus API credentials in n8n.