Directus

Consume Directus API

Actions100

Overview

The Directus node for n8n, when configured with the Permission resource and the List operation, allows you to retrieve a list of permission objects from a Directus instance. This is useful for automating tasks such as auditing permissions, synchronizing access controls, or generating reports on user roles and their associated permissions.

Common scenarios:

Fetching all permissions for review or export.
Filtering permissions based on specific criteria (e.g., by role, collection, or action).
Exporting permission data in various formats (CSV, JSON, XML) for compliance or backup purposes.
Integrating permission data into other systems or workflows.

Practical example:
You might use this node to automatically export all permissions to a CSV file every week for audit purposes, or to display current permissions in a dashboard.

Properties

Name	Type	Meaning
Return All	boolean	If enabled, returns all permission records; if disabled, limits the number of results according to the "Limit" property.
Limit	number	The maximum number of permission records to return (only used if "Return All" is false). Must be between 1 and 100.
Split Into Items	boolean	If enabled, outputs each permission as a separate item in the workflow; otherwise, returns all permissions in a single item.
JSON/RAW Parameters	boolean	If enabled, allows you to specify query parameters as raw JSON instead of using the UI fields.
Query Parameters	json	Custom query parameters as a flat JSON object (used only if "JSON/RAW Parameters" is true).
Additional Fields	collection	A set of optional fields to further customize the request, including: aggregation functions, export options, filtering, sorting, grouping, metadata, offset, search, and more.
└ Aggregate	fixedCollection	Aggregation functions (e.g., count, sum, avg) to apply to the result set.
└ Binary Property for Export Data	string	Name of the binary property to which exported data will be attached (when exporting as a file).
└ Deep (JSON)	json	Allows setting nested query parameters for relational datasets.
└ Export	options	Format to export the API response: csv, json, or xml. When set, the output will include a binary file.
└ Fields	string	Specifies which fields to return in the response.
└ File Name for Export Data	string	File name (without extension) for exported data files.
└ Filter (JSON)	json	Conditions to filter the returned permissions.
└ Group By	string	Field(s) to group results by, enabling grouped aggregations.
└ Meta	string	Specifies what metadata to include in the response.
└ Offset	number	Number of items to skip before starting to collect the result set.
└ Search	string	Search term to filter permissions containing the given query in any field.
└ Sort	string	Sorting order for the returned items. Accepts a comma-separated list of fields, with optional minus sign for descending order.

Output

json:
- If "Split Into Items" is enabled, each output item contains a single permission object in the json field.
- If not, the json field contains an array or object representing the list of permissions.
- The structure of each permission object depends on your Directus instance but typically includes fields like id, role, collection, action, permissions, etc.
binary (optional):
- If the "Export" option is set (csv, json, or xml), the output will also include a binary field containing the exported file under the specified binary property name.

Dependencies

External Service: Requires access to a Directus API instance.
Credentials: Needs a configured "directusApi" credential in n8n with appropriate permissions to read permissions.
Environment: No special environment variables required beyond standard n8n setup.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

Authentication errors: Ensure that the provided credentials have sufficient permissions to access the permissions endpoint.
Invalid query/filter syntax: When using JSON fields (like "Filter" or "Deep"), ensure valid JSON formatting.
Export errors: If exporting, make sure the binary property name does not conflict with existing properties in your workflow.
API limits: If "Limit" exceeds allowed values, the API may return an error.

Error messages:

"error": "Request failed with status code 401" – Check your API credentials.
"error": "Unexpected token ... in JSON" – Check that all JSON input fields are properly formatted.
"error": "Field 'xyz' does not exist" – Verify that field names used in filters, sorts, or aggregations match your Directus schema.