Directus

Consume Directus API

Actions100

Overview

The Directus n8n node, when configured with the Preset resource and the List operation, retrieves a list of preset configurations from a Directus instance. This is useful for automating workflows that need to access or process saved views, filters, or other preset data structures within Directus.

Common scenarios:

Fetching all available presets for reporting or synchronization.
Exporting presets in various formats (CSV, JSON, XML) for backup or migration.
Filtering, sorting, or aggregating preset data for analytics or dashboarding.

Practical examples:

Automatically exporting all user-defined presets as a CSV file on a schedule.
Integrating Directus presets into another system by fetching and transforming them via n8n.

Properties

Name	Type	Meaning
Return All	boolean	If enabled, returns all results; otherwise, limits the number of returned objects according to the "Limit" property.
Limit	number	The maximum number of presets to return. Only shown if "Return All" is disabled. Accepts values between 1 and 100.
Split Into Items	boolean	If enabled, outputs each element of the result array as its own item in the n8n workflow.
JSON/RAW Parameters	boolean	If enabled, allows setting query parameters as raw JSON instead of using the UI fields.
Query Parameters	json	Custom query parameters as a flat JSON object. Only used if "JSON/RAW Parameters" is enabled.
Additional Fields	collection	Extra options for filtering, aggregation, export, and more. See below for sub-options.

Additional Fields sub-options:

Aggregate: Apply aggregation functions (count, sum, avg, min, max, etc.) to specific fields.
Binary Property for Export Data: Name of the binary property to store exported file data.
Deep (JSON): Set nested query parameters for relational datasets.
Export: Choose to export the API response as a file (json, csv, xml).
Fields: Specify which fields to include in the response.
File Name for Export Data: File name (without extension) for exported data.
Filter (JSON): Filter conditions as JSON.
Group By: Group results by specified fields.
Meta: Specify metadata to include in the response.
Offset: Number of items to skip (for pagination).
Search: Search string to filter items.
Sort: Sorting instructions (CSV of fields, use minus sign for descending).

Output

The output is an array of items, each with a json field containing the preset data.
If Split Into Items is enabled, each preset is output as a separate item.
If Export is set (to csv, json, or xml), the exported file is attached as binary data under the specified property name (default: data). The json field will still contain the preset data.

Example output structure:

[
  {
    "json": {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "My Preset",
      "user": "user_id",
      // ...other preset fields
    }
  },
  {
    "json": {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Another Preset",
      // ...
    }
  }
]

If exporting:

[
  {
    "json": { /* preset data */ },
    "binary": {
      "data": {
        "data": "<Buffer ...>",
        "fileName": "export.csv",
        "mimeType": "text/csv"
      }
    }
  }
]

Dependencies

Directus API: Requires a valid Directus API endpoint and credentials (API key or login).
n8n Credentials: Must configure the "directusApi" credential in n8n.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

Authentication errors: Ensure your Directus credentials are correct and have permission to access presets.
Invalid JSON: When using JSON/RAW parameters, ensure the JSON syntax is valid.
Empty results: Check your filters, search, or limit settings; you may be filtering out all results.
Export errors: If exporting, ensure the binary property name does not conflict with existing properties.

Error messages:

"error": "Unexpected token ...": Indicates invalid JSON input in one of the JSON fields.
"error": "Request failed with status code 401": Authentication issue; check credentials.
"error": "Field ... does not exist": Aggregation or field selection references a non-existent field.