Directus (DrWade)Install

Overview

The Utilities → Sort Items operation in this custom n8n node for Directus allows you to reorder items within a specified collection. By specifying the primary key of an item and the target position (also by primary key), you can move an item to a new location in the collection's order.

Common scenarios:

• Reordering articles, products, or any sortable entities in a CMS or database managed by Directus.
• Automating workflows where the display order of items matters, such as featured lists, menus, or prioritized tasks.

Practical example:
Suppose you have a list of blog posts and want to move post with ID 16 to the position after post with ID 51 in the "author" collection. This operation automates that reordering.

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Properties

Name	Type	Meaning
To	Number	Primary key of the item where you want to move the current item to.
Item	Number	Primary key of the item you want to move.
Collection	Options	Identifier of the collection containing the items to be reordered.

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Output

The output is a JSON object reflecting the result of the sort operation. The structure may vary depending on the API response, but typically includes:

{
  "result": <operation result>
}

• If the API returns a simple value (string, number, boolean), it will be wrapped in a result field.
• If the API returns an object, its fields will be included directly in the output JSON.

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Dependencies

• Directus API: Requires access to a Directus instance.
• API Credentials: You must configure the directusApi credentials in n8n for authentication.

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Troubleshooting

Common issues:

• Invalid IDs: If either the "Item" or "To" primary keys do not exist in the specified collection, the operation will fail.
• Permission errors: Ensure your API credentials have permission to update the collection and reorder items.
• Collection not found: If the collection identifier is incorrect or missing, the operation will not succeed.

Error messages and resolutions:

• "error": "Item not found": Check that both "Item" and "To" refer to valid primary keys in the selected collection.
• "error": "Unauthorized": Verify your Directus API credentials and permissions.
• "error": "Collection does not exist": Double-check the collection name/identifier.

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Links and References

• Directus Documentation – Sorting Items
• n8n Documentation – Custom Nodes
• Directus API Reference