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GBIF

GBIF provides free and open access to biodiversity data

Actions22

  • Collection Actions
  • Dataset Actions
  • Dataset Search Actions
  • Installation Actions
  • Institution Actions
  • Occurrence Actions
  • Occurrence Count Actions
  • Occurrence Search Actions
  • Occurrence Search Catalog Number Actions
  • Occurrence Search Collection Code Actions
  • Occurrence Search Occurrence ID Actions
  • Occurrence Search Recorded By Actions
  • Occurrence Search Record Number Actions
  • Occurrence Search Institution Code Actions
  • Organization Actions
  • Name Parser Actions
  • Network Actions
  • Node Actions
  • Species Actions
  • Species Match Actions
  • Species Search Actions
  • Species Suggest Actions

Network → Get

AI-generated

Overview

This node integrates with the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) API to retrieve biodiversity data. Specifically, for the Network resource with the Get operation, it fetches detailed information about a network entity identified by its ID. Optionally, users can specify a sub-resource to get related data such as comments, constituents, contacts, endpoints, identifiers, machine tags, or tags associated with that network.

This node is useful in scenarios where you want to programmatically access and analyze biodiversity network data from GBIF, for example:

  • Retrieving metadata about a specific biodiversity network.
  • Accessing related entities like contacts or tags linked to a network.
  • Integrating GBIF network data into workflows for research, reporting, or data enrichment.

Properties

Name Meaning
ID The unique identifier of the network to retrieve.
Sub-Resource Optional related data to fetch for the network. Options: (empty), Comment, Constituents, Contact, Endpoint, Identifier, Machine Tag, Tag

Output

The output is a JSON array containing the response from the GBIF API for the requested network or its sub-resource. The structure depends on the selected sub-resource but generally includes detailed information about the network entity or the specified related data.

No binary data output is produced by this node.

Example output JSON snippet (simplified):

{
  "key": "network-id",
  "title": "Network Title",
  "description": "Description of the network",
  "contacts": [...],          // if subResource = 'contact'
  "constituents": [...],      // if subResource = 'constituents'
  "machineTags": [...],       // if subResource = 'machineTag'
  ...
}

Dependencies

  • This node requires internet access to call the public GBIF API at https://api.gbif.org/v1.
  • No authentication or API key is required for this endpoint.
  • No additional n8n credentials or environment variables are needed.

Troubleshooting

  • Empty or invalid ID: If the ID property is empty or incorrect, the API will return an error or no data. Ensure the correct network ID is provided.
  • Invalid sub-resource: Selecting a sub-resource not applicable to the network may result in an empty response or error.
  • API downtime or connectivity issues: Network errors or GBIF API unavailability will cause request failures. Check your internet connection and GBIF status.
  • Rate limiting: Although unlikely for typical use, excessive requests might be throttled by GBIF. Implement retries or delays if needed.

Common error messages:

  • HTTP 404 Not Found: The specified network ID does not exist.
  • HTTP 400 Bad Request: Invalid parameters supplied.
  • Network timeout or DNS errors: Connectivity problems.

Links and References

Discussion