Execute Commander
AI-generatedOverview
This node executes shell commands on the host machine using Node.js child process capabilities. It supports running a command once for all input items or individually per item, and offers two execution modes: one that captures the entire output at once (suitable for short commands) and another that streams output continuously (better for long-running or verbose commands).
Common scenarios include:
- Running quick system checks or scripts and capturing their output.
- Executing batch commands once to affect multiple data items.
- Streaming logs or outputs from long-running processes.
- Automating shell-based tasks within an n8n workflow.
Example use cases:
- Running
echo "Hello, n8n!"to generate a simple message. - Executing a script that processes files and returns results.
- Launching a monitoring command that streams status updates.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Execution Once | Whether to execute the command once for all input items (true) or separately for each item (false). |
| Hidden Window | On Windows only: whether to hide the command window during execution (true hides it). |
| Execution Mode | Choose between: - Exec: runs command capturing full output (good for short commands). - Spawn: runs command streaming output live (good for long-running commands). |
| Command | The shell command string to execute. Required. Example: echo "Hello, n8n!". |
Output
The node outputs an array of JSON objects, one per executed command (either once for all items or per item):
Each output JSON contains:
stdout: The standard output text from the command execution.stderr: The standard error text from the command execution.command: The exact command string that was run.
If an error occurs during execution and the node is set to continue on failure, the output JSON will contain:
error: The error message describing what went wrong.
No binary data output is produced by this node.
Dependencies
- Requires Node.js built-in modules
child_processandutil. - No external API keys or services are needed.
- Runs commands on the host environment where n8n is installed; thus, permissions and environment availability of commands matter.
- On Windows, the option to hide the command window is supported.
Troubleshooting
- Command exited with code X: Indicates the shell command returned a non-zero exit code, meaning failure or error in the command itself. Check the command syntax and environment.
- Command execution failed: [message]: General failure in running the command, possibly due to invalid command, missing executable, or permission issues.
- If using
spawnmode, ensure the command and its arguments are correctly split and valid. - When running once for all items, errors affect all outputs; when running per item, errors are isolated per item.
- On Windows, if the command window does not appear but no output is received, try disabling the hidden window option.
- Ensure the command is available in the system PATH or provide absolute paths.
Links and References
- Node.js child_process.exec documentation: https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_processexeccommand-options-callback
- Node.js child_process.spawn documentation: https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_processspawncommand-args-options
- n8n documentation on custom nodes: https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/creating-nodes/