n8nmanager-hitl

n8n community node for Human-in-the-Loop approvals via n8n-library

Package Information

Released: 7 mo ago
Downloads: 11 weekly / 32 monthly
Latest Version: 0.1.3

Available Nodes

HITL Approval
Send data for human review and wait for approval/rejection
HITL Trigger
Triggers when a HITL approval decision is made

Documentation

n8n-nodes-n8nmanager-hitl

An n8n community node package for Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) approvals powered by n8n-library. Replaces manual HTTP Request + Wait for Webhook wiring with drag-and-drop nodes.

Nodes

HITL Approval (Action Node)

Sends data to n8n-library for human review and pauses the workflow until a reviewer approves or rejects.

Parameters:

Parameter Type Required Description
Template dropdown yes HITL template (dynamically loaded from n8n-library)
Title string no Request title shown to the reviewer
Description string no Context for the reviewer
Priority select no low, medium, high, critical (default: medium)
Timeout (Minutes) number no Auto-expire timeout (default: 1440 = 24h)
Data JSON yes Data to display in the approval form (use expressions to map input)
Assign To string no User ID to assign the review to

How it works:

  1. Node sends a POST to n8n-library's HITL webhook endpoint with the form data and a callback URL
  2. The workflow execution pauses (enters waiting state)
  3. A human reviews the request in n8n-library and clicks Approve or Reject
  4. n8n-library calls back to n8n's webhook-waiting endpoint
  5. The workflow resumes with the decision payload

Output:

{
  "request_id": 42,
  "action": "approve",
  "status": "approved",
  "responded_by": "admin",
  "form_data": {
    "notes": "Looks good",
    "revised_amount": 11000
  },
  "comment": "Approved with minor edits",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-17T15:30:00.000Z"
}

HITL Trigger (Polling Trigger Node)

Polls n8n-library for new HITL approval decisions and triggers a workflow when one is found. Useful for audit logging, notifications, or post-processing workflows that don't need to wait inline.

Parameters:

Parameter Type Description
Template Filter dropdown Trigger for a specific template or all templates
Action Filter select All, Approved, or Rejected

Use cases:

  • Audit logging of all approval decisions
  • Slack/Teams notifications when approvals happen
  • Post-processing workflows triggered by approvals

Credentials

HITL Approval API

Field Description
Instance URL Base URL of your n8n-library instance (e.g. http://n8n-library:3100)
API Key API key from n8n-library Settings > API Keys (n8nlib_xxx)

The credential test verifies connectivity by calling GET /api/hitl/templates.

Installation

Docker (custom-nodes volume mount)

If you run n8n in Docker with a custom-nodes volume mount:

  1. Clone this repo into your custom-nodes directory:

    cd /path/to/custom-nodes
git clone https://github.com/LPilic/n8n-nodes-n8nmanager-hitl.git

  2. Install dependencies and build:

    cd n8n-nodes-n8nmanager-hitl
npm install --ignore-scripts
npm run build

  3. Install into n8n's node_modules (inside the container):

    docker exec <n8n-container> sh -c "cd /home/node/.n8n && npm install /home/node/.n8n/custom-nodes/n8n-nodes-n8nmanager-hitl --ignore-scripts"

  4. Add the N8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS environment variable to your n8n service:

    environment:
  N8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS: /home/node/.n8n/custom-nodes/n8n-nodes-n8nmanager-hitl

  5. Restart n8n.

Development

npm install --ignore-scripts
npm run dev    # Watch mode — recompiles on changes

After changes, reinstall in the container and restart n8n:

docker exec <n8n-container> sh -c "cd /home/node/.n8n && npm install /home/node/.n8n/custom-nodes/n8n-nodes-n8nmanager-hitl --ignore-scripts"
docker compose restart n8n-web n8n-worker

n8n-library API Endpoints Used

Method Endpoint Purpose
GET /api/hitl/templates List templates (for dropdown + credential test)
POST /api/hitl/webhook/:slug Create approval request
GET /api/hitl/requests Poll for decisions (trigger node)

Example Workflow

[Trigger: New Invoice]
    -> [Extract Data]
    -> [HITL Approval: "invoice-approval"]
    -> [IF: action == "approve"]
        -> Yes: [Process Payment]
        -> No:  [Send Rejection Email]

The HITL Approval node pauses the workflow. The finance team reviews the invoice in n8n-library with all the extracted data displayed in a custom form. They approve or reject, optionally editing amounts or adding notes. The workflow resumes with their decision and form data.

Project Structure

n8n-nodes-n8nmanager-hitl/
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── credentials/
│   └── HitlApi.credentials.ts        # API key + instance URL credential
├── nodes/
│   ├── HitlApproval/
│   │   └── HitlApproval.node.ts       # Action node (send + wait for decision)
│   └── HitlTrigger/
│       └── HitlTrigger.node.ts        # Polling trigger node
└── dist/                              # Compiled JavaScript

Requirements

  • n8n 1.0+ (self-hosted)
  • n8n-library with HITL templates configured

License

MIT

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