PlaidInstall

Overview

This node integrates with the Plaid API to retrieve real-time financial data related to user accounts. Specifically, the Account - Get Balances operation fetches up-to-date balances for all accounts linked to a given Plaid access token. This is useful for applications that need to display or process current account balances, such as personal finance dashboards, budgeting tools, or automated accounting workflows.

Practical examples:

• A budgeting app fetching the latest bank account balances to update a user's financial overview.
• An accounting automation workflow that retrieves balances before reconciling transactions.
• A cash flow monitoring system that triggers alerts based on balance thresholds.

Properties

Output

The output is an array of JSON objects, each representing an individual account's balance information retrieved from Plaid. Each object contains detailed fields about the account, including but not limited to:

• Account identifiers and names
• Current available balance
• Current balance
• Limit (if applicable)
• Currency type
• Account subtype and type

This allows downstream nodes or workflows to process or display comprehensive balance details per account.

No binary data is produced by this operation.

Dependencies

• Requires valid credentials for the Plaid API, including client ID and secret, configured in n8n.
• Needs an active Plaid access token for the user account whose balances are being queried.
• The node makes HTTPS POST requests to the Plaid API endpoints depending on the environment (sandbox, development, production).

Troubleshooting

• Common issues:

  • Invalid or expired access token will cause authentication errors.
  • Missing or incorrect API credentials will result in authorization failures.
  • Network connectivity problems can cause request timeouts or failures.

• Error messages:

  • Plaid API Error (error_code): error_message — Indicates a specific Plaid API error; check the error code and message for details.
  • Plaid API Request Failed: message — General failure in making the API request; verify network and credential settings.

• Resolution tips:

  • Ensure the access token is current and correctly input.
  • Verify that the API credentials are properly set up in n8n.
  • Check internet connectivity and firewall settings.
  • Use Plaid’s dashboard or logs to confirm the status of tokens and API usage.

Links and References

• Plaid API Documentation - Accounts Balance
• Plaid Developer Portal
• n8n Documentation - Creating Custom Nodes