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Institution → Get by ID

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Overview

This node integrates with the Plaid API to retrieve detailed information about financial institutions. Specifically, the "Institution - Get by ID" operation fetches comprehensive data for a single institution using its unique institution ID. This is useful when you need authoritative details about a specific bank or financial institution, such as its name, logo, and supported products.

Practical examples include:

  • Displaying institution details in a financial app after a user selects their bank.
  • Validating institution information before linking accounts.
  • Enriching user interfaces with institution logos and metadata.

Properties

Name Meaning
Access Token The Plaid access token associated with the user's account, required for authentication.
Institution ID The unique identifier of the institution to retrieve detailed information about.

Output

The output JSON contains the full institution object returned by the Plaid API's /institutions/get_by_id endpoint. This typically includes fields such as:

  • institution_id: The unique ID of the institution.
  • name: The official name of the institution.
  • products: Array of Plaid products supported by the institution (e.g., transactions, auth).
  • country_codes: Countries where the institution operates.
  • logo: URL to the institution’s logo image.
  • Other metadata related to the institution.

The output is a single JSON object representing the institution details.

Dependencies

  • Requires an active Plaid API credential with client ID and secret configured in n8n.
  • Needs a valid Plaid access token for the user account.
  • The node makes HTTPS POST requests to the Plaid API endpoints.
  • No additional external dependencies beyond the Plaid API.

Troubleshooting

  • Invalid Institution ID: If the institution ID does not exist or is malformed, the Plaid API will return an error. Verify the institution ID is correct.
  • Authentication Errors: Ensure the access token and API credentials are valid and have the necessary permissions.
  • Network Issues: Connectivity problems can cause request failures; check network access to Plaid endpoints.
  • API Version Mismatch: The node uses Plaid API version "2020-09-14". Using outdated credentials or incompatible API versions may cause errors.

Common error messages:

  • Plaid API Error (INVALID_INSTITUTION): Institution not found. — Check the institution ID.
  • Plaid API Request Failed: <message> — General request failure, verify credentials and network.

Links and References

Discussion