Install it into n8n
A node built here is an ordinary npm package. n8n installs it through the dialog it already has, and nothing about the process is specific to us.
The package
Download it
The builder produces a .tgz in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the file is complete: six files, no dependencies, roughly 2.5 kB.
You do not need an npm account
Installing from a local file is the shortest path and needs nothing from us. Publishing to npm is a separate choice, and it is the one that needs a review.
In n8n
Settings, then Community Nodes
Open Settings, choose Community Nodes, and install. If you published to npm, the package name is enough. If you are working from the downloaded file, install it from disk with npm first and restart n8n.
# from the folder holding the .tgz
npm install ./n8n-nodes-example-0.1.0.tgz
# then restart n8n so the loader picks it upThe node then appears in the node panel under the display name you gave it, with the icon you chose.
When it does not appear
Two things to check
- The package name has to start with
n8n-nodes-, or@scope/n8n-nodes-. n8n's loader requires that prefix and the builder adds it for you. - n8n reads community nodes at start-up, so a restart is usually what is missing.