n8n-skills/skills/n8n-mcp-tools-expert/SEARCH_GUIDE.md

Node Discovery Tools Guide

Complete guide for finding and understanding n8n nodes.

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search_nodes (START HERE!)

Speed: <20ms

Use when: You know what you're looking for (keyword, service, use case)

Syntax:

search_nodes({
  query: "slack",      // Required: search keywords
  mode: "OR",          // Optional: OR (default), AND, FUZZY
  limit: 20,           // Optional: max results (default 20)
  source: "all",       // Optional: all, core, community, verified
  includeExamples: false  // Optional: include template configs
})

Returns:

{
  "query": "slack",
  "results": [
    {
      "nodeType": "nodes-base.slack",                    // For search/validate tools
      "workflowNodeType": "n8n-nodes-base.slack",       // For workflow tools
      "displayName": "Slack",
      "description": "Consume Slack API",
      "category": "output",
      "relevance": "high"
    }
  ]
}

Tips:

• Common searches: webhook, http, database, email, slack, google, ai
• OR mode (default): matches any word
• AND mode: requires all words
• FUZZY mode: typo-tolerant (finds "slak" → Slack)
• Use source: "core" for only built-in nodes
• Use includeExamples: true for real-world configs

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get_node (UNIFIED NODE INFORMATION)

The get_node tool provides all node information with different detail levels and modes.

Detail Levels (mode="info")

Detail	Tokens	Use When
minimal	~200	Quick metadata check
standard	~1-2K	Most use cases (DEFAULT)
full	~3-8K	Complex debugging only

Standard Detail (RECOMMENDED)

Speed: <10ms | Size: ~1-2K tokens

Use when: You've found the node and need configuration details

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",      // Required: SHORT prefix format
  includeExamples: true              // Optional: get real template configs
})
// detail="standard" is the default

Returns:

• Available operations and resources
• Essential properties (10-20 most common)
• Metadata (isAITool, isTrigger, hasCredentials)
• Real examples from templates (if includeExamples: true)

Minimal Detail

Speed: <5ms | Size: ~200 tokens

Use when: Just need basic metadata

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
  detail: "minimal"
})

Returns: nodeType, displayName, description, category

Full Detail (USE SPARINGLY)

Speed: <100ms | Size: ~3-8K tokens

Use when: Debugging complex configuration, need complete schema

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  detail: "full"
})

Warning: Large payload! Use standard for most cases.

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get_node Modes

mode="docs" (READABLE DOCUMENTATION)

Use when: Need human-readable documentation with examples

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
  mode: "docs"
})

Returns: Formatted markdown with:

• Usage examples
• Authentication guide
• Common patterns
• Best practices

Better than raw schema for learning!

mode="search_properties" (FIND SPECIFIC FIELDS)

Use when: Looking for specific property in a node

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  mode: "search_properties",
  propertyQuery: "auth",           // Required for this mode
  maxPropertyResults: 20           // Optional: default 20
})

Returns: Property paths and descriptions matching query

Common searches: auth, header, body, json, url, method, credential

mode="versions" (VERSION HISTORY)

Use when: Need to check node version history

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.executeWorkflow",
  mode: "versions"
})

Returns: Version history with breaking changes flags

mode="compare" (COMPARE VERSIONS)

Use when: Need to see differences between versions

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  mode: "compare",
  fromVersion: "3.0",
  toVersion: "4.1"       // Optional: defaults to latest
})

Returns: Property-level changes between versions

mode="breaking" (BREAKING CHANGES ONLY)

Use when: Checking for breaking changes before upgrades

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  mode: "breaking",
  fromVersion: "3.0"
})

Returns: Only breaking changes (not all changes)

mode="migrations" (AUTO-MIGRATABLE)

Use when: Checking what can be auto-migrated

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  mode: "migrations",
  fromVersion: "3.0"
})

Returns: Changes that can be automatically migrated

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Additional Parameters

includeTypeInfo

Add type structure metadata (validation rules, JS types)

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.if",
  includeTypeInfo: true   // Adds ~80-120 tokens per property
})

Use for complex nodes like filter, resourceMapper

includeExamples

Include real-world configuration examples from templates

get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
  includeExamples: true   // Adds ~200-400 tokens per example
})

Only works with mode: "info" and detail: "standard"

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Common Workflow: Finding & Configuring

Step 1: Search
search_nodes({query: "slack"})
→ Returns: nodes-base.slack

Step 2: Get Operations (18s avg thinking time)
get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
  includeExamples: true
})
→ Returns: operations list + example configs

Step 3: Validate Config
validate_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
  config: {resource: "channel", operation: "create"},
  profile: "runtime"
})
→ Returns: validation result

Step 4: Use in Workflow
(Configuration ready!)

Most common pattern: search → get_node (18s average)

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Quick Comparison

Tool/Mode	When to Use	Speed	Size
search_nodes	Find by keyword	<20ms	Small
get_node (standard)	Get config (DEFAULT)	<10ms	1-2K
get_node (minimal)	Quick metadata	<5ms	200
get_node (full)	Complex debugging	<100ms	3-8K
get_node (docs)	Learn usage	Fast	Medium
get_node (search_properties)	Find specific field	Fast	Small
get_node (versions)	Check versions	Fast	Small

Best Practice: search → get_node(standard) → validate

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nodeType Format (CRITICAL!)

Search/Validate Tools (SHORT prefix):

"nodes-base.slack"
"nodes-base.httpRequest"
"nodes-langchain.agent"

Workflow Tools (FULL prefix):

"n8n-nodes-base.slack"
"n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest"
"@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent"

Conversion: search_nodes returns BOTH formats:

{
  "nodeType": "nodes-base.slack",          // Use with get_node, validate_node
  "workflowNodeType": "n8n-nodes-base.slack"  // Use with n8n_create_workflow
}

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Examples

Find and Configure HTTP Request

// Step 1: Search
search_nodes({query: "http request"})

// Step 2: Get standard info
get_node({nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest"})

// Step 3: Find auth options
get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  mode: "search_properties",
  propertyQuery: "authentication"
})

// Step 4: Validate config
validate_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  config: {method: "POST", url: "https://api.example.com"},
  profile: "runtime"
})

Explore AI Nodes

// Find all AI-related nodes
search_nodes({query: "ai agent", source: "all"})

// Get AI Agent documentation
get_node({nodeType: "nodes-langchain.agent", mode: "docs"})

// Get configuration details with examples
get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-langchain.agent",
  includeExamples: true
})

Check Version Compatibility

// See all versions
get_node({nodeType: "nodes-base.executeWorkflow", mode: "versions"})

// Check breaking changes from v1 to v2
get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.executeWorkflow",
  mode: "breaking",
  fromVersion: "1.0"
})

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Related

• VALIDATION_GUIDE.md - Validate node configs
• WORKFLOW_GUIDE.md - Use nodes in workflows