n8n-docs/docs/data/expression-reference/root.md

Root

$()

Description: Returns the data of the specified node

Syntax: $(nodeName)

Returns: NodeData

Source: Custom n8n functionality

Parameters:

• nodeName (String) - The name of the node to retrieve data for

$binary

Description: Returns any binary input data to the current node, for the current item. Shorthand for $input.item.binary.

Syntax: $binary

Returns: Array

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$execution

Description: Retrieve or set metadata for the current execution

Syntax: $execution

Returns: ExecData

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$fromAI()

Description: Use when a large language model should provide the value of a node parameter. Consider providing a description for better results.

Syntax: $fromAI(key, description?, type?, defaultValue?)

Returns: any

Source: Custom n8n functionality

Parameters:

• key (String) - The name of the field to fetch. May only contain letters, numbers, underscores and hyphens.
• description (String) - optional - Use to give the model more context on exactly what it should return
• type (String) - optional - The type of the value to return. One of string, number, boolean, json, date, datetime. Defaults to string.
• defaultValue (any) - optional - A value to use if the model doesn’t return the key

Examples:

// Ask the model to provide a name, and use it here
$fromAI('name')

// Ask the model to provide the age of the person (as a number with a default value of 18), and use it here
$fromAI('age', 'The age of the person', 'number', 18)

// Ask the model to provide a boolean signifying whether the person is a student (with default value false), and use it here
$fromAI('isStudent', 'Is the person a student', 'boolean', false)

$if()

Description: Returns one of two values depending on the condition. Similar to the ? operator in JavaScript.

Syntax: $if(condition, valueIfTrue, valueIfFalse)

Returns: any

Source: Custom n8n functionality

Parameters:

• condition (Boolean) - The check to make. Should evaluate to either true or false
• valueIfTrue (any) - The value to return if the condition is true
• valueIfFalse (any) - The value to return if the condition is false

Examples:

// Return "Good day" if time is before 5pm, otherwise "Good evening"
$if($now.hour < 17, "Good day", "Good evening")

// $if() calls can be combined:
// Return "Good morning" if time is before 10am, "Good day" it's before 5pm, otherwise "Good evening"
$if($now.hour < 10, "Good morning", $if($now.hour < 17, "Good day", "Good evening"))

$ifEmpty()

Description: Returns the first parameter if it isn’t empty, otherwise returns the second parameter. The following count as empty: ””, [], {}, null, undefined

Syntax: $ifEmpty(value, valueIfEmpty)

Returns: any

Source: Custom n8n functionality

Parameters:

• value (any) - The value to return, provided it isn’t empty
• valueIfEmpty (any) - What to return if value is empty

Examples:

"Hi " + $ifEmpty(name, "there") // e.g. "Hi Nathan" or "Hi there"

$input

Description: The input data of the current node

Syntax: $input

Returns: NodeData

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$itemIndex

Description: The position of the item currently being processed in the list of input items

Syntax: $itemIndex

Returns: Number

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$jmespath()

Description: Extracts data from an object (or array of objects) using a JMESPath expression. Useful for querying complex, nested objects. Returns undefined if the expression is invalid.

Syntax: $jmespath(obj, expression)

Returns: any

Source: Custom n8n functionality

Parameters:

• obj (Object|Array) - The Object or array of Objects to retrieve data from
• expression (String) - A JMESPath expression defining the data to retrieve from the object

Examples:

data = {
  "people": [
    {
      "age": 20,
      "other": "foo",
      "name": "Bob"
    },
    {
      "age": 25,
      "other": "bar",
      "name": "Fred"
    },
    {
      "age": 30,
      "other": "baz",
      "name": "George"
    }
  ]
}

// Get all names, in an array
{{ $jmespath(data, '[*].name') }} //=> ["Bob", "Fred", "George"]

// Get the names and ages of everyone under 20
$jmespath(data, '[?age > `20`].[name, age]') //=> [ ["Fred",25], ["George",30] ]

// Get the name of the first person under 20
$jmespath($json.people, '[?age > `20`].name | [0]') //=> Fred

data = {
    "reservations": [
      {
        "id": 1,
        "guests": [
          {
            "name": "Nathan",
            "requirements": {
              "room": "double",
              "meal": "vegetarian"
            }
          },
          {
            "name": "Meg",
            "requirements": {
              "room": "single"
            }
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": 2,
        "guests": [
          {
            "name": "Lex",
            "requirements": {
              "room": "double"
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }

// Get the names of all the guests in each reservation that require a double room
$jmespath(data, 'reservations[].guests[?requirements.room==`double`].name')

$json

Description: Returns the JSON input data to the current node, for the current item. Shorthand for $input.item.json. More info

Syntax: $json

Returns: Object

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$max()

Description: Returns the highest of the given numbers

Syntax: $max(num1, num2, …, numN)

Returns: Number

Source: Custom n8n functionality

Parameters:

• num1 (Number) - The first number to compare
• num2 (Number) - The second number to compare

$min()

Description: Returns the lowest of the given numbers

Syntax: $min(num1, num2, …, numN)

Returns: Number

Source: Custom n8n functionality

Parameters:

• num1 (Number) - The first number to compare
• num2 (Number) - The second number to compare

$nodeVersion

Description: The version of the current node (as displayed at the bottom of the nodes’s settings pane)

Syntax: $nodeVersion

Returns: String

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$now

Description: A DateTime representing the current moment.

Uses the workflow’s time zone (which can be changed in the workflow settings).

Syntax: $now

Returns: DateTime

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$pageCount

Description: The number of results pages the node has fetched. Only available in the ‘HTTP Request’ node.

Syntax: $pageCount

Returns: Number

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$parameter

Description: The configuration settings of the current node. These are the parameters you fill out within the node’s UI (e.g. its operation).

Syntax: $parameter

Returns: NodeParams

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$prevNode

Description: Information about the node that the current input came from.

When in a ‘Merge’ node, always uses the first input connector.

Syntax: $prevNode

Returns: PrevNodeData

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$request

Description: The request object sent during the last run of the node. Only available in the ‘HTTP Request’ node.

Syntax: $request

Returns: Object

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$response

Description: The response returned by the last HTTP call. Only available in the ‘HTTP Request’ node.

Syntax: $response

Returns: HTTPResponse

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$runIndex

Description: The index of the current run of the current node execution. Starts at 0.

Syntax: $runIndex

Returns: Number

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$secrets

Description: The secrets from an external secrets vault, if configured. Secret values are never displayed to the user. Only available in credential fields.

Syntax: $secrets

Returns: Object

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$today

Description: A DateTime representing midnight at the start of the current day.

Uses the instance’s time zone (unless overridden in the workflow’s settings).

Syntax: $today

Returns: DateTime

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$vars

Description: The variables available to the workflow

Syntax: $vars

Returns: Object

Source: Custom n8n functionality

$workflow

Description: Information about the current workflow

Syntax: $workflow

Returns: WorkflowData

Source: Custom n8n functionality