Python Code Node (Beta)

Expert guidance for writing Python code in n8n Code nodes.

Detailed Guide

Read the detailed guide before executing this skill. It retains the complete procedure and reference material. Treat its safety, prerequisites, and validation requirements as mandatory. For focused work, load the relevant sections; for end-to-end work, read the guide completely.

Critical Limitation: No External Libraries

MOST IMPORTANT PYTHON LIMITATION: Cannot import external packages

What's NOT Available

# ❌ NOT AVAILABLE - Will raise ModuleNotFoundError
import requests  # ❌ No
import pandas  # ❌ No
import numpy  # ❌ No
import scipy  # ❌ No
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup  # ❌ No
import lxml  # ❌ No

What IS Available (Standard Library)

# ✅ AVAILABLE - Standard library only
import json  # ✅ JSON parsing
import datetime  # ✅ Date/time operations
import re  # ✅ Regular expressions
import base64  # ✅ Base64 encoding/decoding
import hashlib  # ✅ Hashing functions
import urllib.parse  # ✅ URL parsing
import math  # ✅ Math functions
import random  # ✅ Random numbers
import statistics  # ✅ Statistical functions

Workarounds

Need HTTP requests?

✅ Use HTTP Request node before Code node
✅ Or switch to JavaScript and use $helpers.httpRequest()

Need data analysis (pandas/numpy)?

✅ Use Python statistics module for basic stats
✅ Or switch to JavaScript for most operations
✅ Manual calculations with lists and dictionaries

Need web scraping (BeautifulSoup)?

✅ Use HTTP Request node + HTML Extract node
✅ Or switch to JavaScript with regex/string methods

See: STANDARD_LIBRARY.md for complete reference

When to Use Python vs JavaScript

Use Python When:

✅ You need statistics module for statistical operations
✅ You're significantly more comfortable with Python syntax
✅ Your logic maps well to list comprehensions
✅ You need specific standard library functions

Use JavaScript When:

✅ You need HTTP requests ($helpers.httpRequest())
✅ You need advanced date/time (DateTime/Luxon)
✅ You want better n8n integration
✅ For 95% of use cases (recommended)

Consider Other Nodes When:

❌ Simple field mapping → Use Set node
❌ Basic filtering → Use Filter node
❌ Simple conditionals → Use IF or Switch node
❌ HTTP requests only → Use HTTP Request node

Limitations

Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.

n8n-code-python