N8n:conventions Agent Skill

by n8n-io

Quick reference for n8n patterns. Full docs /AGENTS.md

681 tokens

context cost

the whole folder, loaded on every use

files

instructions only

copies elsewhere

how many repositories repackaged it

199283

stars on the repo

on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository

npx skills add https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n --skill n8n:conventions

The instruction itself

4 sections, as written by the author

n8n Quick Reference

📚 Full Documentation:

General: /AGENTS.md - Architecture, commands, workflows
Frontend: /packages/frontend/AGENTS.md - CSS variables, timing

Use this skill when you need quick reminders on critical patterns.

Critical Rules (Must Follow)

TypeScript:

Never any → use unknown
Prefer satisfies over as (except tests)
Shared types in @n8n/api-types

Error Handling:

import { UnexpectedError } from 'n8n-workflow';
throw new UnexpectedError('message', { extra: { context } });
// DON'T use deprecated ApplicationError

Frontend:

Vue 3 Composition API (<script setup lang="ts">)
CSS variables (never hardcode px) - see /packages/frontend/AGENTS.md
All text via i18n ($t('key'))
data-testid for E2E (single value, no spaces)

Backend:

Controller → Service → Repository
Dependency injection via @n8n/di
Config via @n8n/config
Zod schemas for validation

Testing:

Vitest (unit), Playwright (E2E)
Mock external dependencies
Work from package directory: pushd packages/cli && pnpm test

Database:

SQLite/PostgreSQL only (app DB)
Exception: DB nodes (MySQL Node, etc.) can use DB-specific features

GitHub Workflows:

Every workflow declares a least-privilege top-level permissions: block

(usually contents: read); jobs needing more override at job level

Commands:

pnpm build > build.log 2>&1  # Always redirect
pnpm typecheck               # Before commit
pnpm lint                    # Before commit

> Secrets: pnpm command lines may be recorded verbatim (opt-in dev metrics) —

> pass sensitive values via env vars, never inline on the command line.

Key Packages

| Package | Purpose |

|---------|---------|

| packages/cli | Backend API |

| packages/frontend/editor-ui | Vue 3 frontend |

| packages/@n8n/api-types | Shared types |

| packages/@n8n/db | TypeORM entities |

| packages/workflow | Core interfaces |

Common Patterns

Pinia Store:

import { STORES } from '@n8n/stores';
export const useMyStore = defineStore(STORES.MY_STORE, () => {
  const state = shallowRef([]);
  return { state };
});

Vue Component:

<script setup lang="ts">
type Props = { title: string };
const props = defineProps<Props>();
</script>

Service:

import { Service } from '@n8n/di';
import { Config } from '@n8n/config';

@Service()
export class MyService {
  constructor(private readonly config: Config) {}
}

📖 Need more details? Read /AGENTS.md and /packages/frontend/AGENTS.md

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How to use it

Copy the folder

Take n8n-io/n8n:conventions from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

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