n8n Configuration

Learn how to configure and use the Canvelete (opens in a new tab) n8n node effectively in your automation workflows.

Node Overview

The Canvelete n8n node provides four main resources, each with specific operations:

Design: Create and manage design files
Render: Generate images and PDFs
Template: Browse and search templates
API Key: Manage programmatic access

Basic Configuration

Adding the Node to Workflows

Create or Open Workflow
- Open n8n workflow editor
- Click the + button to add a node
Search and Add
- Type "Canvelete" in the search box
- Click on the Canvelete node to add it
Connect to Previous Node
- Drag from the previous node's output to Canvelete input
- Or use the connection handles

Credential Selection

Every Canvelete node requires authentication:

Select Credential
- In the node configuration panel
- Choose your existing Canvelete OAuth2 credential
- Or click "Create New" to set up authentication
Test Connection
- Click "Test" to verify the credential works
- Should show "Connection successful"

Resource Configuration

Design Resource

Create, retrieve, and manage design files.

Create Operation

Creates a new design in your Canvelete account.

Required Parameters:

Name: Design name (string)

Optional Parameters:

Description: Design description (string)
Width: Canvas width in pixels (number, default: 1920)
Height: Canvas height in pixels (number, default: 1080)
Canvas Data: JSON string with design elements
Is Template: Mark as template (boolean, default: false)
Visibility: Design visibility (PRIVATE/PUBLIC/UNLISTED)

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "Social Media Post - {{$json.title}}",
  "description": "Generated from workflow data",
  "width": 1080,
  "height": 1080,
  "canvasData": "{\"elements\":[{\"type\":\"text\",\"content\":\"{{$json.title}}\",\"x\":100,\"y\":100}]}",
  "visibility": "PRIVATE"
}

Get Operation

Retrieves a specific design by ID.

Required Parameters:

Design ID: The unique identifier of the design

Example:

{
  "designId": "{{$json.design_id}}"
}

Get Many Operation

Lists multiple designs with optional filtering.

Optional Parameters:

Limit: Number of designs to return (default: 50)
Return All: Get all designs (ignores limit)

Search Operation

Searches designs by name.

Required Parameters:

Query: Search term to match against design names

Render Resource

Generate images and PDFs from designs or templates.

Create Operation

Renders a design or template to various formats.

Required Parameters (one of):

Design ID: ID of design to render
Template ID: ID of template to render

Optional Parameters:

Format: Output format (png/jpg/jpeg/pdf, default: png)
Width: Custom width in pixels
Height: Custom height in pixels
Quality: JPEG quality 1-100 (default: 90)
Dynamic Data: JSON string with template variables

Example Configuration:

{
  "templateId": "template_abc123",
  "format": "png",
  "quality": 95,
  "dynamicData": "{\"title\":\"{{$json.product_name}}\",\"price\":\"{{$json.price}}\",\"image_url\":\"{{$json.image}}\"}"
}

Dynamic Data Format:

{
  "title": "Product Launch",
  "subtitle": "Special Offer",
  "price": "$29.99",
  "image_url": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
  "qr_code_data": "https://canvelete.com/product/123"
}

Get Many Operation

Retrieves render history.

Optional Parameters:

Limit: Number of renders to return

Template Resource

Browse and search available templates.

Get Many Operation

Lists available templates.

Optional Parameters:

Limit: Number of templates to return
Category: Filter by template category

Search Operation

Searches templates by name or description.

Required Parameters:

Query: Search term

API Key Resource

Manage API keys programmatically.

Create Operation

Generates a new API key.

Required Parameters:

Name: API key name

Optional Parameters:

Description: Key description
Scopes: Comma-separated list of scopes
Expires At: Expiration date (ISO format)

Example:

{
  "name": "Workflow API Key - {{$json.workflow_name}}",
  "description": "Generated for automated workflow",
  "scopes": "designs:read,designs:write,render:write",
  "expiresAt": "2024-12-31T23:59:59Z"
}

Get Many Operation

Lists existing API keys.

Optional Parameters:

Include Expired: Include expired keys (boolean)

Advanced Configuration

Using Expressions

n8n expressions allow dynamic configuration using data from previous nodes.

Basic Expressions

// Use data from previous node
"{{$json.field_name}}"
 
// Use data from specific node
"{{$node['Node Name'].json.field}}"
 
// Use workflow data
"{{$workflow.name}}"
 
// Current timestamp
"{{$now}}"

Complex Expressions

// Conditional values
"{{$json.is_premium ? 'PREMIUM' : 'BASIC'}}"
 
// String manipulation
"{{$json.title.toUpperCase()}}"
 
// Date formatting
"{{$json.date.toDateTime().toFormat('yyyy-MM-dd')}}"
 
// JSON construction
"{\"title\":\"{{$json.title}}\",\"date\":\"{{$now.toISODate()}}\"}"

Error Handling

Configure how the node handles errors:

Continue on Fail
- Enable to continue workflow on node errors
- Useful for optional operations
Retry on Fail
- Set number of retry attempts
- Configure retry delay

Example Error Handling:

{
  "continueOnFail": true,
  "retryOnFail": 3,
  "waitBetweenTries": 1000
}

Batch Processing

Process multiple items efficiently:

Split in Batches Node

Input Data (100 items)
↓
Split in Batches (10 items each)
↓
Canvelete - Render: Create
↓
Merge (combine results)

Loop Over Items

// In Canvelete node, use item data
{
  "templateId": "{{$json.template_id}}",
  "dynamicData": "{\"name\":\"{{$json.customer_name}}\",\"order\":\"{{$json.order_id}}\"}"
}

Performance Optimization

Rate Limiting

Canvelete API has rate limits based on your plan:

Free: 100 requests/hour
Starter: 500 requests/hour
Professional: 2,000 requests/hour
Team: 5,000 requests/hour
Company: 10,000 requests/hour

Optimization Strategies

Use Delays

Canvelete Node
↓
Wait (1 second)
↓
Next Canvelete Node

Batch Operations
- Process items in smaller batches
- Use Split in Batches node
- Implement proper delays between batches
Cache Results
- Store frequently used template IDs
- Cache rendered images when possible
- Use n8n's Set/Get nodes for temporary storage

Memory Management

For large workflows:

Limit Data Size
- Use appropriate image dimensions
- Optimize JPEG quality settings
- Clean up temporary data
Stream Processing
- Process items one at a time
- Don't accumulate large datasets
- Use pagination for large lists

Common Patterns

Template-Based Generation

Trigger (Webhook/Schedule)
↓
Get Data (Database/API)
↓
Canvelete - Template: Search
  Query: "{{$json.template_type}}"
↓
Canvelete - Render: Create
  Template ID: "{{$json.id}}"
  Dynamic Data: "{{$json.data}}"
↓
Upload/Send Result

Design Backup Workflow

Schedule Trigger (Daily)
↓
Canvelete - Design: Get Many
↓
Loop Over Items
  ↓
  Canvelete - Render: Create (PNG backup)
  ↓
  Upload to Cloud Storage

Conditional Processing

Trigger
↓
IF Node (Check condition)
  ├─ TRUE: Canvelete - Premium Template
  └─ FALSE: Canvelete - Basic Template
↓
Merge Results

Debugging and Testing

Testing Individual Nodes

Use Manual Trigger
- Add Manual Trigger before Canvelete node
- Set test data in trigger
- Execute single node
Check Output Data
- View node execution results
- Verify data structure
- Check for errors in output

Common Issues

Authentication Errors

{
  "error": "Authentication failed"
}

Solution: Reconnect OAuth2 credential

Invalid Parameters

{
  "error": "Design ID is required"
}

Solution: Check required parameters are provided

Rate Limit Errors

{
  "error": "Rate limit exceeded"
}

Solution: Add delays or upgrade plan

Logging and Monitoring

Enable Logging
- Check n8n execution logs
- Monitor for errors and warnings
- Track performance metrics
Set Up Alerts
- Use n8n's error handling
- Send notifications on failures
- Monitor workflow success rates

Best Practices

Security

Credential Management
- Use separate credentials per environment
- Regularly rotate OAuth2 secrets
- Monitor credential usage
Data Handling
- Validate input data
- Sanitize user inputs
- Handle sensitive data appropriately

Performance

Efficient Workflows
- Minimize API calls
- Use appropriate batch sizes
- Implement proper error handling
Resource Usage
- Monitor memory usage
- Optimize image sizes
- Clean up temporary data

Maintenance

Regular Updates
- Keep n8n node updated
- Monitor for new features
- Update workflows as needed
Documentation
- Document workflow purposes
- Maintain configuration notes
- Share best practices with team

Next Steps

Explore Workflow Examples for common use cases
Learn about Custom Node Development
Check the API Reference for detailed endpoint documentation

Installation Workflows