n8n-nodes-aws-secrets

AWS Secrets Manager node for n8n - retrieve secrets dynamically in your workflows.

Features

• Retrieve secrets from AWS Secrets Manager
• Automatic JSON parsing for structured secrets
• Pass secrets dynamically to other nodes (SFTP, databases, APIs, etc.)
• Use AWS IAM credentials for secure access

Installation

Method 1: Community Node Installation (Recommended)

1. SSH into your n8n EC2 instance:

   ssh -i your-key.pem [email protected]

2. Copy the package to the EC2 instance: From your local machine:

   cd /Users/chrismckenna/development/archtopPOC
   tar -czf n8n-nodes-aws-secrets.tar.gz n8n-nodes-aws-secrets/
   scp -i your-key.pem n8n-nodes-aws-secrets.tar.gz [email protected]:/tmp/

3. Install on the EC2 instance:

   # SSH to EC2
   ssh -i your-key.pem [email protected]
   
   # Extract and install
   cd /opt/n8n
   mkdir -p custom-nodes
   cd custom-nodes
   tar -xzf /tmp/n8n-nodes-aws-secrets.tar.gz
   cd n8n-nodes-aws-secrets
   
   # Install in n8n container
   docker exec -it n8n-n8n-1 sh -c "cd /tmp && npm install -g /home/node/.n8n/custom-nodes/n8n-nodes-aws-secrets"
   
   # Restart n8n
   cd /opt/n8n
   docker-compose restart n8n

4. Access n8n:

   • URL: https://10.0.1.143
   • Username: admin
   • Password: testpassword123

Method 2: Volume Mount (Alternative)

1. Copy package to EC2:

   scp -i your-key.pem -r n8n-nodes-aws-secrets [email protected]:/opt/n8n/custom-nodes/

2. Update docker-compose.yml: Add volume mount:

   n8n:
     volumes:
       - n8n-data:/home/node/.n8n
       - /opt/n8n/custom-nodes:/opt/custom-nodes

3. Restart:

   docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d

Usage

1. Create AWS Credentials

In n8n:

1. Go to Credentials > New
2. Select AWS Secrets Manager API
3. Fill in:
   • Region: us-east-1 (or your AWS region)
   • Access Key ID: Your AWS access key
   • Secret Access Key: Your AWS secret key
4. Click Save

2. Add AWS Secrets Manager Node

1. Create a new workflow
2. Add the AWS Secrets Manager node
3. Select your credentials
4. Configure:
   • Secret Name: e.g., datalake/sftp/credentials
   • Parse JSON: Enable if secret is JSON format

3. Use Secret Values in Other Nodes

The node outputs all secret fields as top-level JSON properties. Access them using expressions:

Example - SFTP Node:

Host: {{ $json.host }}
Port: {{ $json.port }}
Username: {{ $json.username }}
Password: {{ $json.password }}

Example Secret Structure in AWS:

{
  "host": "sftp.example.com",
  "port": 22,
  "username": "dataloader",
  "password": "secure_password_123"
}

4. Complete Workflow Example: SFTP → S3

[AWS Secrets] → [SFTP Download] → [S3 Upload]

1. AWS Secrets Manager Node:

   • Secret Name: datalake/sftp/credentials
   • Parse JSON: ✓

2. SFTP Node:

   • Operation: Download
   • Path: /data/*.csv
   • Host: {{ $json.host }}
   • Port: {{ $json.port }}
   • Username: {{ $json.username }}
   • Password: {{ $json.password }}

3. AWS S3 Node:

   • Operation: Upload
   • Bucket: datalake-raw-data
   • File: Use binary data from SFTP

Node Output

The node outputs a JSON object with:

• secretName: The name of the secret retrieved
• secretValue: The raw secret value (if not JSON)
• versionId: AWS version ID of the secret
• createdDate: When the secret was created
• Plus all parsed JSON fields at the top level

Example Output:

{
  "secretName": "datalake/sftp/credentials",
  "versionId": "abc123-def456",
  "createdDate": "2025-01-15T12:00:00Z",
  "host": "sftp.example.com",
  "port": 22,
  "username": "dataloader",
  "password": "secure_password_123"
}

Development

Build from Source

cd n8n-nodes-aws-secrets
npm install
npm run build

Package Structure

n8n-nodes-aws-secrets/
├── credentials/
│   └── AwsSecretsApi.credentials.ts
├── nodes/
│   └── AwsSecrets/
│       ├── AwsSecrets.node.ts
│       └── awsSecrets.svg
├── dist/               # Compiled output
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── gulpfile.js

Troubleshooting

Node Not Appearing in n8n

1. Check if the package was installed:

   docker exec -it n8n-n8n-1 npm list -g | grep aws-secrets

2. Check n8n logs:

   docker logs n8n-n8n-1

3. Restart n8n:

   docker-compose restart n8n

AWS Credentials Issues

• Ensure IAM user has secretsmanager:GetSecretValue permission
• Verify region is correct
• Test credentials with AWS CLI:

  aws secretsmanager get-secret-value --secret-id your-secret-name --region us-east-1

Cannot Access Secrets

• Check secret name is exact (case-sensitive)
• Verify secret exists in the specified region
• Review IAM permissions

License

MIT

Author

Archtop