n8n-nodes-contentdrips-api

This is an n8n community node that lets you use Contentdrips in your n8n workflows.

Contentdrips is a powerful API for creating carousels and static graphics programmatically. It enables you to automate content creation using templates, making it perfect for social media automation, marketing campaigns, and content generation workflows.

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.

Installation

Follow the installation guide in the n8n community nodes documentation.

GUI Installation

1. Go to Settings > Community Nodes
2. Select Install
3. Enter n8n-nodes-contentdrips-api
4. Select Install

Manual Installation

To get started, install the package in your n8n root directory:

npm install n8n-nodes-contentdrips-api

For Docker installations, add the following line before the font installation command in your n8n Dockerfile:

RUN cd /usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n && npm install n8n-nodes-contentdrips-api

Operations

Graphic Resource

• Create: Generate a static graphic using a Contentdrips template

Carousel Resource

• Create: Generate a multi-slide carousel using a Contentdrips template

Job Resource

• Get Status: Check the processing status of a job
• Get Result: Get the final result of a completed job

Credentials

You need to authenticate with the Contentdrips API using an API token.

Prerequisites

1. Sign up for a Contentdrips account
2. Create an API token in your API Management dashboard

Setup

1. In n8n, go to Credentials and create a new Contentdrips API credential
2. Enter your API token
3. Save the credential

Configuration

Template Setup

Before using this node, you need to:

1. Create templates in your Contentdrips dashboard
2. Label the elements you want to update dynamically:
   • Right-click on textboxes or images in the template editor
   • Select "Add Label" and give it a name (e.g., title_1, hashtag_1)
   • Use these labels in your n8n workflow to update content

Execution Modes

The node supports two execution modes:

Synchronous Mode (Default - Recommended)

• What it does: Waits for job completion and returns final download URLs
• Best for: Most use cases where you want the final result immediately
• Settings: Configure polling interval (1-60 seconds) and max wait time (1-60 minutes)
• Result: Returns final download URLs and processing time

Asynchronous Mode (Advanced)

• What it does: Returns job ID immediately for manual status checking
• Best for: Complex workflows requiring parallel processing or custom job management
• Usage: Use with Job operations (Get Status, Get Result) for manual polling

Supported Output Formats

• PNG: High-quality raster images
• PDF: Perfect for print and professional documents

Basic Usage

Creating a Static Graphic (Synchronous)

{
  "resource": "graphic",
  "operation": "create",
  "templateId": "126130",
  "executionMode": "sync",
  "output": "png",
  "contentUpdates": {
    "updates": [
      {
        "type": "textbox",
        "label": "title_1",
        "value": "My Dynamic Title"
      },
      {
        "type": "textbox", 
        "label": "hashtag_1",
        "value": "#automation"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Creating a Carousel with Auto-Wait

{
  "resource": "carousel",
  "operation": "create", 
  "templateId": "126130",
  "executionMode": "sync",
  "pollingInterval": 5,
  "maxWaitTime": 10,
  "output": "png",
  "enableIntroSlide": true,
  "introSlideHeading": "Welcome!",
  "introSlideDescription": "Let's get started",
  "contentSlidesInputMethod": "ui",
  "contentSlides": {
    "slide": [
      {
        "heading": "Step 1",
        "description": "First step details"
      },
      {
        "heading": "Step 2", 
        "description": "Second step details"
      }
    ]
  },
  "enableEndingSlide": true,
  "endingSlideHeading": "Thank you!",
  "endingSlideDescription": "Follow for more tips"
}

Advanced: Asynchronous Mode with Manual Job Management

{
  "resource": "carousel",
  "operation": "create", 
  "templateId": "126130",
  "executionMode": "async",
  "output": "pdf",
  "contentSlidesInputMethod": "json",
  "contentSlidesJson": "{{ $json.dynamicSlides }}"
}

Then use Job operations:

1. Job > Get Status to check processing status
2. Job > Get Result to get final download URLs

Flexible Carousel Structure

Intro Slide (Optional):

• Enable/disable toggle
• When enabled: heading, description, and image fields automatically appear

Content Slides (Main content):

• Method 1 - Build in UI: Manually add slides using the interface
• Method 2 - JSON Expression: Use dynamic data with expressions like {{ $json.slides }}

Ending Slide (Optional):

• Enable/disable toggle
• When enabled: heading, description, and image fields automatically appear

Branding

You can include branding information that will be automatically applied to templates with branding placeholders:

{
  "addBranding": true,
  "branding": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "handle": "@johndoe",
    "bio": "Content Creator & Marketer",
    "website_url": "https://johndoe.com",
    "avatar_image_url": "https://example.com/avatar.jpg"
  }
}

Workflow Examples

Simple Content Generation (Single Node)

Trigger → Contentdrips (Sync Mode) → Save to Drive

Perfect for most use cases - one node handles everything from creation to completion.

Advanced Parallel Processing

Trigger → Split Data → Multiple Contentdrips (Async) → Job Status Checks → Job Results → Merge

For processing multiple graphics/carousels in parallel with custom job management.

Social Media Automation

Create a workflow that:

1. Triggers on a schedule
2. Fetches content from a CMS or spreadsheet
3. Uses Contentdrips to generate social media graphics (sync mode)
4. Posts to social platforms automatically

Marketing Campaign Generator

Build a workflow that:

1. Reads campaign data from Google Sheets
2. Generates branded graphics for each campaign (sync mode)
3. Stores results in cloud storage
4. Sends notification emails with download links

Dynamic Content with Variable Slides

Google Sheets → Transform Data → Contentdrips (JSON method) → Cloud Storage

Code Node example to transform spreadsheet data:

// Input: Array of tips from spreadsheet
const tips = $input.all()[0].json.tips;

// Transform to Contentdrips format
const slides = tips.map((tip, index) => ({
  heading: tip.title,
  description: tip.description,
  image: tip.image_url || `https://example.com/slide${index + 1}.jpg`
}));

return [{
  json: {
    slides: slides
  }
}];

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Authentication Errors

• Verify your API token is correct
• Check that the token has proper permissions
• Ensure you're using the latest version of the node

Template Errors

• Confirm the template ID exists in your Contentdrips account
• Verify that labeled elements match your content updates
• Check that required fields are provided

Job Processing (Sync Mode)

• Jobs typically take 2-5 minutes to process
• Adjust polling interval and max wait time if needed
• Failed jobs will include error details in the response

Job Processing (Async Mode)

• Use the Job Status operation to monitor progress
• Failed jobs will include error details in the response

Performance Tips

• Sync Mode: Use for individual graphics or when you need immediate results
• Async Mode: Use for batch processing or when integrating with other time-sensitive operations
• Polling Settings: Balance between responsiveness (shorter intervals) and API usage (longer intervals)

Getting Help

• Check the Contentdrips API documentation
• Visit the n8n community forum
• Report bugs on the GitHub repository

Resources

• Contentdrips Website
• Contentdrips API Documentation
• n8n Documentation
• n8n Community Nodes

Compatibility

• Minimum n8n version: 0.198.0
• Tested with n8n version: 1.0.0+
• Node.js version: 20.15+

Version History

1.2.0

• NEW: Synchronous execution mode (default) - automatically wait for job completion
• NEW: Asynchronous execution mode - return job ID immediately for advanced workflows
• NEW: Configurable polling settings (interval and timeout)
• IMPROVED: Enhanced error handling and status reporting
• IMPROVED: Better user experience with automatic completion waiting
• FIXED: Icon display issues in n8n interface
• REMOVED: Gulp dependency for cleaner builds

1.1.3

• Bug fixes and stability improvements

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Support for creating static graphics and carousels
• Job status and result management
• Branding and content update features
• Full API coverage for Contentdrips v1

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request