n8n-nodes-owncloud

This is an n8n community node that provides full integration with ownCloud, enabling you to automate file management and sharing operations through WebDAV and OCS APIs.

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.

Features

File Operations (WebDAV)

• Upload - Upload files to ownCloud from n8n workflows
• Download - Download files from ownCloud as binary data (with file picker support)
• Delete - Delete files or folders
• Create Folder - Create new directories
• List - List contents of folders
• Move - Move or rename files and folders
• Copy - Copy files and folders
• Get Properties - Retrieve metadata about files and folders
• Search - Search for files and folders by name (NEW in v1.1.0)

Share Operations (OCS API)

• Create Share - Create public links or share with users/groups
• Delete Share - Remove existing shares
• Get Share - Retrieve information about a specific share
• Get All Shares - List all shares for a file or folder
• Update Share - Modify share permissions, passwords, and expiration dates

Installation

Community Node Installation (Recommended)

1. Go to Settings > Community Nodes in your n8n instance
2. Click Install a community node
3. Enter n8n-nodes-owncloud
4. Click Install
5. Restart n8n

Manual Installation

cd ~/.n8n/nodes
npm install n8n-nodes-owncloud

For Docker installations:

docker exec -it n8n npm install -g n8n-nodes-owncloud

Compatibility

• n8n version: 0.180.0 or above
• ownCloud version: 10.x and above (including ownCloud Infinite Scale)
• Node.js: 18.10.0 or above

Credentials

Before using the ownCloud node, you need to set up credentials:

Creating Credentials

1. In n8n, go to Credentials → New
2. Search for ownCloud API
3. Fill in the following information:
   • ownCloud URL: Your ownCloud instance URL (e.g., https://cloud.example.com)
   • Username: Your ownCloud username
   • App Password: Your ownCloud password (see options below)

Password Options

You have two options for authentication:

Option 1: Regular Password ✅ WORKS

• Use your normal ownCloud password (the one for web login and desktop client)
• Quick and easy for getting started
• Works perfectly for most use cases

Option 2: App Password ✅ RECOMMENDED FOR SECURITY

For enhanced security, especially if you use 2FA:

1. Log in to your ownCloud instance
2. Click on your profile picture (top right) → Settings
3. In the left menu, click Security
4. Scroll down to "App passwords" section
5. Enter a name (e.g., "n8n automation")
6. Click "Create" or "Create new app password"
7. Copy the generated password
8. Use this app password in n8n credentials (instead of your regular password)

Benefits of App Passwords:

• ✅ Required if you have 2FA enabled
• ✅ Can be revoked independently without changing your main password
• ✅ More secure for automated workflows
• ✅ Separate access control for different applications

⚠️ Important: App passwords look different from regular passwords (usually longer, auto-generated string). Your regular password will also work, but app passwords are more secure!

Usage Examples

Example 1: Automated File Backup

Upload files from external sources to ownCloud:

1. Trigger: Schedule (e.g., daily at 2 AM)
2. HTTP Request: Download backup file
3. ownCloud: Upload operation
   • Path: /backups/backup-{{$now.format('YYYY-MM-DD')}}.zip
   • Binary Property: data

Example 2: Share File and Send Link

Create a public share link and send it via email:

1. Trigger: Webhook or manual
2. ownCloud (File - Upload): Upload the file
3. ownCloud (Share - Create): Create public link
   • Share Type: Public Link
   • Password: Set optional password
   • Expiration Date: Set expiry
4. Email: Send link to recipients

Example 3: Organize Files by Date

Automatically organize uploaded files into date-based folders:

1. Trigger: Webhook
2. ownCloud (File - Create Folder): Create folder for current month
   • Path: /documents/{{$now.format('YYYY-MM')}}
3. ownCloud (File - Upload): Upload file to the folder
   • Path: /documents/{{$now.format('YYYY-MM')}}/{{$json.filename}}

Example 4: Bulk File Operations

Process multiple files in a workflow:

1. ownCloud (File - List): Get all files in a folder
2. Filter: Filter files by criteria (name, date, size)
3. ownCloud (File - Move/Copy/Delete): Perform operations

Operations Reference

File Resource

| Operation | Description | Required Fields | |-----------|-------------|-----------------| | Upload | Upload a file to ownCloud | Path, Binary Property | | Download | Download a file from ownCloud | Path, Put Output In Field | | Delete | Delete a file or folder | Path | | Create Folder | Create a new directory | Path | | List | List directory contents | Path | | Move | Move or rename file/folder | Path, Destination Path | | Copy | Copy file or folder | Path, Destination Path | | Get Properties | Get file/folder metadata | Path | | Search | Search for files and folders | Search Query, Search Path |

Share Resource

| Operation | Description | Required Fields | |-----------|-------------|-----------------| | Create | Create a new share | Path, Share Type | | Delete | Remove a share | Share ID | | Get | Get share information | Share ID | | Get All | List all shares for path | Path | | Update | Modify share settings | Share ID |

Share Types

• User (0): Share with a specific ownCloud user
• Group (1): Share with an ownCloud group
• Public Link (3): Create a public share link

Share Permissions

• Read (1): View only
• Update (2): Edit existing files
• Create (4): Create new files
• Delete (8): Delete files
• Share (16): Re-share with others
• All (31): All permissions

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: "Could not connect to ownCloud"

Solutions:

• Verify the ownCloud URL is correct (no trailing slash)
• Check that the instance is accessible from your n8n server
• Ensure credentials are correct
• Test with app password instead of main password

Authentication Errors

Problem: "Authentication failed"

Solutions:

• Create a new app password in ownCloud security settings
• Verify username is correct (check case sensitivity)
• Disable 2FA temporarily to test basic auth
• Check ownCloud logs for detailed error messages

File Upload/Download Issues

Problem: Files not uploading or downloading correctly

Solutions:

• Verify the path format (should start with /)
• Check file size limits in ownCloud and n8n settings
• Ensure proper permissions on ownCloud folders
• Verify binary data is correctly formatted in workflow

Share Operations Not Working

Problem: Cannot create or manage shares

Solutions:

• Verify OCS API is enabled in ownCloud
• Check user has sharing permissions
• Ensure share settings allow public links (if using)
• Review ownCloud sharing policies

Technical Details

APIs Used

• WebDAV: Core protocol for all file operations
  • Endpoint: {ownCloud-URL}/remote.php/dav/files/{username}/
• OCS API: REST API for sharing and collaboration
  • Endpoint: {ownCloud-URL}/ocs/v2.php/apps/files_sharing/api/v1/

Authentication

Uses HTTP Basic Authentication with app passwords for secure access.

Development

Building from Source

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/Mindfield-Biosystems-Ltd/n8n-nodes-owncloud.git
cd n8n-nodes-owncloud

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build
npm run build

# Run linting
npm run lint

Testing Locally

# Start n8n with the node
npm run dev

This will compile the TypeScript code and start n8n with your local node loaded.

Resources

• n8n Documentation: https://docs.n8n.io
• ownCloud Developer Docs: https://doc.owncloud.com/
• WebDAV API: https://doc.owncloud.com/server/developer_manual/webdav_api/
• OCS Share API: https://doc.owncloud.com/server/developer_manual/core/apis/ocs-share-api.html

Support

• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• n8n Community: https://community.n8n.io

License

MIT

Credits

Developed by Niko Rockensüß for Mindfield Biosystems Ltd.

ownCloud is a trademark of ownCloud GmbH. This project is not officially affiliated with or endorsed by ownCloud GmbH.

The ownCloud icon used in this project is for identification purposes only and follows fair use guidelines. All rights to the ownCloud trademark and logo belong to ownCloud GmbH.

Contributing

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

Changelog

Version 1.1.3

Bug Fixes:

• 🐛 Fixed missing official ownCloud icon - corrected SVG file location in source directory

Version 1.1.2

New Features:

• 📁 Share Operations File Picker - Added resource locator with "From List" option to Create Share and Get Many Shares operations for easier file/folder selection

Improvements:

• Consistent UX across all operations - both File and Share resources now support live directory browsing
• Better path selection for sharing workflows

Version 1.1.1

Bug Fixes:

• 🐛 Fixed "412 Precondition Failed" error in file picker by removing recursive directory traversal
• 🐛 Fixed "Could not get parameter" error in Search operation by correcting parameter handling
• ⚡ Improved performance by loading only top-level directory contents in file picker

Version 1.1.0

New Features:

• 🎨 Official ownCloud Icon - Updated to use the official ownCloud SVG logo
• 🔐 Improved Credentials - Clarified that both regular passwords and app passwords work
• 📁 File/Folder Picker - Added live directory browsing with "From List" option for easier file selection
• 🔍 Search Operation - New search functionality to find files and folders by name across your ownCloud instance
• ⚡ Enhanced UX - Resource locator for path fields with validation

Improvements:

• Better path validation (must start with /)
• Searchable file picker for all file operations (except Create Folder)
• Case-insensitive file search with customizable search path

Version 1.0.0 (Initial Release)

Features:

• Complete WebDAV file operations (upload, download, delete, move, copy, list, create folder, get properties)
• Full OCS share management (create, delete, get, update shares)
• Support for public links, user shares, and group shares
• Share permissions and expiration dates
• Password-protected shares
• Comprehensive error handling
• Binary data support for file uploads and downloads

Made with ❤️ by Mindfield Biosystems Ltd