n8n-nodes-viahuman

This is an n8n community node that lets you add custom mobile approval gates or triggers to your n8n workflows using ViaHuman.

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.

ViaHuman is a mobile-first approval gateway that lets you add human-in-the-loop approvals to any automation workflow.

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Credentials
• Operations
• Usage Examples
• Compatibility
• Resources

Installation

Follow the installation guide in the n8n community nodes documentation.

Manual Installation

1. Go to Settings > Community Nodes
2. Select Install
3. Enter n8n-nodes-viahuman in Enter npm package name
4. Agree to the risks and click Install

After installation, restart n8n to see the ViaHuman node.

Using npm

npm install n8n-nodes-viahuman

Credentials

You need an ViaHuman API key to use this node:

1. Sign up at viahuman.xyz
2. Go to Dashboard → API Keys
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy the key (starts with vh_live_ or vh_test_)

In n8n:

1. Go to Credentials → New
2. Search for "ViaHuman API"
3. Paste your API key
4. Save

Operations

The ViaHuman node supports the following operations:

Create Approval

Create a new approval request and optionally wait for a response.

Parameters:

• Title (required): Title of the approval request
• Description: Detailed description
• Context: JSON object with additional data to display
• Input Type: Type of user input required
  • None (Simple approve/reject)
  • Text Input
  • Number Input
  • Select Options
  • Image Upload
• Actions: Comma-separated action buttons (e.g., approve,reject,edit)
• Timeout: How long to wait before timing out (in seconds)
• Wait for Response: Whether to pause workflow until user responds
• Polling Interval: How often to check for response (in seconds)

Input Type Configurations:

Text Input:

• Placeholder text
• Multiline (true/false)
• Max length
• Default value
• Required (true/false)

Number Input:

• Label
• Minimum value
• Maximum value
• Step increment
• Currency code
• Default value
• Required (true/false)

Select Options:

• Label
• Options (value, label, description)
• Required (true/false)

Image Upload:

• Required (true/false)

Get Approval

Get the current status of an approval request.

Parameters:

• Approval ID (required): The ID of the approval request

Cancel Approval

Cancel a pending approval request.

Parameters:

• Approval ID (required): The ID of the approval request

Usage Examples

Example 1: Simple Approve/Reject

Use Case: AI generates an email response, needs human approval before sending.

[Gmail Trigger: New Email]
    ↓
[OpenAI: Generate Response]
    ↓
[ViaHuman Node]
    - Title: "Review AI-generated email"
    - Description: "Customer inquiry about refund"
    - Input Type: None
    - Actions: approve,reject
    - Wait for Response: true
    ↓
[IF Node: Check approval.response_action]
    ↓ (if approved)
[Gmail: Send Reply]

Example 2: Text Input (Editable Content)

Use Case: AI generates social media post, user can edit before publishing.

[Schedule Trigger: Daily 9 AM]
    ↓
[RSS: Get Latest Blog Post]
    ↓
[OpenAI: Generate Social Post]
    ↓
[ViaHuman Node]
    - Title: "Review social media post"
    - Description: "Generated from blog article"
    - Input Type: Text Input
      - Placeholder: "Edit the post..."
      - Multiline: true
      - Max Length: 280
      - Default Value: {{ $json.generated_post }}
    - Actions: approve,edit,reject
    - Wait for Response: true
    ↓
[Twitter: Post Tweet]
    - Text: {{ $json.response_input || $json.generated_post }}

Example 3: Number Input (Budget Approval)

Use Case: AI analyzes customer request, suggests quote, needs approval.

[Webhook: New Quote Request]
    ↓
[OpenAI: Analyze Requirements]
    ↓
[Calculate Base Price]
    ↓
[ViaHuman Node]
    - Title: "Approve project quote"
    - Description: "Website redesign for {{ $json.customer }}"
    - Context: {
        "customer": "{{ $json.customer }}",
        "estimated_hours": "{{ $json.hours }}",
        "ai_recommendation": "{{ $json.recommended_price }}"
      }
    - Input Type: Number Input
      - Label: "Final quote amount"
      - Min: 5000
      - Max: 50000
      - Step: 500
      - Currency: USD
      - Default Value: {{ $json.recommended_price }}
    - Actions: approve,adjust,reject
    - Wait for Response: true
    ↓
[HubSpot: Create Quote]
    - Amount: {{ $json.response_input }}

Example 4: Select Options (Deployment Environment)

Use Case: Code passed tests, choose which environment to deploy to.

[GitHub Webhook: PR Merged]
    ↓
[Run Tests]
    ↓
[Build Docker Image]
    ↓
[ViaHuman Node]
    - Title: "Choose deployment environment"
    - Description: "PR #{{ $json.pr_number }} - {{ $json.pr_title }}"
    - Context: {
        "pr_number": "{{ $json.pr_number }}",
        "author": "{{ $json.author }}",
        "tests_passed": true
      }
    - Input Type: Select Options
      - Options:
        [
          { value: "staging", label: "Staging", description: "Test environment" },
          { value: "production", label: "Production", description: "Live site" },
          { value: "canary", label: "Canary", description: "10% traffic" }
        ]
    - Actions: deploy,skip
    - Wait for Response: true
    ↓
[Deploy to {{ $json.response_input }}]

Example 5: Image Upload

Use Case: Approve expense by uploading receipt photo.

[Webhook: Expense Claim]
    ↓
[ViaHuman Node]
    - Title: "Approve expense claim"
    - Description: "{{ $json.employee }} - {{ $json.category }}"
    - Context: {
        "employee": "{{ $json.employee }}",
        "amount": "{{ $json.amount }}",
        "category": "{{ $json.category }}"
      }
    - Input Type: Image Upload
      - Required: true
    - Actions: approve,reject
    - Wait for Response: true
    ↓
[QuickBooks: Create Expense]
    - Receipt URL: {{ $json.response_input }}

Response Data

When an approval is completed, the node returns:

{
  "id": "apr_xxxxxxxxxx",
  "status": "approved",
  "response_action": "approve",
  "response_input": "User's input (if any)",
  "response_comment": "Optional comment",
  "responded_at": "2024-12-13T12:34:56Z",
  "created_at": "2024-12-13T12:00:00Z",
  "expires_at": "2024-12-13T13:00:00Z",
  "title": "Review AI-generated email",
  "description": "Customer inquiry about refund",
  "context": { ... }
}

You can use this data in subsequent nodes:

• {{ $json.response_action }} - Which action was taken
• {{ $json.response_input }} - User's input (text, number, selection, or image URL)
• {{ $json.response_comment }} - Optional comment
• {{ $json.status }} - Final status (approved, rejected, timeout)

Tips & Best Practices

1. Set Appropriate Timeouts

// For quick decisions (email review)
timeout_seconds: 1800  // 30 minutes

// For budget approvals
timeout_seconds: 14400  // 4 hours

// For end-of-day reviews
timeout_seconds: 86400  // 24 hours

2. Provide Rich Context

Help users make informed decisions:

{
  "context": {
    "customer_email": "[email protected]",
    "customer_name": "John Smith",
    "order_value": "$1,250",
    "customer_since": "2023-01-15",
    "total_orders": 12,
    "ai_confidence": "85%"
  }
}

3. Use Meaningful Action Names

Instead of just approve,reject, use domain-specific actions:

// Lead qualification
actions: "book_demo,send_email,add_to_nurture,disqualify"

// Content review
actions: "publish,schedule,edit,reject"

// Deployment
actions: "deploy,rollback,skip"

4. Branch Based on Response

[ViaHuman Node]
    ↓
[IF Node]
  - If {{ $json.response_action }} === "approve"
    → [Path A: Approve workflow]
  - If {{ $json.response_action }} === "reject"
    → [Path B: Rejection workflow]
  - If {{ $json.response_action }} === "edit"
    → [Path C: Revision workflow]

5. Handle Timeouts

[ViaHuman Node]
    ↓
[IF Node]
  - If {{ $json.status }} === "timeout"
    → [Send Slack Alert]
    → [Assign to Manager]

Compatibility

Tested with:

• n8n version 1.0.0+
• Node.js 18.x+

Resources

• n8n community nodes documentation
• ViaHuman Documentation
• ViaHuman API Reference
• Example Workflows

Support

• GitHub Issues
• ViaHuman Support
• n8n Community Forum

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/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Made with ❤️ for the n8n viahuman