💥 Early Access: How to Install and Use the Official Pickaxe Node for n8n

[artsiom]

Hello, everyone!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new n8n integration for Pickaxe! This custom node allows you to seamlessly connect the power of Pickaxe directly into your n8n workflows, automating everything from user management to interacting with your custom Pickaxes.

While we are in the process of getting our integration officially listed in the n8n community nodes library, you can get started right away with this early access guide.

This post will walk you through the two main steps:

1. Installing the Node in your n8n instance (Cloud or self-hosted).
2. Configuring Your Credentials using our secure OAuth2 connection.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• An active n8n instance.
• A Pickaxe account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up here.

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Step 1: Installing the Node

The node is packaged on npm under the name n8n-nodes-pickaxe . The installation method depends on how you host n8n.

For n8n Cloud Users

This is the most straightforward method.

1. From your n8n dashboard, go to Settings > Community Nodes.
2. Click the Install button.
3. In the search box, type n8n-nodes-pickaxe.
4. Click the Install button next to the node. The node will be installed automatically without any restarts.

For Self-Hosted Users (Docker)

If you are running n8n via Docker or Docker Compose, you need to add an environment variable to tell n8n to install the package.

1. Stop your n8n Docker container.

2. Add the following environment variable to your docker run command or docker-compose.yml file:

   - NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL=n8n-nodes-pickaxe
   

3. Example for docker-compose.yml:

   services:
     n8n:
       image: n8nio/n8n
       # ... other settings
       environment:
         - NODE_FUNCTION_ALLOW_EXTERNAL=[n8n-nodes-pickaxe]
       # ... other settings
   

4. Restart your n8n container. n8n will automatically download and install the package on startup.

For Self-Hosted Users (npm)

If you manage your n8n instance directly with npm:

1. Stop your n8n instance.

2. Navigate to your n8n user data folder (typically ~/.n8n/).

3. Run the following command:

   npm install n8n-nodes-pickaxe
   

4. Restart your n8n instance.

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Step 2: Configuring Your Pickaxe Credentials

Our node uses OAuth2 for a secure and easy connection, so you never have to manually handle API keys. However, for this secure connection to work, you need to provide us with a unique URL generated by your n8n instance.

This is a critical one-time setup step.

1. In your n8n instance, go to the Credentials tab.

2. Click Create Credential.

3. Search for “Pickaxe” and select the Pickaxe OAuth2 API credential.

   

4. In the credential configuration window, you will see a unique OAuth Redirect URL. It will look something like this: https://your-n8n-instance.com/rest/oauth2-credential/callback.

   Important Action Required:
   You must copy this OAuth Redirect URL and send it to our team. This is a security requirement to ensure that only your n8n instance can be authorized to access your Pickaxe account.

   Please email your URL to artsiom@pickaxeproject.com with the subject “n8n OAuth URL Registration”.

   Our team will add your URL to our application’s allowlist and notify you once it’s done.

5. Once you receive confirmation from our team, return to this credential screen in n8n and click the Connect my account button.

6. You will be taken to a Pickaxe authorization screen. Log in and approve the connection.

7. Save the credential, and you’re all set!

What’s Next?

You’re ready to build! Add the Pickaxe node to any workflow to start automating. You can use actions like “Create User,” “Get Document,” or “Call Pickaxe” to integrate AI into your business logic.

We are working diligently to get our node approved and listed on the official n8n community nodes list, which will make the installation process even simpler.

We’d love to hear your feedback! If you have any questions or run into any issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Happy automating!

[drkitesurf]

Will the n8n now be better integrated through webhooks or MCP server (free options for LTD accounts) or this is another exclusive benefit for the pro users through APi’s only? I am looking for a cheaper way to use the n8n than the (too expensive) pro account..

[danny_support]

Hi @drkitesurf ,

The feature outlined in this post is only available for Pro users. However, users on all plan levels can still integrate Pickaxe with n8n using either a webhook or an MCP connection.