Publish your Apify Actor as an n8n node

You've built an Apify Actor that solves real problems. You know that the distribution and marketing of your software is equally as important, but right now, it's only discoverable within the Apify ecosystem. What if you could automatically promote it to another community of 500,000 automation builders?

This guide will teach you how to convert your Actor into an n8n node, test it locally, publish it to npm, and promote it to maximize reach. We’ve built a CLI tool to make this conversion simple and under 60 minutes, without any prior knowledge of n8n node rules and publishing processes.

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Why n8n?

n8n is an open-source workflow automation platform with an ecosystem of over 1,000 different services and APIs. Think of it as a more technical and flexible alternative to Zapier. Developers and technical teams use n8n to build sophisticated automation workflows without writing custom integration code.

Key facts about n8n:

500K+ active users building automations across marketing, sales, operations, and data pipelines
Open-source and self-hosted, making it popular with privacy-conscious teams and enterprises
Extensible through community nodes, allowing developers like you to publish custom integrations
Strong developer community that actively searches for new nodes to solve specific automation challenges

Why Actors work perfectly as n8n nodes

Apify Actors are serverless cloud programs that perform specific automation tasks: web scraping, data extraction, API integrations, and more. Their architecture makes them ideal candidates for n8n integration:

Well-defined input schemas convert directly to n8n parameters
On-demand API execution matches exactly how n8n nodes work
Structured data output flows seamlessly into workflows
All complex logic stays on Apify - your node just triggers it

By converting your Actor into an n8n node, you're creating a bridge between two automation ecosystems without duplicating any work. Your Actor stays on the Apify platform, runs on Apify infrastructure, and users still consume Apify compute credits - but now they discover and use it more easily through n8n's interface.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

Node.js installed on your machine
An existing Apify Actor with a working input schema
An npm account for publishing
Basic command-line familiarity

How to publish your Actor as an n8n node

1. Clone the template repository

Start by cloning or using the n8n-nodes-apify-template repository:

git clone https://github.com/apify/n8n-nodes-apify-template.git
cd n8n-nodes-apify-template
npm install

This template includes everything you need to generate an n8n node from your Actor.

2. Generate your node

Run the node generator command and enter your Actor ID when prompted:

npm run create-actor-app

The CLI will prompt you for your Actor ID. You can find this in Apify Console on your Actor's page (a unique identifier like abc123XYZ).

The generator will:

Fetch your Actor's input schema from the Apify platform
Generate the necessary n8n node files
Create a basic configuration based on your Actor's metadata (it also uses the Actor logo as a default icon for the n8n node)

Review the generated files in the output directory to ensure everything looks correct.

3. Customize your node

The generated node works out of the box, but you'll want to polish it for a better user experience.

Update node metadata:

Edit the node title to be clear and descriptive
Write a helpful description that explains what your Actor does
Update the icon/logo to match your Actor's branding

Improve descriptions:

Add helpful tooltips for input fields
Include example values where appropriate
Make sure the node name follows n8n's naming conventions

You can find the most relevant parts of the code that you will likely be modifying, by running a repo-wide search for a SNIPPET keyword in the comments.

For AI assisted modification of the node, we’ve also included an AGENTS.md file in the repo which you can use with your favourite coding agent.

node configuration code snippet from the IDE

4. Test locally

Before publishing, test your node in a local n8n instance:

npm run dev

This starts n8n locally with hot reloading enabled. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5678.

Testing checklist:

Create a test workflow using your node
Run it with sample inputs from your Actor
Verify the output matches what you expect

n8n interface showing the custom node in action

5. Publish to npm

Once you're satisfied with your node, prepare it for publication:

Update package.json:

Set a unique package name (e.g., n8n-nodes-your-actor-name)
Add your details as the author
Write a clear description
Set the version to 1.0.0

Polish your README:

Explain what the node does
Include installation instructions
Add usage examples
Link to your Actor in Apify Store

Publish:

npm publish

Verify your package appears on your npm profile.

6. Promote your node

Publishing is just the start. To maximize reach, promote your node across multiple channels:

Update your Actor README:

Add a section about your n8n node to your Actor's README on the Apify platform. This helps Apify users discover the n8n integration.

Announce in the n8n community forum:

Create a launch post in the n8n community forum that includes:

What problem your node solves and which use cases it serves
A sample workflow demonstrating your node in action (screenshots or workflow JSON)
How it compares to manual setup with the generic Apify node
Installation instructions and documentation links

Notify the Apify integrations team:

Email integrations@apify.com to let the Apify team know about your new node. We’ll consider amplifying your launch through social media posts and other communication channels.

Share on your own channels:

Twitter/X: Post a short demo video or before/after comparison
LinkedIn: Write about why you built the node and what you learned
GitHub: Pin the repository and add it to your profile README
YouTube/Loom: Create a 3-5 minute walkthrough video

Support and resources

Need help? The Apify integrations team is here to support you:

Discord: Reach out to the Apify Integrations team on Apify Discord
Email: Contact integrations@apify.com
GitHub: Open issues in the template repository for technical problems
n8n Community: Join the n8n forum to connect with other node creators

Useful links:

Conclusion

In under 60 minutes, you can extend your Actor's reach from the Apify ecosystem to n8n's 500,000+ automation builders. The process is straightforward: clone the template, generate your node, test it locally, publish to npm, and promote it.

Your Actor handles the heavy lifting. Your n8n node just makes it accessible to a whole new audience.

Ready to get started? Clone the n8n Actor node template and follow the guide to publish your first node today.