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Run your node locally#

You can test your node as you build it by running it in a local n8n instance.

  1. Install n8n using npm: 
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    npm install n8n -g
  2. When you are ready to test your node, publish it locally: 
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    # In your node directory
npm run build
npm link

  3. Install the node into your local n8n instance: 

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    # In the directory where you installed n8n
# node-package-name is the name from the package.json
npm link <node-package-name>

    Check your directory

    Make sure you run npm link <node-name> in the main directory where you installed n8n. This is probably in the node_modules directory within your Node.js installation, if you installed n8n globally.

  4. Start n8n: 

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    n8n start

  5. Open n8n in your browser. You should see your nodes when you search for them in the nodes panel.

    Node names

    Make sure you search using the node name, not the package name. For example, if your npm package name is n8n-nodes-weather-nodes, and the package contains nodes named rain, sun, snow, you should search for rain, not weather-nodes.