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Getting Started with n8n

OpenBox integrates with n8n through n8n-nodes-openbox-hook, a community node that wraps n8n's AI Agent node with governance. Your Chat Model, Memory, and Tool connections stay in place while OpenBox adds policy evaluation, approvals, guardrails, and operational telemetry.

One Node Change​

workflow.json (node excerpt)
{
  "type": "n8n-nodes-openbox-hook.openBoxAgent",
  "typeVersion": 1,
  "parameters": {
    "promptType": "auto",
    "options": {}
  },
  "credentials": {
    "openBoxApi": {
      "id": "1",
      "name": "OpenBox API"
    }
  }
}

Everything downstream — the Chat Model, Memory, and Tool sub-nodes, and whatever consumes the agent's output — is untouched.

Newly created OpenBox agents require DID signing by default. If Require signing is disabled for the agent, leave the credential's Agent DID and Agent Private Key fields blank. See Agent DID and Agent Private Key for the required credential fields.

Choose Your Path​

n8n 101​

Get the n8n concepts that matter for OpenBox before you wire governance into a real workflow.

Wrap an Existing Agent​

Add OpenBox to an existing n8n AI Agent node without rewriting your model, tools, or prompts.

What OpenBox Captures​

From a single node, OpenBox captures:

  • Agent run lifecycle events for each node execution
  • Model call lifecycle events, including token metadata when the provider returns it
  • Tool call lifecycle events for every connected Tool sub-node that executes
  • User prompt signals for auditability
  • HTTP and database telemetry for outbound calls made during the run
  • Governance decisions, approvals, and guardrail outcomes

What To Expect In The UI​

After integration, OpenBox gives you:

  • A run timeline for the agent, model, and tool events behind each node execution
  • Policy and guardrail decisions on governed boundaries
  • _openbox metadata (workflow ID, run ID, tool call count, iterations) on the node's output JSON
  • Model and token usage when the connected Chat Model returns provider metadata
  • Tool health metrics for agents that actually execute tools

Next Steps​

  1. Read n8n 101 if you want the conceptual model first.
  2. Use Wrap an Existing Agent if you already have an AI Agent node in production.
  3. Read n8n Node Reference for the full reference.