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CardDAV Node

Use a CardDAV Server

Actions2

Overview

The CardDAV Node integrates with a CardDAV server to manage address books and contacts. Specifically, the "Fetch Contacts" operation under the "Address Book" resource retrieves contact entries from a specified address book on the CardDAV server.

This node is useful when you want to automate synchronization or processing of contacts stored in a CardDAV-compatible address book service. For example, you can fetch all contacts from a particular address book to update a CRM system, send marketing emails, or perform data analysis.

Properties

Name Meaning
Select Address Book or Set URL Name or ID Choose the address book to fetch contacts from. You can select from a loaded list of address books or specify an address book by its URL or ID using expressions. This identifies which address book's contacts will be retrieved.
Options > Simplified Response Boolean option to return simplified contact information instead of full vCard (vcf) binary data. When enabled, the node returns major contact details in JSON format rather than raw vCard binaries.

Output

The output is a JSON array where each item represents a contact fetched from the selected address book.

  • If Simplified Response is disabled (default), the contact data is returned as vCard binary data, typically encoded or represented in a way suitable for further processing or storage.
  • If Simplified Response is enabled, the output contains major contact information fields extracted from the vCard, such as names, phone numbers, emails, etc., in a simplified JSON structure.

No binary output other than possible vCard data is indicated.

Dependencies

  • Requires access to a CardDAV server.
  • Needs an API authentication token or credentials configured in n8n to connect securely to the CardDAV server.
  • The node depends on internal methods and actions defined in the bundled source code (./actions and ./methods) to load address books and execute operations.

Troubleshooting

  • Common issues:

    • Failure to authenticate with the CardDAV server due to missing or incorrect credentials.
    • Specifying an invalid or inaccessible address book URL or ID.
    • Network connectivity problems preventing access to the CardDAV server.
  • Error messages:

    • "unknown resource: ..." — indicates an unsupported resource was specified; ensure "addressBook" is selected.
    • Errors related to fetching address books or contacts usually indicate credential or network issues; verify credentials and server availability.
  • Resolutions:

    • Confirm that the API key or authentication token is correctly set up in n8n credentials.
    • Use the node’s built-in address book loader to select valid address books.
    • Check network connectivity and CardDAV server status.

Links and References

Discussion