Overview
The Google BigQuery IK node's "Record" resource with the "Query Job" operation allows you to execute custom SQL queries against a specified table in a Google BigQuery dataset. This is useful for retrieving, filtering, and aggregating data directly from BigQuery using SQL syntax within your n8n workflows.
Common scenarios:
- Fetching specific records or analytics from large datasets.
- Running ad-hoc analysis or reporting queries.
- Integrating BigQuery results into automated processes (e.g., sending query results via email, updating other systems).
Example use cases:
- Retrieve all users who signed up in the last 7 days.
- Aggregate sales data by region and output the summary.
- Join multiple tables to produce a custom report.
Properties
| Name | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | options | Selects the authentication method: OAuth2 (Recommended) or Service Account. |
| Project Name or ID | options | The Google Cloud project containing the dataset. Choose from list or specify an ID/expression. |
| Dataset Name or ID | options | The BigQuery dataset to query. Depends on selected project. |
| Table Name or ID | options | The BigQuery table to query. Depends on selected project and dataset. |
| Query | string | The SQL query to execute. You can write any valid BigQuery SQL here. |
| Simplify | boolean | If enabled, returns a simplified version of the response (just row data). If disabled, returns raw data. |
| Options → Location | string | (Optional) Specifies the geographic location for the query execution (default: EU). |
Output
If "Simplify" is enabled:
The output will be an array of JSON objects, each representing a row returned by your query. Each key corresponds to a column name, and the value is the cell content.[ { "column1": "value1", "column2": 123, ... }, ... ]If "Simplify" is disabled:
The output will contain the raw structure as returned by the BigQuery API, which may include metadata and nested fields.Error Handling:
If an error occurs and "Continue On Fail" is enabled, the output will include an object like:{ "error": "Error message here" }
Dependencies
- External Services:
- Requires access to Google BigQuery.
- Authentication:
- Either OAuth2 credentials or a Google Service Account key must be configured in n8n.
- n8n Configuration:
- Credentials for "Google BigQuery OAuth2 API" or "Google API" (Service Account) must be set up in n8n.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues:
- Invalid Credentials:
Errors related to authentication usually mean the OAuth2 or Service Account credentials are missing or misconfigured. - Permission Denied:
The service account or user does not have sufficient permissions on the specified project/dataset/table. - Malformed Query:
Syntax errors in the SQL query will result in error messages from BigQuery. - Resource Not Found:
Specified project, dataset, or table does not exist or is misspelled.
Error Messages:
"Request had insufficient authentication scopes": Check that your credentials have the correct scopes."Not found: Dataset ...": Verify the project and dataset IDs."Syntax error: ...": Review your SQL query for mistakes.