0-CodeKit

Overview

The 0-CodeKit node, when configured with the "Operator" resource and the "Expand URL" operation, is designed to take a shortened or redirected URL and return its expanded (final destination) form. This is useful in scenarios where you need to resolve shortened URLs (such as those from bit.ly, tinyurl, etc.) to their original targets for purposes like link analysis, security checks, or data enrichment.

Practical examples:

• Unmasking shortened links in marketing campaigns to analyze actual destinations.
• Expanding URLs before performing web scraping or validation.
• Checking the safety of a link by revealing its true endpoint.

Properties

Output

The output will be a JSON object containing the result of the URL expansion. While the exact structure depends on the API response, you can expect fields such as:

{
  "expandedUrl": "https://final-destination.com/page",
  // ...other possible metadata fields
}

If an error occurs and "Continue On Fail" is enabled, the output may include:

{
  "error": "Error message describing what went wrong"
}

Dependencies

• External Service: Requires access to the CodeKit API service.
• API Key: You must configure n8n credentials named codeKitApi for authentication.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

• Invalid URL: If the provided URL is malformed or not reachable, the node may throw an error or return an error message in the output.
• Missing Credentials: If the codeKitApi credential is not set up, the node will fail to authenticate.
• Service Downtime: If the CodeKit API is unavailable, requests will fail.

Common error messages:

• "Invalid URL": Ensure the input is a properly formatted URL.
• "Authentication failed": Check your codeKitApi credentials in n8n.
• "Network error" or "Request failed": Verify network connectivity and the availability of the external service.

Links and References

• n8n Documentation: Custom Nodes
• What is URL Expansion? (Wikipedia)
• CodeKit Node GitHub Repository (if available)