Actions88
- Container Actions
- Container List
- Container Create
- Container Inspect
- Container Top
- Container Logs
- Container Changes
- Container Export
- Container Stats
- Container Resize
- Container Start
- Container Stop
- Container Restart
- Container Kill
- Container Update
- Container Rename
- Container Pause
- Container Unpause
- Container Attach
- Container Attach Websocket
- Container Wait
- Container Delete
- Container Archive Info
- Container Archive
- Put Container Archive
- Container Prune
- Image Actions
- Network Actions
- Volume Actions
- Swarm Actions
- Node Actions
- Secret Actions
- System Actions
- Exec Actions
- Service Actions
- Task Actions
Overview
This node allows you to interact with Docker containers through the Portainer API. Specifically, the "Container Top" operation retrieves the list of processes running inside a specified Docker container. This is useful for monitoring and managing containerized applications by inspecting their active processes.
Common scenarios include:
- Debugging running containers by viewing their current processes.
- Monitoring resource usage or process status within containers.
- Automating container management workflows that require process-level insights.
For example, you might use this node to fetch the process list of a web server container to check if certain worker processes are running as expected.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| EndpointID Name or ID | The Portainer endpoint to access Docker. Choose from a list of available endpoints or specify an ID via expression. |
| Id | The ID or name of the Docker container whose processes you want to inspect. |
| Additional Fields | Optional extra parameters: |
| - Ps Args | Arguments to pass to the ps command inside the container (e.g., aux, -ef). Defaults to -ef. |
Output
The node outputs JSON data representing the processes running inside the specified container. The structure typically includes details such as process IDs, user, CPU/memory usage, command line, and other standard ps output fields.
If binary data were involved, it would be summarized here, but this node only returns JSON process information.
Dependencies
- Requires a valid connection to a Portainer API instance.
- Needs an API authentication token configured in n8n credentials to authorize requests.
- The node dynamically loads available Portainer endpoints to select the target environment.
Troubleshooting
- Invalid Endpoint or Container ID: Ensure the selected endpoint and container ID/name exist and are accessible via the Portainer API.
- Authentication Errors: Verify that the API key or token credential is correctly set up and has sufficient permissions.
- Empty or Unexpected Process List: Check that the container is running and that the
ps_argsparameter is appropriate for your use case. - Network Issues: Confirm that n8n can reach the Portainer API URL without firewall or network restrictions.