Overview
This node acts as a trigger for the HCSS HeavyJob system, specifically monitoring time card data. It periodically polls the HCSS Heavy Job API to detect new or updated time cards and emits this data as output. This is useful in scenarios where you want to automate workflows based on changes in employee time tracking, such as triggering notifications, updating payroll systems, or syncing with other HR tools.
Practical examples:
- Trigger an alert or notification when a new time card is created.
- Automatically update internal databases or dashboards when existing time cards are modified.
- Load sample data for testing or development purposes without connecting to live data.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Event | The type of event to trigger on. Options: "New Time Card" (trigger on new time cards), "Updated in Time Card" (trigger on updates to existing time cards). |
| Additional Fields | Optional extra settings. Currently supports: "Load Sample Data" (boolean) to load sample data from the system instead of live data. |
Output
The node outputs JSON arrays containing time card data objects retrieved from the HCSS Heavy Job API.
- For the New Time Card event, it outputs all new time card records as received from the API.
- For the Updated in Time Card event, it outputs time card records that have revisions greater than zero, each enriched with additional fields
time_card_id(original ID) and a uniqueidcombining the time card ID, revision number, and last modified timestamp to uniquely identify the update.
No binary data output is produced by this node.
Dependencies
- Requires access to the HCSS Heavy Job API.
- Needs an API authentication credential configured in n8n to connect securely to the HCSS service.
- The node uses a helper function (
hcssApiRequest) to make authenticated HTTP requests to the API. - Polling mode is enabled, so the node periodically checks for new or updated data.
Troubleshooting
- Authentication failed (403): Indicates invalid or insufficient API credentials or permissions. Verify the API key or token and ensure the user has access rights to the time card data.
- No results found in API response: Could mean there are no new or updated time cards since the last poll. This is not an error but indicates no new data to process.
- Unknown event type error: Happens if an unsupported event value is set. Ensure the "Event" property is correctly selected.
- Network or API errors will be logged and surfaced as node operation errors with descriptive messages.
Links and References
- HCSS Heavy Job API Documentation (example link; replace with actual if available)
- n8n documentation on Creating Custom Nodes