Opencell

Overview

The Customer Hierarchy: Create or Update operation in the Opencell n8n node allows you to create or update a customer hierarchy structure within the Opencell system. This is useful for managing complex customer relationships, such as organizations with multiple branches, departments, or account types (e.g., Seller, Customer, User Account). The node collects detailed information about the customer, including contact details, address, payment method, and custom fields, then sends this data to Opencell's API to either create a new record or update an existing one.

Common scenarios:

• Onboarding a new customer organization with nested accounts.
• Updating customer information when their structure or details change.
• Automating CRM data synchronization between systems.

Practical example:
A business wants to automate the creation of both a parent company (Seller) and its subsidiary (Customer) in Opencell, including all relevant billing, contact, and custom field information, whenever a new client signs up via a web form.

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Properties

Name	Type	Meaning
Authentication	options	Selects the authentication method for connecting to Opencell (Basic Authentication or OAuth2).
Account Type	options	Specifies the type of account hierarchy to create/update (e.g., Seller, Cust 2 UA, S and C, Customer). Determines the structure and entities involved.
Parent Code Name or ID	options	Identifies the parent entity in the hierarchy. Depending on account type, this may refer to a Seller or another Customer.
Customer Account Code	string	Unique code identifying the customer account. Required for creation or update.
Name	collection	Customer's name details, including title, first name, and last name.
Address	collection	Customer's address details: street address, zip code, city, and country.
Contact Information	collection	Contact details such as email, phone, fax, mobile, and a nested contact address. Required for communication and notifications.
Email	string	Primary email address for the customer. Required for correspondence.
Language Name or ID	options	Preferred language for the customer. Used for communications and localization.
Country Name or ID	options	Country associated with the customer, used for localization and compliance.
Payment Method	options	Specifies how the customer will pay (e.g., Cash, Check, Credit Card, PayPal, etc.).
Customer Category Name or ID	options	Categorizes the customer for reporting or segmentation purposes.
Currency Name or ID	options	Currency used for transactions with this customer.
Additional Fields	collection	Optional extra fields for advanced configuration, such as bank details, billing cycle, status, thresholds, invoicing preferences, and more.
Custom Fields	fixedCollection	Allows adding custom fields defined in Opencell for further extensibility. Supports various data types (string, number, date, boolean, list, etc.).

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Output

• The node returns the response from the Opencell API as a JSON object in the json field.
• The structure of the output depends on the Opencell API's response to the createOrUpdateCRMAccountHierarchy endpoint. Typically, it includes:
  • Status of the operation (success/failure)
  • Details of the created or updated customer hierarchy
  • Any error messages or validation issues if present

Example output:

{
  "json": {
    "status": "SUCCESS",
    "message": "Customer hierarchy created/updated successfully.",
    "customerAccount": {
      "code": "CUST123",
      "name": {
        "firstName": "John",
        "lastName": "Doe"
      },
      // ... other returned fields
    }
  }
}

• If the operation fails and "Continue On Fail" is enabled, the output will include an error field with the error message.

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Dependencies

• External Service: Requires access to an Opencell instance with the REST API enabled.
• Authentication: Needs valid credentials for either Basic Authentication or OAuth2, configured in n8n credentials.
• n8n Configuration: Node must be properly set up with the required credentials and any referenced load options (for dynamic dropdowns).

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

• Missing Required Fields: If mandatory properties (like Customer Account Code, Name, Address, etc.) are not provided, the API will reject the request.
• Invalid Parent Code: Providing an incorrect or non-existent parent code will result in a failure to establish the hierarchy.
• Authentication Errors: Invalid credentials or expired OAuth tokens will cause authentication failures.
• Custom Field Errors: If custom fields are misconfigured or do not exist in Opencell, the API may return errors.

Error Messages:

• "Username/password error. Error code : XXX": Check your credentials.
• "Host error. Error code : XXX": Verify the Opencell server URL and network connectivity.
• "There are no custom fields defined for this resource": Ensure custom fields are set up in Opencell for the selected resource.
• "Unable to get custom fields. Server response: ...": Review the Opencell server's custom field configuration.

Resolution Steps:

• Double-check all required input fields.
• Validate that referenced codes (parent, category, currency, etc.) exist in Opencell.
• Test credentials in the n8n credential editor.
• Consult Opencell logs for more detailed error diagnostics.

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Links and References

• Opencell Documentation
• n8n Expressions Guide
• n8n Custom Nodes
• Opencell API Reference (if available)

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