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Overview
This node integrates with the Portainer API to manage Docker environments and resources. Specifically, for the Container resource with the Get Many operation, it retrieves a list of Docker containers from a specified environment (endpoint) managed by Portainer. It can include both running and stopped containers based on user preference.
Common scenarios where this node is beneficial include:
- Automating container inventory retrieval across multiple Docker environments.
- Monitoring container states and metadata for reporting or alerting.
- Feeding container data into workflows for further processing, such as starting, stopping, or updating containers based on conditions.
Practical example:
- A DevOps engineer wants to get all containers, including stopped ones, from a specific Docker environment to audit usage and resource allocation. They configure this node with the environment ID and set "Include All" to true to retrieve the full list.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Environment ID | The ID of the Portainer environment/endpoint from which to retrieve containers. |
| Include All | Whether to include stopped containers in the listing. Options: true (include all), false (only running containers). |
Output
The node outputs an array of JSON objects representing Docker containers retrieved from the specified environment. Each object contains detailed information about a container, such as its ID, image, state, status, names, ports, and other Docker metadata as provided by the Portainer API.
No binary data output is involved in this operation.
Dependencies
- Requires access to a Portainer instance with API enabled.
- Needs an API key credential configured in n8n to authenticate requests to the Portainer API.
- The node uses the base URL and API key from the configured credentials to make HTTP GET requests to the endpoint
/endpoints/{environmentId}/docker/containers/json.
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- Invalid or missing Environment ID: The node will fail if the environment ID does not correspond to a valid Portainer endpoint.
- Authentication errors: If the API key is invalid or missing, the request will be rejected.
- Network connectivity problems between n8n and the Portainer server.
Error messages and resolutions:
- 401 Unauthorized: Check that the API key credential is correctly configured and has sufficient permissions.
- 404 Not Found: Verify that the environment ID exists in Portainer.
- Timeout or connection errors: Ensure network connectivity and that the Portainer API is accessible from n8n.
Links and References
- Portainer API Documentation - Containers
- Docker Remote API - List Containers (Portainer proxies Docker API calls)
- Portainer Official Website