SSH V2

Execute commands via SSH

Actions3

Command Actions
- Execute
File Actions
- Download
- Upload

Overview

This node enables file upload operations over an SSH connection to a remote server. It is designed to securely transfer files from the n8n workflow environment to a specified directory on a remote machine using SSH protocols. The node supports two types of authentication: password-based and private key-based, and it can connect either via stored credentials or dynamic parameters provided at runtime.

Common scenarios where this node is beneficial include:

Automating deployment workflows by uploading build artifacts or configuration files to remote servers.
Integrating with legacy systems that only accept file inputs via SSH.
Securely transferring sensitive files without exposing them over less secure protocols.

For example, you might use this node to upload a generated report or image from your workflow directly into a user's home directory on a remote Linux server for further processing.

Properties

Name	Meaning
Connection Type	Choose how to provide SSH connection details: - Credentials: Use stored credentials configured in n8n. - Dynamic Parameters: Provide host, port, username, and authentication details dynamically per execution.
Authentication	Select the authentication method: - Password: Authenticate using a password. - Private Key: Authenticate using an SSH private key (optionally with a passphrase).
Host	The hostname or IP address of the SSH server (required if using Dynamic Parameters).
Port	The port number of the SSH server (default 22; required if using Dynamic Parameters).
Username	The username to authenticate as on the SSH server (required if using Dynamic Parameters).
Password	The password for authentication (required if using Dynamic Parameters and Password authentication).
Private Key	The private key string used for authentication (required if using Dynamic Parameters and Private Key authentication).
Passphrase	Optional passphrase for the private key (used only with Private Key authentication).
Input Binary Field	The name of the binary input field containing the file data to be uploaded. This must match the binary property name in the incoming item.
Target Directory	The remote directory path where the file will be uploaded. The filename is taken from the binary data's original filename unless overridden.
Options	Additional options for the upload operation: - File Name: Override the filename used when uploading the file.

Output

The node outputs JSON objects indicating the success or failure of each upload operation:

On successful upload, the output JSON contains:
```
{
  "success": true
}
```
If an error occurs during upload, the output JSON contains an error field with the error message:
```
{
  "error": "Error message describing what went wrong"
}
```

The output items are paired with their corresponding input items to maintain traceability.

No binary data is output by this node since its purpose is to send files to a remote server.

Dependencies

Requires an SSH server accessible from the n8n instance.
Needs either stored SSH credentials or dynamic SSH connection parameters including host, port, username, and authentication (password or private key).
Uses the node-ssh library internally to manage SSH connections and file transfers.
Temporary local files are created during upload using a temporary file utility and cleaned up after the operation.

Troubleshooting

Connection failures: Errors such as "SSH connection failed" usually indicate incorrect host, port, username, or authentication details. Verify credentials and network accessibility.
Permission denied: Ensure the user has write permissions to the target directory on the remote server.
Invalid path errors: Paths starting with ~ must be properly expanded; the node replaces ~/ with the actual home directory but does not support bare ~. Use full absolute paths or ~/ notation.
Missing binary data: The node expects binary data in the specified input binary field. If missing or incorrectly named, the upload will fail.
File name issues: If the file name is not correctly set in the binary data or overridden in options, the upload may fail or save under an unexpected name.

To resolve these issues, double-check all input parameters, ensure the SSH server is reachable, and verify file and directory permissions.