Overview
The YNAB Trigger node allows you to trigger workflows in n8n based on various events from the You Need A Budget (YNAB) API using polling. It is designed to monitor changes such as new or updated transactions, account balance changes, category balance changes, and scheduled transaction updates. This node is useful for automating financial workflows, such as syncing budget data with other systems, sending notifications on budget changes, or updating dashboards when transactions occur.
Practical examples include:
- Triggering a workflow when a new transaction is added to a specific account or category.
- Monitoring account balances and triggering alerts if balances change.
- Tracking scheduled transactions creation or updates to automate reminders or reports.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Event | The type of YNAB event to listen for. Options: - Transaction Added: New transaction created - Transaction Updated: Existing transaction changed - Account Balance Changed: Account balance delta - Category Balance Changed: Category balance delta - Scheduled Transaction Created: New scheduled transaction - Scheduled Transaction Updated: Scheduled transaction changed |
| Filters | Filters to narrow down which transactions trigger the event. Only shown for "Transaction Added" and "Transaction Updated" events. Includes: - Account Name or ID: Select or specify an account - Category Name or ID: Select or specify a category - Payee Name or ID: Select or specify a payee - Minimum Amount: Trigger only if absolute amount ≥ this value - Transaction Type: Filter by type ("All", "Uncategorized", "Unapproved") - Include Transfers: Whether to include transfer transactions (true/false) |
| Options | Additional options: - Whether Subtransactions Are Included: Include subtransactions for split transactions (true/false). Shown only for "Transaction Added" and "Transaction Updated". - Whether Deleted Are Included: Trigger also for deleted items (true/false) |
Output
The node outputs JSON objects representing the triggered YNAB entities depending on the selected event:
- For transaction events, each output item contains a transaction object with details such as id, amount (converted to currency units), event type ("added" or "updated"), and optionally subtransactions if enabled.
- For account balance changes, output includes account details with previous balance, balance change, current balance, cleared and uncleared balances.
- For category balance changes, output includes category details with previous balance, balance change, activity, and budgeted amounts.
- For scheduled transaction events, output includes scheduled transaction details with amount converted to currency units and event type ("created" or "updated").
If binary data were involved, it would be summarized here, but this node only outputs JSON data.
Dependencies
- Requires an API key credential for authenticating with the YNAB API.
- Needs the budget ID configured within the credentials.
- Uses the YNAB REST API v1 endpoint (
https://api.ynab.com/v1). - Requires n8n to support polling triggers.
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- Incorrect or missing API authentication will cause request failures.
- Using filters with invalid IDs or names may result in no triggers firing.
- Large numbers of processed IDs are trimmed to avoid memory bloat; unexpected behavior might occur if many events happen rapidly.
- If the node does not trigger, verify that polling is enabled and the workflow is active.
Error messages:
- Errors from the YNAB API (e.g., unauthorized, rate limits) will be logged. In manual mode, errors are thrown to alert the user.
- Network or connectivity issues can cause HTTP request failures.
Resolutions:
- Ensure valid API credentials and correct budget ID.
- Check filter values and adjust minimum amount or transaction types as needed.
- Monitor logs for detailed error messages.
- Use manual execution mode to debug errors interactively.