Bento n8n Community Node

[!TIP]
Need help? Join our Discord or email jesse@bentonow.com for personalized support.

The Bento n8n Community Node makes it quick and easy to integrate Bento's powerful email marketing and automation platform directly into your n8n workflows. Send transactional emails, track events, manage subscribers, and execute advanced subscriber commands - all without leaving your automation environment.

Get started with our 📚 integration guides, or 📘 browse the API reference.

Table of contents

• Features
• Requirements
• Getting started
  • Installation
  • Configuration
• Operations
• Things to Know
• Contributing
• License

Features

• Subscriber Management: Create, update, and retrieve subscriber information with custom fields and tags
• Event Tracking: Track custom events and user behavior for advanced segmentation and automation
• Transactional Emails: Send personalized transactional emails with HTML/text content and template variables
• Subscriber Commands: Execute powerful commands like adding/removing tags, managing fields, and subscription status
• Email Validation: Validate email addresses for spam/throwaway detection using Bento's validation service
• Utility Tools: Run blacklist checks and content moderation via Bento's experimental services
• Analytics Insights: Retrieve site-wide and segment-level performance metrics without leaving n8n
• Broadcast Management: List pending broadcasts and queue sends with safety checks
• Security First: Built-in input validation, HTML sanitization, and secure error handling
• Rate Limiting: Intelligent retry logic with exponential backoff for reliable API communication

Requirements

• n8n version 0.198.0 or higher
• Node.js 20.15 or higher
• Bento account with API credentials

Getting started

Installation

Option 1: Install via npm (Self-hosted)

If you're running n8n locally or in a self-hosted environment:

# Navigate to your n8n installation directory
cd ~/.n8n

# Install the Bento community node
npm install bento-n8n-sdk

# make sure you symlink the node to the n8n installation directory
ln -s {Path to bento node install}/bento-n8n-sdk {n8n installation directory}/custom/nodes/bento-n8n-sdk

# Restart n8n
n8n start

Option 2: Docker Installation (Recommended)

For Docker installations we suggest to download the node from github and mountain it as a volume in the container, this typically eliminates install issues inside the container. You can also npm install the pckage and then mount that location in the container as well.

Here is an example docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - '5678:5678'
    volumes:
      - ./n8n:/home/node/.n8n
    environment:
      - N8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS=/home/node/.n8n/custom/nodes
      - N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5678
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Asia/Tokyo
    entrypoint: ['/bin/sh', '-c']
    command: |
      "set -e
       cd /home/node/.n8n
       mkdir -p custom/nodes
       npm install bento-n8n-sdk
       ln -sfn /home/node/.n8n/node_modules/bento-n8n-sdk /home/node/.n8n/custom/nodes/bento-n8n-sdk
       exec n8n start"

Configuration

After installation, you'll need to set up your Bento API credentials:

1. Get your Bento API credentials:

   • Log into your Bento dashboard
   • Navigate to API Keys
   • Copy your Publishable Key, Secret Key, and Site UUID

2. Configure credentials in n8n:

   • In your n8n workflow, add a Bento node
   • Click on the Credential for Bento API dropdown
   • Select Create New Credential
   • Fill in your credentials:
     • Publishable Key: Your Bento publishable key (used for client-side operations)
     • Secret Key: Your Bento secret key (used for server-side operations - keep secure)
     • Site UUID: Your Bento site UUID (identifies your specific Bento site)
   • Click Save and Test to verify the connection

Security Note:
Your Secret Key is sensitive information. n8n automatically encrypts and securely stores your credentials. Never share your secret key or include it in version control.

Operations

The Bento node supports the following operations:

Create Subscriber

Add a new subscriber to your Bento audience with email and profile data.

Required Parameters:

• Email: The subscriber's email address

Optional Parameters:

• First Name: Subscriber's first name for personalization
• Last Name: Subscriber's last name for personalization
• Custom Fields: Additional key-value pairs to store with the subscriber

Example Use Cases:

• Add new users from form submissions
• Import subscribers from external databases
• Create subscribers from webhook data

Get Subscriber

Retrieve detailed information about an existing subscriber by email.

Required Parameters:

• Email: The subscriber's email address

Returns:

• Complete subscriber profile including custom fields, tags, and subscription status

Example Use Cases:

• Look up subscriber information before sending personalized content
• Verify subscriber existence in conditional workflows
• Retrieve custom field data for personalization

Update Subscriber

Modify subscriber profile information and custom attributes.

Required Parameters:

• Email: The subscriber's email address

Optional Parameters:

• First Name: Updated first name
• Last Name: Updated last name
• Custom Fields: Updated or new custom field values

Example Use Cases:

• Update subscriber information from CRM changes
• Add new custom fields based on user behavior
• Sync subscriber data across platforms

Track Event

Record custom events and behaviors for subscriber segmentation and automation.

Required Parameters:

• User ID: Unique identifier for the user (typically email address)
• Event Name: Name of the custom event (e.g., "purchase_completed", "page_viewed")

Optional Parameters:

• Event Properties: Additional key-value pairs with event data

Example Use Cases:

• Track purchase events with order details
• Record page views and user interactions
• Monitor feature usage and engagement
• Trigger automation based on user behavior

Send Transactional Email

Send personalized transactional emails using HTML or text content.

Required Parameters:

• Recipient Email: Email address of the recipient
• From Email: Sender email address
• Subject: Email subject line
• Email Type: Choose between HTML or Text format

Content Parameters:

• HTML Body: HTML content (when Email Type is HTML)
• Text Body: Plain text content (when Email Type is Text)

Optional Parameters:

• Transactional: Mark as transactional email this ignores if the user has unsubscribed. USE WITH CAUTION!
• Personalizations: Template variables for dynamic content using liquid tags.

Example Use Cases:

• Send password reset emails
• Deliver order confirmations
• Send welcome emails to new users
• Notify users of account changes

Subscriber Command

Execute commands on subscribers to manage tags, fields, and subscription status.

Required Parameters:

• Email: The subscriber's email address
• Command: The action to perform

Available Commands:

• Add Tag: Add a tag to the subscriber
• Remove Tag: Remove a tag from the subscriber
• Add Tag via Event: Add a tag through event tracking
• Add Field: Add or update a custom field
• Remove Field: Remove a custom field
• Subscribe: Subscribe the email address
• Unsubscribe: Unsubscribe the email address
• Change Email: Update the subscriber's email address

Example Use Cases:

• Segment subscribers with tags based on behavior
• Manage subscription preferences
• Update subscriber data programmatically
• Handle unsubscribe requests

Validate Email

Validate email addresses for spam/throwaway detection using Bento's validation service.

Required Parameters:

• Email: The email address to validate

Optional Parameters:

• Name: Associated name (improves validation accuracy)
• IP Address: Associated IP address (improves validation accuracy)

Returns:

• Validation results including deliverability score and risk assessment

Example Use Cases:

• Filter out invalid emails before adding subscribers
• Prevent spam signups
• Improve email deliverability rates
• Validate email quality in real-time

Blacklist Check

Evaluate whether an email address appears on Bento's blacklist service.

Required Parameters:

• Email: The email address to evaluate

Optional Parameters:

• First Name / Last Name: Supplementary profile data to improve match confidence
• IP Address: Associated IP address for additional scoring context

Returns:

• Blacklist verdict along with match confidence and reason codes

Example Use Cases:

• Prevent sending to high-risk or known abusive addresses
• Screen manual imports before adding to automations
• Review lead sources for potential fraud signals

Content Moderation

Submit freeform text to Bento's moderation service for policy evaluation.

Required Parameters:

• Content: The text body you want to review

Optional Parameters:

• Metadata: Key/value descriptors such as source, campaign, or language

Returns:

• Moderation verdicts, confidence scores, and flagged categories

Example Use Cases:

• Review user-generated content before publishing or emailing
• Flag risky support tickets for manual review
• Audit campaign content for compliance keywords

Gender Guess

Predict the likely gender associated with a subscriber using Bento's experimental classifier.

Required Parameters:

• At least one of Email, First Name, or Last Name

Optional Parameters:

• Provide combinations of email and names to increase prediction accuracy

Returns:

• Predicted gender label along with confidence scores

Example Use Cases:

• Tailor messaging tone dynamically
• Enrich CRM profiles with probabilistic attributes
• Flag low-confidence guesses for manual review

Geolocation Lookup

Retrieve geolocation metadata for a subscriber's IP address.

Required Parameters:

• IP Address: The address to evaluate

Optional Parameters:

• User Agent: Provide a user agent string for additional look-up context

Returns:

• Location details (country, region, city) plus related metadata

Example Use Cases:

• Enrich analytics dashboards with regional context
• Detect mismatched login locations for security checks
• Personalize offers based on detected location

Site Metrics

Pull site-wide performance metrics across a configurable date range.

Required Parameters:

• Date Range: Choose from Last 7 Days, Last 30 Days, or a custom window

Optional Parameters:

• Start/End Date: Only when using the Custom range
• Include Inactive Subscribers: Toggle to include unsubscribed or inactive contacts

Returns:

• Aggregated totals for subscriber counts and engagement data

Example Use Cases:

• Monitor high-level list growth week over week
• Compare subscriber activity across monthly windows
• Share snapshot summaries with stakeholders

Segment Metrics

Measure engagement for a specific Bento segment.

Required Parameters:

• Segment ID: Identifier of the segment to analyze
• Date Range: Choose a preset or custom window

Optional Parameters:

• Start/End Date: Only required when using a custom range

Returns:

• Subscriber counts and engagement totals (opens, clicks, unsubscribes) scoped to the segment

Example Use Cases:

• Evaluate segment performance before launching automation
• Compare engagement across high-value cohorts
• Spot drop-offs in segment engagement over time

Report Metrics

Collect high-level reports for broadcasts, automations, or revenue.

Required Parameters:

• Report Type: Select Broadcast, Automation, or Revenue
• Broadcast/Automation ID: Required when the corresponding type is selected
• Date Range: Choose from presets or supply a custom window

Returns:

• Aggregated metrics such as sends, opens, clicks, conversions, and revenue (when available)

Example Use Cases:

• Summarize broadcast performance for stakeholders
• Track automation effectiveness over specific windows
• Monitor revenue generated from email activity

List Broadcasts

Retrieve Bento broadcasts with optional filtering.

Optional Parameters:

• Status: Limit results to drafts, scheduled, sending, sent, or archived broadcasts
• Created After: Only return broadcasts created after a specific date
• Tag IDs: Filter broadcasts linked to particular tags

Returns:

• Broadcast objects along with a summary that includes total items and scheduled count

Example Use Cases:

• Review scheduled broadcasts before deploying
• Audit campaigns tied to certain tags
• Build dashboards of historical broadcast activity

Send Broadcast

Queue a draft broadcast for immediate or scheduled delivery.

[!WARNING]
This action requires enabling Confirm Send to avoid accidental sends. Failing to confirm will block execution.

Required Parameters:

• Broadcast ID: Identifier of the draft broadcast
• Audience: All subscribers, a segment, or specific tags
• Send Timing: Immediate or scheduled

Optional Parameters:

• Subject Override: Replace the stored subject line
• Segment/Tag IDs: Provide when targeting a subset
• Scheduled Send Time: Required when using scheduled timing

Returns:

• API response payload including any partial failure errors surfaced by Bento

Example Use Cases:

• Schedule a broadcast directly from an automation workflow
• Target broadcasts to high-value segments or tagged cohorts
• Trigger emergency messages while enforcing a confirmation gate

Things to Know

Security & Validation

1. Input Validation: All inputs are validated for length, format, and security
2. HTML Sanitization: HTML content is automatically sanitized to prevent XSS attacks
3. Email Validation: Email addresses are validated using RFC-compliant regex patterns
4. Secure Error Handling: Error messages don't expose sensitive information

Rate Limiting & Reliability

1. Automatic Retries: Failed requests are automatically retried with exponential backoff
2. Rate Limiting: Built-in rate limiting prevents API quota exhaustion
3. Concurrent Requests: Intelligent management of concurrent API requests
4. Timeout Handling: Configurable timeouts prevent hanging requests

Best Practices

1. Credential Security: Always use n8n's credential system - never hardcode API keys
2. Error Handling: Use n8n's "Continue on Fail" option for robust workflows
3. Batch Operations: For large datasets, consider using multiple smaller batches
4. Testing: Always test your workflows in a development environment first

API Endpoints Used

The node uses the following Bento API endpoints:

• POST /api/v1/batch/events - For creating subscribers and tracking events
• GET /api/v1/fetch/subscribers - For retrieving subscriber information
• POST /api/v1/batch/subscribers - For updating subscriber information
• POST /api/v1/batch/emails - For sending transactional emails
• POST /api/v1/fetch/commands - For executing subscriber commands
• POST /api/v1/experimental/validation - For email validation

Limitations

1. Payload Size: Maximum request payload size is 1MB
2. Concurrent Requests: Limited to 5 concurrent requests per node instance
3. HTML Content: Dangerous HTML elements are automatically removed for security
4. Field Limits: Custom field keys are limited to 50 characters, values to 500 characters

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

1. Authentication Failed: Verify your API credentials are correct and active
2. Invalid Email Format: Ensure email addresses follow RFC standards
3. Rate Limited: Reduce request frequency or implement delays between operations
4. HTML Validation Failed: Check for dangerous HTML elements in email content

Getting Help:

• Check the Bento API Documentation
• Join our Discord community
• Email support: jesse@bentonow.com

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our contributing guidelines for details on how to submit pull requests, report issues, and suggest improvements.

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/bentonow/bento-n8n-sdk.git
   cd bento-n8n-sdk
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

4. Run linting:

   npm run lint
   

5. Link for local testing:

   npm link
   cd ~/.n8n
   npm link bento-n8n-sdk
   

License

The Bento n8n Community Node is available as open source under the terms of the MIT License.