anymize n8n Node

A custom n8n node for integrating with anymize.ai's GDPR-compliant document anonymization service. This node allows you to anonymize and deanonymize text and files directly within your n8n workflows.

Overview

The anymize node provides two main functionalities:

• Anonymize: Automatically detect and anonymize personally identifiable information (PII) in text or documents
• Deanonymize: Restore original data from previously anonymized content using anymize's bidirectional anonymization technology

Features

• 🔒 GDPR-compliant anonymization with >95% detection rate
• 📄 Multi-format support: Text, PDF, Word, images, and more via OCR
• 🔄 Bidirectional anonymization: Safely restore original data when needed
• 🌍 Multi-language support: German, English, and other languages
• ⚡ Asynchronous processing: Handles large documents efficiently
• 🔗 Seamless n8n integration: Easy drag-and-drop workflow integration

Installation

Prerequisites

• n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud)
• anymize.ai API key (Get your API key)

Method 1: Manual Installation (Recommended for self-hosted n8n)

1. Clone or download this package to your n8n custom nodes directory:

   cd ~/.n8n/custom
   git clone <your-repository-url> anymize-node
   

2. Install dependencies (if any):

   cd anymize-node
   npm install
   

3. Restart n8n:

   n8n start
   

Method 2: Community Package Installation

Note: This method will be available once the package is published to npm.

1. Go to Settings → Community Nodes in your n8n interface
2. Search for n8n-nodes-anymize
3. Click Install

Configuration

1. Set up API Credentials

1. In your n8n workflow, add the anymize node
2. Click on Credential for anymize API
3. Create new credentials:
   • Name: anymize API (or any name you prefer)
   • API Key: Your anymize.ai API key

2. Basic Node Configuration

The anymize node offers two main resources:

Anonymize Resource

• Text Anonymization: Direct text input
• File Anonymization: Upload documents via binary data

Deanonymize Resource

• Text Deanonymization: Restore anonymized text to original content

Usage Examples

Example 1: Basic Text Anonymization

Workflow: Simple text anonymization for GDPR compliance

// Input text containing PII
'Dear Mr. John Smith, your appointment at 123 Main Street on 2024-01-15 is confirmed. Please call us at +49-123-456789.';

// Output (anonymized)
'Dear Mr. [[PER-a1b2c3]], your appointment at [[ADR-d4e5f6]] on [[DAT-g7h8i9]] is confirmed. Please call us at [[PHO-j0k1l2]].';

Node Configuration:

• Resource: Anonymize
• Operation: Text
• Text to Anonymize: {{ $json.message }}
• Language: en

Example 2: File Anonymization with OCR

Workflow: Process uploaded PDF invoices containing customer data

Setup:

1. HTTP Request node to receive file upload
2. anymize node for anonymization
3. Send response with anonymized content

Node Configuration:

• Resource: Anonymize
• Operation: File
• Binary Property Name: data (from HTTP Request node)

Example 3: Bidirectional Workflow

Workflow: Anonymize data for AI processing, then restore results

Setup:

1. anymize (Anonymize) →
2. HTTP Request (Send to ChatGPT/Claude) →
3. anymize (Deanonymize)

Anonymize Node:

• Resource: Anonymize
• Operation: Text
• Text to Anonymize: {{ $json.customerData }}

Deanonymize Node:

• Resource: Deanonymize
• Operation: Text
• Text to Deanonymize: {{ $json.aiResponse }}

Example 4: Bulk Document Processing

Workflow: Process multiple legal documents from Google Drive

graph LR
    A[Google Drive Trigger] --> B[For Each Document]
    B --> C[anymize: File Anonymization]
    C --> D[ChatGPT Analysis]
    D --> E[anymize: Deanonymize]
    E --> F[Save to Database]

Advanced Configuration

Custom System Prompts

When anonymizing text, the node automatically generates system prompts for LLM usage:

// Access the generated system prompt
{
	{
		$json.systemprompt;
	}
}

Language Support

Supported languages:

• de - German (default)
• en - English
• fr - French
• es - Spanish
• And more...

Best Practices

1. Security

• Store API keys securely using n8n's credential system

2. Workflow Design

// Good: Chain operations efficiently
Trigger → Anonymize → External API → Deanonymize → Store

// Avoid: Unnecessary intermediate steps
Trigger → Transform → Anonymize → Transform → API → Transform → Deanonymize → Store

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: "Authentication failed"
Solution: Verify your API key is correct

Issue: "File processing timeout"
Solution: Increase timeout settings or use smaller files

Issue: "Invalid binary data"
Solution: Ensure the binary property name matches your input node

Support

• API Documentation: https://explore.anymize.ai/api-docs
• n8n Community: n8n Community Forum

Example Workflows

Workflow 1: Customer Support Automation

{
	"name": "GDPR-Compliant Customer Support",
	"nodes": [
		{
			"name": "Webhook",
			"type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook"
		},
		{
			"name": "anymize",
			"type": "anymizeNode",
			"parameters": {
				"resource": "anonymize",
				"operation": "text",
				"textToAnonymize": "={{ $json.customerMessage }}"
			}
		},
		{
			"name": "OpenAI GPT",
			"type": "n8n-nodes-base.openAi"
		},
		{
			"name": "anymize",
			"type": "anymizeNode",
			"parameters": {
				"resource": "deanonymize",
				"operation": "text",
				"textToDeanonymize": "={{ $json.choices[0].message.content }}"
			}
		}
	]
}

Workflow 2: Legal Document Analysis

{
	"name": "Legal Document Anonymization",
	"nodes": [
		{
			"name": "Google Drive Trigger",
			"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive"
		},
		{
			"name": "anymize - File Anonymization",
			"type": "anymizeNode",
			"parameters": {
				"resource": "anonymize",
				"operation": "file",
				"binaryPropertyName": "data"
			}
		},
		{
			"name": "Claude AI Analysis",
			"type": "n8n-nodes-base.anthropic"
		},
		{
			"name": "anymize - Restore Results",
			"type": "anymizeNode",
			"parameters": {
				"resource": "deanonymize",
				"operation": "text",
				"textToDeanonymize": "={{ $json.content[0].text }}"
			}
		}
	]
}

Need Help?

For technical support or questions about this n8n node, please:

1. Check the API documentation
2. Review this README and examples