AWS S3 n8n INTEGRATION: AUTOMATE AWS S3 WITH N8N

This action creates a new S3 bucket directly from your n8n workflow, enabling you to dynamically provision storage space as your automation requires. It's particularly valuable for scenarios where you need to set up isolated storage environments on-the-fly—think client onboarding, project initialization, or environment setup.

Key parameters: The action requires configuration of various parameters to successfully create a bucket. The Credential to connect with dropdown menu allows users to select their AWS IAM account credentials (required for authentication). The Name parameter accepts a text input for the bucket name being created (required and must follow S3 naming conventions). The Additional Fields section allows users to add optional configurations like region settings, versioning preferences, or encryption options.

Use cases: Automatically create a dedicated storage bucket when a new client signs a contract in your HubSpot CRM. Set up project-specific buckets when tasks are created in project management tools. Provision isolated backup locations for different departments or teams.

When to use it: Whenever your workflow logic requires new, isolated storage space rather than adding files to existing buckets.

The Copy a file action duplicates an existing file from one location to another within your AWS S3 environment. This is essential for creating backups, distributing files across different bucket structures, or preparing files for different processing pipelines without affecting the original.

Key parameters: The configuration consists of Credential to connect with (AWS IAM account credentials dropdown, required), Source Path (text input defining the path of the file you want to copy, required), Destination Path (text input specifying where the copied file will be placed, required and accepts fixed values or expressions), and Additional Fields (optional section for specifying metadata, storage class, or ACL settings).

Use cases: Create daily backup copies of critical configuration files. Duplicate files to a public bucket for sharing while keeping originals private. Copy processed files to archive locations after workflow completion.

This action searches within a specified S3 bucket, allowing your workflows to discover files and folders based on bucket contents. It's the foundation for building dynamic workflows that respond to what's actually stored in your S3 environment rather than assuming fixed file locations.

Key parameters: The action has several configurable parameters including Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials dropdown, required), Bucket Name (text input for the S3 bucket name, required), Return All (toggle switch to retrieve all results, optional), Limit (numeric input to cap the number of results returned, optional), and Additional Fields (optional filters or prefix specifications).

Use cases: Find all files uploaded in the last 24 hours for processing. Check if a specific file exists before attempting to download it. List contents of a folder before performing batch operations.

This action retrieves a list of all buckets in your AWS account, giving your workflows visibility into your complete S3 infrastructure. It's essential for monitoring, auditing, and building workflows that need to operate across multiple buckets.

Key parameters: The action includes Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials dropdown, required), Return All (boolean toggle to fetch every bucket without limitations, optional), and Limit (numeric input specifying the maximum number of buckets to retrieve, required if Return All is disabled).

Use cases: Generate weekly reports of all active buckets and their status. Audit bucket existence before running multi-bucket operations. Monitor your S3 infrastructure for unexpected bucket creation.

The Delete a bucket action permanently removes an S3 bucket from your AWS account. This is useful for cleanup operations, decommissioning old projects, or maintaining a tidy cloud infrastructure through automated housekeeping.

Key parameters: This action includes Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials dropdown, required), Resource (dropdown set to 'Bucket', required), Operation (set to 'Delete', required), and Name (text input for the exact name of the bucket to delete, required).

Use cases: Automatically remove temporary buckets after processing jobs complete. Clean up test environments at the end of development cycles. Decommission client storage when contracts end (after proper data migration).

⚠️ Important: Buckets must be empty before deletion. Build workflows that first remove all files before attempting bucket deletion.

This action retrieves a file from S3 and makes it available in your workflow for further processing, transformation, or delivery to other systems. It's the bridge between cloud storage and active data processing.

Key parameters: The action requires Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials, required), Bucket Name (text input for the bucket containing your target file, required), File Key (text input for the specific key/path of the file within the bucket, required), and Put Output File in Field (text input specifying the binary field name where the downloaded file will be stored, required).

Use cases: Download invoices from S3 for email attachment delivery. Retrieve configuration files for processing in data transformation workflows. Pull images from storage for automated editing or resizing pipelines.

The Upload a file action sends files from your n8n workflow directly into S3 storage. This is fundamental for any workflow that generates, processes, or receives files that need cloud storage.

Key parameters: This action includes Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials, required), Bucket Name (destination bucket text input, required), File Name (customizable text field for the file name in S3, required), Binary File (toggle to indicate binary file upload, optional), Input Binary Field (specifies which workflow field contains the file data, required when Binary File is enabled), Tags (optional metadata tags for organization), and Additional Fields (optional section for storage class, encryption, ACL configurations).

Use cases: Automatically store form attachments submitted through your website. Upload generated reports at the end of data processing workflows. Archive email attachments to S3 for compliance and backup.

This action removes a folder and its organizational structure from an S3 bucket. In S3's flat structure, this effectively removes the folder prefix, helping maintain clean and organized storage.

Key parameters: The action has Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials, required), Bucket Name (text input for the bucket containing the folder, required), and Folder Key (string input for the path of the folder to delete, can use expressions for dynamic paths, required).

Use cases: Clean up temporary processing folders after batch jobs complete. Remove outdated project folders during archival workflows. Delete expired folder structures based on retention policies.

The Delete a file action permanently removes a specific file from your S3 bucket. Essential for cleanup operations, data lifecycle management, and maintaining storage efficiency.

Key parameters: This action features Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials dropdown, required), Resource (set to 'File', fixed), Operation (set to 'Delete', fixed), Bucket Name (text input for the bucket name, required), and File Key (text input for the precise key/path of the file to delete, required).

Use cases: Remove temporary files after processing workflows complete. Delete outdated versions of files when new ones are uploaded. Implement retention policies that automatically purge old data.

This action creates a new folder within an S3 bucket, helping you maintain organized storage structures programmatically. While S3 technically uses prefixes rather than true folders, this action handles the implementation details.

Key parameters: The action includes Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials dropdown, required), Resource (fixed to 'Folder', informational), Operation (set to 'Create', predefined), Bucket Name (text input for the S3 bucket where the folder will be created, required), Folder Name (text input for the name of the folder, must follow S3 naming conventions, required), and Additional Fields (optional properties for additional configuration).

Use cases: Create dated folder structures for daily backup organization. Set up client-specific folders when new accounts are created in your CRM. Build project folder hierarchies when projects are initiated in PM tools.

This action retrieves information about multiple files from an S3 bucket, perfect for building workflows that need to process, audit, or react to file collections rather than individual items.

Key parameters: This action includes Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials, required), Resource (set to 'File', required), Operation (set to 'Get Many', pre-selected), Bucket Name (text input for the bucket to retrieve files from, required), Return All (boolean toggle to fetch all files, optional), Limit (numeric field for maximum files to return, default 100, optional), and Options (optional additional parameters for filtering).

Use cases: List all files for batch processing workflows. Generate file inventories for reporting and auditing. Find files matching specific patterns for targeted operations.

This action retrieves multiple folder entries from an S3 bucket, enabling workflows that need to understand and work with your storage organization structure.

Key parameters: The action includes Credential to connect with (AWS IAM credentials, required), Resource (set to 'Folder', required), Operation (set to 'Get Many', fixed), Bucket Name (text input for target bucket, required), Return All (toggle for complete results, optional), Limit (numeric limit on folders returned, default 100, optional), and Options (additional configuration parameters, optional).

Use cases: Audit folder structures for organizational compliance. Generate folder trees for documentation or navigation interfaces. Identify folders requiring cleanup based on naming conventions or age.