Publish workflow scaffolding added to n8n node release CLI
The n8n node release command now scaffolds a GitHub Actions publish workflow with a single flag — no more hunting for the right template.
Publishing a community node to n8n requires a specific GitHub Actions workflow configured for npm provenance. That workflow is not trivial to set up from scratch, and the documentation assumes developers already know the structure.
The flag handles this automatically. Running n8n-node release --init-workflow generates a file from a built-in template, ready to use with either npm or other package managers. The method reads a Handlebars template, injects the detected package manager, and writes the file to the correct location — creating parent directories if needed.
If a developer runs the release command without the workflow in place, they now see a helpful hint suggesting the flag. The scaffolded workflow includes next-step guidance pointing to npm Trusted Publishing setup and the n8n documentation.
This is part of a broader effort to streamline the n8n community node submission process. Node developers no longer need to reverse-engineer the CI setup from examples or documentation.
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Summary
<!-- Describe what the PR does and how to test. Photos and videos are recommended. -->Introduces a --init-workflow flag that scaffolds a workflow using the existing template.
Related Linear tickets, Github issues, and Community forum posts
<!-- Include links to **Linear ticket** or Github issue or Community forum post. Important in order to close *automatically* and provide context to reviewers. https://linear.app/n8n/issue/ --> <!-- Use "closes #<issue-number>", "fixes #<issue-number>", or "resolves #<issue-number>" to automatically close issues when the PR is merged. -->Depends on: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/pull/27288 Builds on this PR: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/pull/26597 Linear ticket: https://linear.app/n8n/issue/CE-587/link-to-docsexample-in-n8n-node-release-help
Review / Merge checklist
- PR title and summary are descriptive. (conventions) <!-- **Remember, the title automatically goes into the changelog. Use `(no-changelog)` otherwise.** -->
- Docs updated or follow-up ticket created.
- Tests included. <!-- A bug is not considered fixed, unless a test is added to prevent it from happening again. A feature is not complete without tests. -->
- PR Labeled with
Backport to Beta,Backport to Stable, orBackport to v1(if the PR is an urgent fix that needs to be backported)