Actions3
Overview
This node allows you to manipulate Excel files within an n8n workflow. Specifically, it supports operations such as adding a new sheet, deleting an existing sheet, and listing sheets in an Excel workbook. It is useful when automating workflows that involve dynamic modification or inspection of Excel files without manual intervention.
For the Delete Sheet operation, the node removes a specified sheet from an Excel file provided as binary input. This can be helpful in scenarios where you want to clean up or update Excel workbooks by removing unnecessary or outdated sheets automatically.
Example use case:
You receive Excel reports with multiple sheets but only need to keep certain ones. Using this node, you can delete unwanted sheets before passing the updated file downstream for further processing or storage.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Binary Property Name | The name of the binary property containing the Excel file data (default: "data"). |
| Sheet Name | The exact name of the sheet to delete from the Excel workbook. |
Output
The output contains the modified Excel file as binary data under the same binary property name specified in the input. The binary data includes:
data: The base64-encoded content of the updated Excel file after the specified sheet has been deleted.mimeType: The MIME type of the file, preserved from the input.fileName: The original file name, preserved from the input.
No JSON output fields are produced for this operation; all results are returned as binary data representing the updated Excel file.
Dependencies
- Requires the
xlsxlibrary for reading and writing Excel files. - Input Excel file must be provided as binary data in the specified binary property.
- No external API keys or services are required.
Troubleshooting
Error: Binary property "X" not found.
This error occurs if the specified binary property does not exist on the input item. Ensure that the binary property name matches exactly the property containing the Excel file data.Sheet name not found or misspelled.
If the sheet name specified for deletion does not exist in the workbook, the node will silently skip it (it filters out the sheet name). Double-check the sheet name spelling and case sensitivity.Invalid Excel file format.
If the input binary data is not a valid Excel file, the node will fail when attempting to read it. Verify that the input file is a proper Excel workbook.
Links and References
- SheetJS xlsx GitHub repository – The underlying library used for Excel file manipulation.
- n8n Documentation - Working with Binary Data – Guide on handling binary properties in n8n nodes.