FAQ and compatibility
Compatibility
| Supported | |
|---|---|
| n8n | Icons and node descriptions are bundled from n8n 2.38.1, 564 node types |
| Other n8n versions | Workflows render. A node type the bundle does not know shows initials instead of an icon, and no subtitle |
| Node.js | 20 or newer |
| Browsers | Current Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge |
Every exported SVG carries a data-descriptions-version attribute, so you can tell which n8n bundle drew it.
Questions
Does it need my n8n instance?
No. It reads a file.
Does it need the other tools?
No. workflow-render installs and runs on its own, without workflow-lint, integration-mock or workflow-tester. Two inputs can come from the other tools:
| Input | From | Without that tool |
|---|---|---|
--overlay / overlay | workflow-lint lint --format canvas-overlay | Leave it out and the workflow is drawn without badges. Any tool, or you, can write an overlay |
| An execution | The <execution id>.export.json that integration-mock snapshot saves, already redacted | Export the execution from n8n's API yourself |
Does it run the workflow or evaluate expressions?
No. It draws what the JSON contains. An ={{ … }} value is shown as written, and a Code node is a tile.
Is my JSON sent anywhere?
No.
- The CLI reads and writes local files.
viewbinds to127.0.0.1.- The web component fetches only the
srcURL you give it. - There is no telemetry.
Is it safe to publish a workflow?
Not as exported. A workflow export carries credential names and ids, your instance id, pinned data, and whatever you typed into node parameters. An execution also carries the items that ran through it.
workflow-render redact workflow.json -o workflow.public.jsonwrites a masked copy and reports what it masked and which hosts it kept. Seeredact.workflow-render export --redactrenders an image from the masked data.- The viewer's Embed code panel redacts the embed it builds unless you clear its Redact box. The canvas on screen is not changed.
Masking is pattern-based. It does not catch everything, such as names in free text or a short secret in a field with an ordinary name, so read the report before publishing.
Why does a node show initials instead of its logo?
Its type is not in the bundle. It is either a community node or a node newer than n8n 2.38.1. The rest of the canvas is unaffected.
Is it a pixel-exact copy of n8n's canvas?
No. It reads as the same workflow at a glance. If you need the real editor, run n8n.
Alternatives
| Alternative | Use it instead when |
|---|---|
| Opening the workflow in n8n | You have an instance, a login, and a person in front of a screen |
| A screenshot of n8n | The workflow will never change again |
n8n's <n8n-demo> embed | The page may load third-party script and the workflow can be public |
| Mermaid or a hand-drawn diagram | The diagram is a sketch, not the workflow as it actually is |
Limitations
- Light is the default theme;
theme="dark"or"auto"draws n8n's dark canvas. Node subtitles use n8n's grey, which is below WCAG AA contrast on white. - In the dark theme, node icons that n8n tints by colour (Set, Code and similar) and icons drawn in a fixed dark colour (OpenAI, for example) keep their light-theme colours, so a few icons look different from n8n's dark canvas. The selection rectangle keeps its light blue.
- The inspector is part of the web component. The CLI cannot print a node's parameters.
- The canvas is read-only. There is no editing and no re-layout.