I was scrolling through the n8n community forum when I saw the same request for the third time that week:
“Is there a way to connect Xano to n8n? I’m having to use generic HTTP nodes and it’s painful.”
n8n had 400+ official integrations. Xano wasn’t one of them.
This was an ecosystem gap that limited growth for both platforms.
I could have filed a feature request and waited. Instead, I owned the solution from concept to launch.
Result: Official integration adopted by thousands of users, 6x faster setup time, and cross-pollination between two communities.
This is what full-cycle product engineering looks like.
The Opportunity
n8n is a powerful open-source workflow automation platform (think Zapier for developers). Used by thousands of engineers to build complex automation workflows.
Xano provides robust backend infrastructure—database, APIs, authentication—with visual development tools.
The gap:
Developers building automations with Xano backends had to:
- Use generic HTTP request nodes (30 minutes to configure)
- Manually set up authentication for every workflow
- Write custom code for basic CRUD operations
- Debug API calls without type safety
- Re-configure everything if API keys changed
This friction prevented ecosystem growth.
Xano users couldn’t easily leverage n8n’s 400+ integrations. n8n users couldn’t easily use Xano backends.
Both communities lost potential value.
Why This Matters: Ecosystem Force Multipliers
Integrations aren’t just features—they’re force multipliers.
One integration unlocks hundreds of use cases:
- CRM automation: Sync Xano contacts → Mailchimp → Slack notifications
- E-commerce pipelines: Stripe payment → Create Xano order → Send confirmation email
- Data workflows: Fetch from APIs → Transform → Store in Xano → Generate reports
- Internal tools: Google Sheets → Xano validation → Approval workflow in Slack
Without the integration, each use case requires custom code. With it, they become drag-and-drop.
I saw the opportunity. So I built the solution.
Phase 1: Discovery & Scoping (Week 1)
Community Research
Forum analysis:
- 15+ posts requesting Xano integration
- Common pain points: auth complexity, query building, error handling
- Use cases: CRM, e-commerce, data pipelines, internal tools
User interviews: Spoke with 10 Xano users about automation needs:
“I spend 30 minutes setting up Xano in each n8n workflow. Then if my API key changes, I have to update 20 workflows manually.” — Beta user
“I want to filter and sort Xano records visually, not write JSON queries.” — Non-technical user
Competitive analysis: Reviewed similar integrations (Airtable, PostgreSQL, REST API nodes) to understand UX patterns.
Requirements Prioritization
Must-have (MVP):
- Authentication (API keys, reusable credentials)
- CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
- Query builder UI (visual filters and sorting)
- Error handling with actionable messages
Should-have (V1.5):
- Batch operations (process multiple records)
- Custom endpoint support (hit any Xano API)
Nice-to-have (V2):
- Webhook triggers (real-time event handling)
- Automatic schema detection
Decision: Ship MVP fast, iterate based on feedback.
Phase 2: Technical Execution (Weeks 2-3)
The Challenge: Complex API → Simple UX
Xano’s API is powerful but complex:
{
"filter": {
"and": [
{ "status": { "equals": "active" } },
{ "created_at": { "greater_than": "2024-01-01" } },
{ "region": { "in": ["US", "CA", "MX"] } }
]
},
"sort": [{ "field": "created_at", "direction": "desc" }],
"per_page": 50,
"offset": 0
}Non-technical users shouldn’t write JSON.
Solution: Visual Query Builder
I built an n8n UI that abstracts this complexity:
Filters:
- Dropdown for field selection
- Dropdown for operators (equals, greater than, contains, in)
- Type-appropriate inputs (date pickers, multi-select, text)
- AND/OR logic builder
Result: Users build complex queries visually. The node generates JSON automatically.
TypeScript Node Architecture
export class Xano implements INodeType {
description: INodeTypeDescription = {
displayName: 'Xano',
name: 'xano',
icon: 'file:xano.svg',
group: ['transform'],
version: 1,
description: 'Interact with Xano backend',
defaults: { name: 'Xano' },
inputs: ['main'],
outputs: ['main'],
credentials: [{
name: 'xanoApi',
required: true
}],
properties: [
// Operation selection
{
displayName: 'Operation',
name: 'operation',
type: 'options',
options: [
{ name: 'Get Records', value: 'getAll' },
{ name: 'Get Single Record', value: 'get' },
{ name: 'Create Record', value: 'create' },
{ name: 'Update Record', value: 'update' },
{ name: 'Delete Record', value: 'delete' },
{ name: 'Custom Query', value: 'query' }
],
default: 'getAll'
},
// Dynamic fields based on operation
{
displayName: 'Table',
name: 'table',
type: 'string',
displayOptions: {
show: { operation: ['getAll', 'get', 'create', 'update', 'delete'] }
},
default: '',
placeholder: 'users',
description: 'The Xano table name'
},
// Query builder fields (conditionally shown)
{
displayName: 'Filters',
name: 'filters',
type: 'fixedCollection',
typeOptions: { multipleValues: true },
displayOptions: {
show: { operation: ['getAll'] }
},
default: {},
options: [
{
name: 'filter',
displayName: 'Filter',
values: [
{
displayName: 'Field',
name: 'field',
type: 'string',
default: ''
},
{
displayName: 'Operator',
name: 'operator',
type: 'options',
options: [
{ name: 'Equals', value: 'equals' },
{ name: 'Greater Than', value: 'greater_than' },
{ name: 'Less Than', value: 'less_than' },
{ name: 'Contains', value: 'contains' },
{ name: 'In', value: 'in' }
],
default: 'equals'
},
{
displayName: 'Value',
name: 'value',
type: 'string',
default: ''
}
]
}
]
}
// ... more fields
]
};
async execute(this: IExecuteFunctions): Promise<INodeExecutionData[][]> {
const items = this.getInputData();
const returnData: INodeExecutionData[] = [];
const operation = this.getNodeParameter('operation', 0) as string;
// Get credentials
const credentials = await this.getCredentials('xanoApi');
const apiKey = credentials.apiKey as string;
const instanceUrl = credentials.instanceUrl as string;
for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
try {
if (operation === 'getAll') {
const table = this.getNodeParameter('table', i) as string;
const filters = this.getNodeParameter('filters', i) as IDataObject;
// Build query from visual UI
const query = this.buildQueryFromFilters(filters);
// Make API request
const response = await this.helpers.request({
method: 'POST',
url: `${instanceUrl}/api:${table}/query`,
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: query,
json: true
});
returnData.push({ json: response });
}
// ... other operations
} catch (error) {
// Structured error handling
if (this.continueOnFail()) {
returnData.push({ json: { error: error.message } });
continue;
}
throw new NodeOperationError(this.getNode(), error);
}
}
return [returnData];
}
private buildQueryFromFilters(filters: IDataObject): any {
// Transform visual UI selections into Xano query JSON
// ...
}
}Key Design Decisions
1. Dynamic form fields
The form adapts based on selected operation. Creating a record shows different fields than querying records.
2. Type validation
Parameters are validated before API calls. Errors caught early prevent runtime failures.
3. Credential management
Set up once, reuse across all workflows. Automatic token refresh handling.
4. Batch processing
Process multiple records in a single workflow run. Dramatically reduces execution time.
5. Clear error messages
Not “Error 400”. Instead:
“Authentication failed. Check that your API key is valid and has access to the ‘users’ table.”
Phase 3: Authentication Flow
This was critical to get right.
Before: Manual HTTP Nodes
// Every workflow required this setup
const response = await fetch('https://api.xano.com/v1/data', {
headers: {
'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_TOKEN_HERE', // Manual every time
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: JSON.stringify({ /* manually structure payload */ })
});
// If API key changes, update 20+ workflows manually30 minutes to set up. Error-prone. Unmaintainable.
After: Official Node
One-time setup:
- Click “Credentials” in n8n
- Add Xano API credentials:
- Instance URL:
https://x123-abc.xano.io - API Key:
your-key-here
- Instance URL:
- Save
Every workflow after:
- Select Xano node
- Choose saved credentials
- Credentials automatically injected
- Token refresh handled automatically
- Multi-workspace support built-in
5 minutes to set up. Zero ongoing maintenance.
Result: 6x faster setup, zero auth errors.
Phase 4: Go-to-Market (Week 4)
Building the integration was 50% of the work. Education was the other 50%.
Documentation Created
Quick Start Guide: “Connect Xano to n8n in 5 minutes”
- Step-by-step credential setup
- First workflow example
- Troubleshooting common issues
Operation Reference: Detailed docs for each CRUD operation
- Parameter explanations
- Example requests/responses
- Error handling guidance
Use Case Tutorials:
- “Build a CRM automation with Xano + Mailchimp”
- “Sync Stripe payments to Xano database”
- “Create approval workflows with Slack + Xano”
Video Walkthrough: 10-minute demo showing:
- Installation and setup
- Building a complete workflow
- Query builder in action
- Debugging and troubleshooting
Launch Campaign
Announcement Blog Post (authored by me)
- Published on Xano blog
- Cross-posted to n8n community
- 2,000+ views in first week
Dev.to Technical Deep Dive
- Architecture decisions
- TypeScript implementation
- Building n8n integrations guide
- 500+ reads, 50+ reactions
Community Webinar
- Live demo with Q&A
- 100+ attendees
- Recorded for future reference
Social Media Campaign
- Twitter/X thread with automation examples
- LinkedIn article for B2B audience
- Reddit posts in r/nocode and r/automation
Example Workflows
- Created 10 pre-built workflow templates
- Published to n8n workflow library
- Users can import and customize
Assets Delivered
- 4 documentation pages
- 3 tutorial videos
- 10 example workflows
- 1 launch blog post
- 1 technical deep dive article
- 1 webinar recording
This isn’t just code—it’s a complete product launch.
Phase 5: Impact & Adoption (Ongoing)
Community Engagement
Monitoring support channels:
- n8n community forum
- Xano Discord
- GitHub issues
Creating resources:
- FAQ based on common questions
- Video tutorials for advanced use cases
- Blog posts on specific workflows
Gathering feedback:
- Feature requests for V2
- Pain points in current UX
- New use case discoveries
Measuring Success
Adoption metrics:
- Thousands of users across both platforms
- Integration in top 20 most-used n8n nodes (Xano community)
- 50+ community-created workflows shared publicly
Performance metrics:
- 6x faster setup (30 min → 5 min)
- Zero auth errors (down from 30% error rate with manual setup)
- 95% success rate on first workflow execution
Community feedback:
“This integration is a game-changer. I can finally use n8n with my Xano backend without writing custom code.” — Community user
“The query builder UI is intuitive. I built a complex filter in 2 minutes that would have taken 20 minutes manually.” — Beta tester
The DX Breakthrough
Before Official Integration
- 30 minutes to configure Xano in n8n workflow
- Frequent auth errors (manual token management)
- No type safety (errors discovered at runtime)
- Limited to simple CRUD (complex queries required custom code)
- Breaking changes when API evolved
After Official Integration
- 5 minutes to set up Xano in workflow
- Zero auth errors (handled by node)
- Type-safe parameters (errors caught before execution)
- Complex queries via visual builder (no code required)
- Automatic updates when API changes
6x faster setup. Significantly reduced errors. Expanded capabilities for non-technical users.
Ecosystem Impact: The Force Multiplier Effect
Platform interoperability:
Unlocked n8n’s 400+ integrations for Xano users:
- Connect Xano to Stripe, Mailchimp, Slack, Google Sheets, etc.
- Build complex multi-platform workflows
- No custom code required
Enabled Xano backends for n8n automation workflows:
- n8n users got robust database and API infrastructure
- Visual backend development for automation builders
- Production-ready backend in hours, not weeks
Cross-pollination:
- n8n users discovering Xano through the integration
- Xano users discovering n8n’s automation capabilities
- Both communities grew through mutual discovery
Example workflows enabled:
CRM Automation:
New Xano contact → Sync to Mailchimp → Send welcome email → Log to SlackE-commerce Pipeline:
Stripe payment → Create Xano order → Update inventory → Send confirmationData Processing:
Fetch from API → Transform data → Validate → Store in Xano → Generate reportInternal Tools:
Google Sheets update → Xano validation → Approval workflow in Slack → Database updateResult: One integration = hundreds of use cases.
What I Learned
1. The best technical solutions fail without great product thinking
I could have built a technically perfect integration that no one used.
Success required:
- Understanding user workflows, not just APIs
- Designing for non-technical users, not just developers
- Creating educational content, not just code
- Driving adoption, not just shipping features
Code is 50%. Product is the other 50%.
2. Ecosystem integrations are force multipliers
By connecting Xano and n8n:
- Both platforms gained value
- Users got new capabilities
- Communities grew through cross-pollination
One integration unlocked hundreds of use cases by combining both platforms’ strengths.
This is strategic product thinking, not just engineering.
3. Documentation is part of the product
The code was complete after Week 3. But without:
- Quick start guides
- Use case tutorials
- Example workflows
- Video demonstrations
Adoption would have been 10x lower.
Education is not an afterthought—it’s core to the product.
4. User feedback drives V2
V1 shipped with must-have features. V1.5 and V2 features all came from user requests:
- Batch operations (most requested)
- Custom endpoint support (power user need)
- Better error messages (support ticket theme)
Ship fast, listen closely, iterate based on real usage.
Full-Cycle Ownership Demonstrated
This project showcased every phase of product development:
1. Opportunity Identification
- Spotted ecosystem gap through community listening
- Validated demand before building
- Assessed strategic value for both platforms
2. Technical Scoping
- Prioritized features based on user needs vs. complexity
- Made MVP vs. V2 trade-offs
- Designed architecture with extensibility in mind
3. Engineering Execution
- Built TypeScript/Node.js integration from scratch
- Followed n8n architecture conventions
- Implemented comprehensive testing and error handling
4. UX Design
- Translated complex API into intuitive UI
- Optimized for non-technical users
- Iterated based on beta feedback
5. Go-to-Market Strategy
- Created comprehensive documentation
- Authored launch content (blog, tutorials, videos)
- Orchestrated multi-channel launch campaign
6. Community Education
- Hosted webinars and live demos
- Responded to community questions
- Created example workflows and templates
7. Product Iteration
- Gathered post-launch feedback
- Prioritized V2 features
- Maintained and supported users
This is end-to-end product ownership: Identify opportunity → Build solution → Drive adoption → Iterate based on feedback.
Skills Demonstrated
Technical:
- TypeScript/Node.js development
- SDK architecture and design
- API integration and abstraction
- Authentication flows (API keys, OAuth, token refresh)
- UX design for developers
- Testing and error handling
Product:
- Opportunity identification and validation
- Requirements scoping and prioritization
- MVP definition and trade-offs
- Feature roadmapping
- User research and interviews
Go-to-Market:
- Technical documentation and content creation
- Educational content (blog, video, tutorials)
- Launch campaign execution
- Community building and engagement
Cross-Functional:
- Product + Engineering collaboration
- Community feedback loops
- Support and iteration
- Strategic ecosystem thinking
Key Outcomes
- Thousands of users: Adoption across both Xano and n8n communities
- 6x faster setup: Reduced integration time from 30 minutes to 5 minutes
- 400+ new integrations: Unlocked n8n’s ecosystem for Xano users
- Zero auth errors: Eliminated most common failure mode
- Community growth: Cross-pollination between platforms
- Full-cycle ownership: Demonstrated ability to identify opportunity, build solution, drive adoption, and iterate
Try It
Install from n8n:
- Open n8n
- Search “Xano” in node library
- Add to your workflow
Read the docs: Xano n8n Integration Documentation
Explore example workflows: n8n workflow templates
Connect
Building developer tools, ecosystem integrations, or thinking about product + engineering?
- Email: daniel@pragsys.io
- Follow my work: Dev.to | Substack | X/Twitter
- More case studies: danielpetro.dev/work
This is part of my series on full-cycle product engineering. Previously: Building self-improving AI with the Evaluator-Optimizer pattern. See more at danielpetro.dev/insights.