Mario This workflow corresponds to n8n.io template #13442 — we link there as the canonical source.
The workflow JSON
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{
"id": "BMMFT2vYdGSt1cjr",
"name": "Global Key-Value Store Template",
"tags": [],
"nodes": [
{
"id": "f259758f-2df3-4a49-ac03-0dff107d0fb0",
"name": "Create Globals table",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.dataTable",
"position": [
-272,
368
],
"parameters": {
"columns": {
"column": [
{
"name": "key"
},
{
"name": "value"
}
]
},
"options": {},
"resource": "table",
"operation": "create",
"tableName": "Globals"
},
"typeVersion": 1.1
},
{
"id": "33cf6930-8ebe-4942-abe7-a1f26596ff38",
"name": "Stop and Error",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stopAndError",
"position": [
-272,
208
],
"parameters": {
"errorMessage": "Unknown error happened while retrieving Globals table"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "414bec77-24c2-4465-8f7c-996ca981da0e",
"name": "If not the expected error",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"position": [
-496,
288
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"version": 3,
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "0abb66cd-a718-43a0-94c5-ed607ec669e5",
"operator": {
"type": "string",
"operation": "notEquals"
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json.error }}",
"rightValue": "Data table with name \"Globals\" not found"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2.3
},
{
"id": "da34d122-c0df-41a1-9334-20869f9b64c5",
"name": "Global found",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"position": [
-496,
736
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"conditions": {
"options": {
"version": 3,
"leftValue": "",
"caseSensitive": true,
"typeValidation": "strict"
},
"combinator": "and",
"conditions": [
{
"id": "564f82db-938f-4ef7-abe5-5b2430f5dbd3",
"operator": {
"type": "object",
"operation": "notEmpty",
"singleValue": true
},
"leftValue": "={{ $json }}",
"rightValue": ""
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 2.3
},
{
"id": "35df67d3-343f-4c49-9f55-d2b916d6cc76",
"name": "When clicking \u2018Execute workflow\u2019",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
"position": [
-976,
480
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "50db41c6-8d8d-456c-9271-5a41025e6a15",
"name": "Get Global \"your_variable_name\"",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.dataTable",
"onError": "continueErrorOutput",
"position": [
-752,
480
],
"parameters": {
"limit": 1,
"filters": {
"conditions": [
{
"keyName": "=key",
"keyValue": "your_variable_name",
"condition": "=eq"
}
]
},
"matchType": "allConditions",
"operation": "get",
"dataTableId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "Globals"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.1,
"alwaysOutputData": true
},
{
"id": "380bd9e8-ccf9-452b-83e3-ed21cb0eb407",
"name": "Set default value",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
-272,
848
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "3aba0dd8-38b1-4355-bd2f-54e8194bcd80",
"name": "your_variable_name",
"type": "string",
"value": "=value goes here"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "6f19c478-7657-4ea7-a5c6-a57aa486d974",
"name": "Format value",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
-272,
624
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "dd1cd738-335c-47e4-b6b2-cf02cf86691c",
"name": "your_variable_name",
"type": "string",
"value": "={{ $json.value }}"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "8306af44-bc85-4c08-80a5-7c6804d865a0",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-816,
416
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 224,
"height": 240,
"content": "## 1. Get variable"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "26411923-8894-4eb0-b77c-fe17ed208bb2",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-560,
144
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 480,
"height": 384,
"content": "## Fallback: Create table if it does not exist\n_Needs to run first if previous node\nfailed - hence it is placed above_"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "2474eeff-0bc5-4ab1-828c-b48c2f565cf9",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-560,
560
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 480,
"height": 448,
"content": "## 2. Define default value if needed"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "7325803f-d5d0-4597-87de-7d039e50d3ce",
"name": "Do something",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.noOp",
"position": [
16,
736
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "26fe591d-01fd-4566-9140-034349e1683d",
"name": "Upsert Global \"your_variable_name\"",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.dataTable",
"position": [
272,
736
],
"parameters": {
"columns": {
"value": {
"key": "your_variable_name",
"value": "={{ $('Do something').item.json.your_variable_name }}"
},
"schema": [
{
"id": "key",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"readOnly": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "key",
"defaultMatch": false
},
{
"id": "value",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"readOnly": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "value",
"defaultMatch": false
}
],
"mappingMode": "defineBelow",
"matchingColumns": [],
"attemptToConvertTypes": false,
"convertFieldsToString": false
},
"filters": {
"conditions": [
{
"keyName": "=key",
"keyValue": "=your_variable_name",
"condition": "=eq"
}
]
},
"options": {},
"operation": "upsert",
"dataTableId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "Globals"
}
},
"typeVersion": 1.1
},
{
"id": "89dd60b8-25e3-411b-9463-1f883cd08f13",
"name": "Sticky Note7",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
208,
656
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 224,
"height": 256,
"content": "## 4. Save variable"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "858ad53d-9f1c-4c0b-99f9-ed070c5ba994",
"name": "Sticky Note9",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-1680,
256
],
"parameters": {
"width": 576,
"height": 560,
"content": "## How it works\nA data table is used as a key value store having the two columns \u201ckey\u201d and \u201cvalue\u201d.\n_It is referenced by name, which makes it easier to migrate this workflow to other instances._\n1. At the beginning a variable is retrieved by it\u2019s key\n2. If the variable / key does not exist yet, a default value is set, otherwise the stored value is being returned\n3. The variable can now be used and updated (see customization below)\n4. The variable is being created/updated in the database for the next workflow run\nIf the variable did not exist before it get\u2019s created\n \nFallback: If the table doesn\u2019t exist, it automatically gets created\n\n## Setup\n- [ ] Replace the placeholder **your_variable_name** in the _Data Table_ and _Set_ nodes\n\n## Customization\n- Delete the trigger node and place this snippet into your existing workflow\n- Replace the _Do something_ placeholder node in step 3 with your own logic that consumes and later updates the variable - just make sure the mapping is later valid in step 4\n- This setup also works with using multiple variables simultaneously which can be achieved with a slight modification"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "bcbac038-fa72-42fe-8479-f3edc1da50aa",
"name": "Sticky Note8",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-48,
656
],
"parameters": {
"color": 7,
"width": 224,
"height": 256,
"content": "## 3. Use variable"
},
"typeVersion": 1
}
],
"active": false,
"settings": {
"binaryMode": "separate",
"availableInMCP": false,
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"versionId": "214d9937-cb52-4b44-9ebd-d71ba51d1257",
"connections": {
"Do something": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Upsert Global \"your_variable_name\"",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Format value": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Do something",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Global found": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Format value",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "Set default value",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Set default value": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Do something",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Create Globals table": {
"main": [
[]
]
},
"If not the expected error": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Stop and Error",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "Create Globals table",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get Global \"your_variable_name\"": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Global found",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
],
[
{
"node": "If not the expected error",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"When clicking \u2018Execute workflow\u2019": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Get Global \"your_variable_name\"",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}
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About this workflow
This workflow implements a simple key value store based on the built-in data tables feature in n8n – no external service needed.
Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/13442/ — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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