{"record":{"id":"c28e712bf5854ef4","repo":"n8n-io/n8n","slug":"unknown-config-key","errorCode":"UNKNOWN_CONFIG_KEY","errorMessage":"Node ${nodeRef} has unknown key(s) at the top level of config: ${keyList}. Did you mean to place them inside config.parameters? Top-level keys outside the NodeConfig fields are silently dropped during serialization, leaving the node with empty parameters.","messagePattern":"Node (.+?) has unknown key\\(s\\) at the top level of config: (.+?)\\. Did you mean to place them inside config\\.parameters\\? Top-level keys outside the NodeConfig fields are silently dropped during serialization, leaving the node with empty parameters\\.","errorType":"validation","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"packages/@n8n/workflow-sdk/src/workflow-builder/plugins/validators/unknown-config-keys-validator.ts","lineNumber":76,"sourceCode":"\t\tnode: NodeInstance<string, string, unknown>,\n\t\t_graphNode: GraphNode,\n\t\t_ctx: PluginContext,\n\t): ValidationIssue[] {\n\t\tif (!node.config) return [];\n\n\t\tconst unknownKeys = Object.keys(node.config).filter(\n\t\t\t// Internal markers (e.g. `_originalName` set by fromJSON) are intentional\n\t\t\t// and not part of the public NodeConfig contract.\n\t\t\t(key) => !KNOWN_CONFIG_KEYS.has(key) && !key.startsWith('_'),\n\t\t);\n\n\t\tif (unknownKeys.length === 0) return [];\n\n\t\tconst nodeRef = formatNodeRef(node.name, undefined, node.type);\n\t\tconst keyList = unknownKeys.map((k) => `\"${k}\"`).join(', ');\n\t\treturn [\n\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\tcode: 'UNKNOWN_CONFIG_KEY',\n\t\t\t\tmessage: `Node ${nodeRef} has unknown key(s) at the top level of config: ${keyList}. Did you mean to place them inside config.parameters? Top-level keys outside the NodeConfig fields are silently dropped during serialization, leaving the node with empty parameters.`,\n\t\t\t\tseverity: 'warning',\n\t\t\t\tviolationLevel: 'major',\n\t\t\t\tnodeName: node.name,\n\t\t\t},\n\t\t];\n\t},\n};\n","sourceCodeStart":58,"sourceCodeEnd":85,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/blob/5ac6606e81f67bb9534255570cd4e86fd8101eee/packages/@n8n/workflow-sdk/src/workflow-builder/plugins/validators/unknown-config-keys-validator.ts#L58-L85","documentation":"Error \"Node ${nodeRef} has unknown key(s) at the top level of config: ${keyList}. Did you mean to place them inside config.parameters? Top-level keys outside the NodeConfig fields are silently dropped during serialization, leaving the node with empty parameters.\" thrown in n8n-io/n8n.","triggerScenarios":"Thrown at packages/@n8n/workflow-sdk/src/workflow-builder/plugins/validators/unknown-config-keys-validator.ts:76 when the library encounters an invalid state.","commonSituations":"See trigger scenarios.","solutions":[],"exampleFix":null,"handlingStrategy":null,"validationCode":null,"typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":null,"preventionTips":[],"tags":[],"backgroundTag":null,"analyzedSha":"5ac6606e81f67bb9534255570cd4e86fd8101eee","analyzedAt":"2026-08-12T05:26:35.080Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-12T13:17:24.610Z"}