n8n-io/n8n · error · NodeOperationError

No binary data exists on item!

Error message

No binary data exists on item!

What it means

This error is intended to fire when no binary data exists on the item for the Analyze Image operation. However, the code has a logic bug: it calls this.helpers.assertBinaryData() first (line 175), which itself throws if binary data is missing, and then accesses binaryData.id and binaryData.data before the !binaryData check on line 187. The check is dead code — if binaryData were falsy, assertBinaryData would already have thrown. This error as written is unreachable.

Source

Thrown at packages/@n8n/nodes-langchain/nodes/vendors/OpenAi/v1/actions/image/analyze.operation.ts:188

		const binaryPropertyName = this.getNodeParameter('binaryPropertyName', i)
			.split(',')
			.map((propertyName) => propertyName.trim());

		for (const propertyName of binaryPropertyName) {
			const binaryData = this.helpers.assertBinaryData(i, propertyName);

			let fileBase64;
			if (binaryData.id) {
				const chunkSize = 256 * 1024;
				const stream = await this.helpers.getBinaryStream(binaryData.id, chunkSize);
				const buffer = await this.helpers.binaryToBuffer(stream);
				fileBase64 = buffer.toString('base64');
			} else {
				fileBase64 = binaryData.data;
			}

			if (!binaryData) {
				throw new NodeOperationError(this.getNode(), 'No binary data exists on item!');
			}

			content.push({
				type: 'image_url',
				image_url: {
					url: `data:${binaryData.mimeType};base64,${fileBase64}`,
					detail,
				},
			});
		}
	}

	const body = {
		model,
		messages: [
			{
				role: 'user',
				content,

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ac6606e81)

Solutions

1. Verify the binary property name matches what the upstream node outputs (check the 'Binary' tab in the input data)
2. Ensure an upstream node (e.g. Read Binary File, HTTP Request) actually produces binary data on the item
3. Note: the actual error you see will come from assertBinaryData(), not this check — but the fix is the same

Example fix

// The !binaryData check at line 187 is dead code; assertBinaryData() at line 175 throws first.
// To actually guard, check BEFORE calling assertBinaryData:
// before:
//   const binaryData = this.helpers.assertBinaryData(i, propertyName);
//   ... use binaryData.id / binaryData.data ...
//   if (!binaryData) { throw ... }  // unreachable
// after:
//   const binaryData = this.helpers.assertBinaryData(i, propertyName);
//   // assertBinaryData already throws if missing; no additional guard needed

// Validate binary data exists BEFORE processing
const binaryPropertyName = this.getNodeParameter('binaryPropertyName', i);
const binaryData = this.helpers.assertBinaryData(i, binaryPropertyName);
// assertBinaryData throws if missing — this is the real guard
// The !binaryData check in the source is dead code

When it happens

Trigger: Intended to fire when binaryPropertyName does not resolve to binary data on the item. In practice, assertBinaryData() (line 175) throws first with its own error, so this NodeOperationError is never reached. The error is effectively dead code due to the check ordering.

Common situations: The binary property name specified in the node does not match any binary data on the input item; upstream node did not produce binary output; wrong binary property name configured.

Related errors

• A non-empty prompt is required.
• A non-empty prompt is required.
• An assistant with the same name '${name}' already exists
• The maximum number of files that can be attached to the assi
• ${error.message}

AI-assisted analysis of n8n-io/n8n@5ac6606e81 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/35bf0596fac97c1c. Report an issue: GitHub.