n8n-io/n8n · error

SET_CREDENTIAL_FIELD

SET_CREDENTIAL_FIELD

Error message

${nodeRef} has a field named "${assignment.name}" which appears to be storing credentials. Use n8n's credential system instead.

What it means

Fires in validateNode when a manual-mode Set assignment has a name that isCredentialFieldName flags as a credential-like field (e.g. names resembling password, apiKey, token). Storing secrets as Set node field values puts them in plaintext in the workflow JSON and execution data; the validator rejects this pattern. The offending input is the assignment.name string; this is a lint-style guard, not a runtime throw.

Solutions

1. Remove the credential-valued assignment and attach an n8n credential to the node that needs the secret instead
2. If the field is legitimate (not a secret), rename it so it no longer matches credential-style names
3. Pass the secret via an expression referencing a credential-backed node's output rather than a literal value

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/@n8n/workflow-sdk/src/workflow-builder/plugins/validators/set-node-validator.ts:185 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of n8n-io/n8n@5ac6606e81 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/788b6c32bb1e5aa5. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/@n8n/workflow-sdk/src/workflow-builder/plugins/validators/set-node-validator.ts:185

					});
				}
			}

			if (assignment.value === undefined) {
				issues.push({
					code: 'SET_INVALID_ASSIGNMENT',
					message: `${nodeRef} assignment at index ${index} is missing the "value" field.`,
					severity: 'error',
					violationLevel: 'major',
					nodeName: displayName,
					parameterPath: `${parameterPath}.value`,
					originalName: origForWarning,
				});
			}

			if (isNonEmptyString(assignment.name) && isCredentialFieldName(assignment.name)) {
				issues.push({
					code: 'SET_CREDENTIAL_FIELD',
					message: `${nodeRef} has a field named "${assignment.name}" which appears to be storing credentials. Use n8n's credential system instead.`,
					severity: 'warning',
					nodeName: displayName,
					originalName: origForWarning,
				});
			}
		}

		return issues;
	},
};

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