n8n-io/n8n · error · NodeOperationError

The provided workflow is not valid JSON: "${(error as Error)

Error message

The provided workflow is not valid JSON: "${(error as Error).message}"

What it means

Error "The provided workflow is not valid JSON: "${(error as Error).message}"" thrown in n8n-io/n8n.

Source

Thrown at packages/@n8n/nodes-langchain/nodes/retrievers/RetrieverWorkflow/RetrieverWorkflow.node.ts:345

						const { value } = this.executeFunctions.getNodeParameter(
							'workflowId',
							itemIndex,
							{},
						) as INodeParameterResourceLocator;
						workflowInfo.id = value as string;
					}

					baseMetadata.workflowId = workflowInfo.id;
				} else if (source === 'parameter') {
					// Read workflow from parameter
					const workflowJson = this.executeFunctions.getNodeParameter(
						'workflowJson',
						itemIndex,
					) as string;
					try {
						workflowInfo.code = JSON.parse(workflowJson) as IWorkflowBase;
					} catch (error) {
						throw new NodeOperationError(
							this.executeFunctions.getNode(),
							`The provided workflow is not valid JSON: "${(error as Error).message}"`,
							{
								itemIndex,
							},
						);
					}

					// same as current workflow
					baseMetadata.workflowId = workflowProxy.$workflow.id;
				}

				const rawData: IDataObject = { query };

				const workflowFieldsJson = this.executeFunctions.getNodeParameter(
					'fields.values',
					itemIndex,
					[],

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ac6606e81)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/@n8n/nodes-langchain/nodes/retrievers/RetrieverWorkflow/RetrieverWorkflow.node.ts:345 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/4d66337f71379a27. Report an issue: GitHub.