n8n-io/n8n · error

UNKNOWN_CONFIG_KEY

UNKNOWN_CONFIG_KEY

Error message

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.

What it means

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.

Source

Thrown at packages/@n8n/workflow-sdk/src/workflow-builder/plugins/validators/unknown-config-keys-validator.ts:76

		node: NodeInstance<string, string, unknown>,
		_graphNode: GraphNode,
		_ctx: PluginContext,
	): ValidationIssue[] {
		if (!node.config) return [];

		const unknownKeys = Object.keys(node.config).filter(
			// Internal markers (e.g. `_originalName` set by fromJSON) are intentional
			// and not part of the public NodeConfig contract.
			(key) => !KNOWN_CONFIG_KEYS.has(key) && !key.startsWith('_'),
		);

		if (unknownKeys.length === 0) return [];

		const nodeRef = formatNodeRef(node.name, undefined, node.type);
		const keyList = unknownKeys.map((k) => `"${k}"`).join(', ');
		return [
			{
				code: 'UNKNOWN_CONFIG_KEY',
				message: `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.`,
				severity: 'warning',
				violationLevel: 'major',
				nodeName: node.name,
			},
		];
	},
};

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ac6606e81)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/@n8n/workflow-sdk/src/workflow-builder/plugins/validators/unknown-config-keys-validator.ts:76 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/c28e712bf5854ef4. Report an issue: GitHub.