@brave/n8n-nodes-brave-search
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A n8n node for the Brave Search API
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# n8n-nodes-brave-search
This is an n8n community node. It lets you use the [Brave Search API](https://brave.com/search/api/) in your n8n workflows.
Power your search and AI apps with the fastest growing independent search engine since Bing. Access an index of billions of pages with a single call. Get started for free at https://brave.com/search/api/.
[n8n](https://n8n.io/) is a [fair-code licensed](https://docs.n8n.io/reference/license/) workflow automation platform.
## Table of Contents
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Operations](#operations)
- [Credentials](#credentials)
- [Compatibility](#compatibility)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Resources](#resources)
- [Development](#development)
- [Version history](#version-history)
## Installation
Follow the [installation guide](https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/community-nodes/installation/) in the n8n community nodes documentation.
## Operations
This node presently supports search operations for general _web_ results, as well as _images_, _news_, and _videos_.
## Credentials
An API key is required in order to issue calls to the Brave Search API. Get started for FREE with 1 query/second, and 2,000 queries/month. Sign up to retrieve your API key at https://brave.com/search/api/.
## Compatibility
Tested locally against n8n v1.93.0.
## Usage
You should familarize yourself with the various _response objects_, to understand what data is provided by the API, and how to access individual insights. Response object formats are available in the Brave Search API documentation. For example, to understand how a standard Web Search response looks, you can visit https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/app/documentation/web-search/responses.
## Resources
* [n8n community nodes documentation](https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/community-nodes/)
* [Brave Search API documentation](https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/app/documentation/)
## Development
To streamline and accelerate the development process, follow these steps:
### Quick Start (Recommended)
1. Install _n8n_ globally (`pnpm add -g n8n`).
2. Install dependencies: `pnpm install`
3. Run the full development environment: `pnpm run dev:full`
4. Open the n8n editor UI in your browser (typically at http://localhost:5678).
The `dev:full` script automatically:
- Builds the project
- Starts TypeScript compilation in watch mode
- Launches n8n with the proper environment variables set
- Enables hot reloading for development
### Manual Development Setup
If you prefer to run commands separately:
1. Install _n8n_ globally (`pnpm add -g n8n`).
2. Install dependencies: `pnpm install`
3. Build the project: `pnpm build`
4. Start TypeScript watch mode: `pnpm dev`
5. In a separate terminal, start n8n: `pnpm run dev:n8n`
### Alternative: System Environment Variables
You can also set environment variables manually if preferred:
- Set `N8N_CUSTOM_EXTENSIONS` to the `/dist` directory of this repository
- Set `N8N_DEV_RELOAD` to `true`
- Run `pnpm run dev` and `n8n start` separately
You should now be able to search for and use the Brave Search node in your n8n workflows.
### First-Time Setup Notes
> **Important:** When launching n8n locally for the first time, the startup process may take 1-2 minutes to initialize. Wait for the "Editor is now accessible via web browser" message in the terminal before opening your browser.
>
> On first access to http://localhost:5678, you'll be prompted to create an admin user account for your local n8n instance.
>
> **Remember:** You'll need to configure your Brave Search API credentials in the n8n interface before the node will function. See the [Credentials](#credentials) section above for API key information.
>
> If you encounter issues or need to start fresh, you can reset n8n to its initial state by running `n8n user-management:reset`.