Edit Fields and other data nodes

Data rarely arrives in the shape the next app wants. n8n has small data nodes for common reshaping jobs, so you don't need code.

• Edit Fields (Set): add, rename or change fields, and optionally keep only the fields you list. Example: create fullName from {{ $json.first }} {{ $json.last }}, and drop everything else.
• Filter: keep only items that meet conditions, such as amount greater than 100. Items that fail are dropped.
• Sort and Limit: order items and keep the first N, such as the top 10 by score.
• Remove Duplicates: drop repeated items, compared by all or chosen fields.
• Split Out: turn a list inside one item into separate items. One order with 3 products becomes 3 items, so the next node runs 3 times.
• Aggregate: the opposite, gathering a field from many items into one list inside a single item, useful before sending one summary message.
• Summarize: count, sum or average, grouped by a field, like a pivot table in a spreadsheet.
• Date & Time: format dates and add or subtract time.

When should you use an expression and when a node? Expressions are fine for small changes inside one field. Data nodes are clearer for anything that changes the number of items or the structure, and they show their result in the OUTPUT panel, which makes debugging easy.

Split Out and Aggregate are especially important: they let you switch between "one item with a list" and "many items", which controls how many times later nodes run.