n8n integration (video tutorial)

Overview

Learn how to install and use the Cloudinary n8n integration to automate media workflows. n8n is a workflow automation platform that connects apps and automates processes with its visual, node-based interface. With the Cloudinary n8n integration, you can connect Cloudinary's media management capabilities with thousands of other apps and services.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to install the Cloudinary node, configure credentials, and use six different actions to upload assets, manage tags, set structured metadata, and more—all within your n8n workflows.

For more information, see the n8n integration guide.

Video tutorial

Tutorial contents

This tutorial presents the following topics. Click a timestamp to jump to that part of the video.

Introduction

0:00	Get started with the Cloudinary n8n integration. Learn how to install and use the Cloudinary node to automate media workflows in your n8n automations.

Finding and installing the Cloudinary node

0:04

Start with a new n8n flow and search for Cloudinary in the nodes panel. Select the Cloudinary integration and click Install node. After installation completes, you'll see six available actions organized into three categories: Upload actions (upload from URL, upload from file data), Update asset actions (update tags, update structured metadata), and Admin actions (get tags, get metadata field definitions).

Setting up credentials

0:32	Connect to your Cloudinary account by setting up credentials. Click Create New Credential and enter your Cloud Name, API Key, and API Secret from your Cloudinary Console. Find your Cloud Name on the Dashboard and your API credentials in the API Keys page of the Console Settings. Once saved, these credentials can be reused for all future Cloudinary actions.

Uploading an asset from a URL

1:46	Build your first flow by using a chat trigger to input an image URL, then add the Cloudinary Upload an asset from URL action. The credentials are automatically applied, and you can pull the URL from the chat input. Configure the resource type (image) and delivery type (upload for public assets), then execute the step to upload the image to your Cloudinary Media Library.

Adding tags to assets

3:04	Add tags to your uploaded assets using the Update asset tags action. Use the public ID, type, and resource type returned from the upload step to identify the asset, then specify the tags you want to add (like "dog", "cute dog", and "puppy"). Execute the step and verify the tags appear in the asset metadata in your Media Library.

Setting structured metadata

4:11	Apply structured metadata to your assets with the Update asset structured metadata action. Use the same asset identifiers (public ID, resource type, type) and provide metadata as JSON. For example, set a "name" field to "Ruff" and a "category" field to "mammal". For single selection lists, use the external ID of the list value.

Discovering metadata field definitions

5:24	Use the Get metadata fields definitions action to discover what metadata is configured in your account. This action requires no configuration—simply execute it to see all metadata types, their external IDs, labels, and other properties. This is helpful for understanding what metadata fields are available for your workflows.

Retrieving tags by resource type

5:49	List all tags applied to assets in your Media Library using the Get tags for a resource type action. Filter by resource type (like "image") and optionally use a prefix to narrow results (like "cute" to find "cute dog" and "cute cat"). Leave the prefix empty to see all tags, displayed in alphabetical order.

Uploading generated images from file data

6:38	Upload images from other sources (like OpenAI image generation) using the Upload an asset from file data action. The fields are automatically populated from the previous step's output, so you can simply execute it to upload the generated image directly to your Cloudinary Media Library.

Next steps: Build your workflows

7:20	Now it's your turn! You've learned how to install the Cloudinary node, configure credentials, and use six different actions to manage media assets. Consider how you can integrate Cloudinary into your own n8n workflows to automate media management, enhance images, organize assets, and connect with other services in your automation ecosystem.

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