Skip to content
HIPE Logo Developers - HIPE

n8n integration with HIPE

n8n

What is n8n and why do we use it?

Section titled “What is n8n and why do we use it?”

n8n is a workflow automation and ETL platform. It lets you connect systems, transform data, and orchestrate processes using visual workflows instead of custom one‑off integrations.

With HIPE, we use n8n as our standard integration and ETL layer:

  • To move data between HIPE and your CRM, ERP, data warehouse, or BI tools.
  • To automate operational processes (customer onboarding, project lifecycle, data quality checks, reporting).
  • To give your team ready‑made, battle‑tested workflows that can be cloned and adapted instead of starting from scratch.

At a very high level, the integration looks like this:

flowchart LR
  A["Your systems"] --> B["Automation layer (n8n)"] --> C["HIPE"]

Several HIPE customers already run n8n integrations in production. n8n always runs inside the customer infrastructure; HIPE does not host n8n.

Key benefits for C‑level stakeholders

Section titled “Key benefits for C‑level stakeholders”

  • Lower integration cost and risk
    Reuse off‑the‑shelf HIPE nodes and workflows instead of building and maintaining custom code.

  • Faster time‑to‑value
    Start from existing workflows (for example, syncing companies, users, projects, imports/exports) and adapt them to your context.

  • Control stays with you
    n8n is deployed in your infrastructure, under your security and compliance policies. We only require controlled remote access when you want our help.

  • Flexible as your processes evolve
    Business and technical teams can iterate on workflows without a full software development cycle.

For a quick technical overview of how to start, see:
Get started with n8n + HIPE.

How the architecture works

Section titled “How the architecture works”

At a high level, an n8n + HIPE integration looks like this:

  • You run n8n in your environment (on‑prem or cloud).
  • n8n connects to your internal systems (ERP, CRM, databases, files) using native n8n nodes (for example, MySQL).
  • n8n connects to HIPE only via the HIPE API, using the HIPE community node (@packitoo/n8n-nodes-hipe) and HTTPS.
  • HIPE can emit webhooks and events to n8n to trigger workflows.

In other words, data flows like this:

flowchart LR
  subgraph "Customer infrastructure"
    A["Customer systems (ERP, CRM, DB, files)"] <--> B["n8n"]
  end

  B -- "HTTPS API" --> C["HIPE"]
  C -- "Webhooks / events" --> B
  • HIPE never connects directly to your databases.
  • All communication between n8n and HIPE happens over the HIPE HTTP API.
  • All traffic between your systems and n8n stays inside your private network / VPN.

For concrete examples and recommended patterns, see:
Integration patterns with n8n.

Responsibilities and operating model

Section titled “Responsibilities and operating model”

We recommend agreeing early on who owns what.

  • You (customer)

    • Host and operate n8n (infrastructure, upgrades, backups, monitoring).
    • Provide and manage network access (VPN, firewalls) to HIPE (API and/or database).
    • Own data mapping decisions and business rules in your workflows.

  • HIPE / Packitoo

    • Provide and maintain the HIPE n8n nodes:
      @packitoo/n8n-nodes-hipe on GitHub
    • Maintain examples and ready‑to‑import workflows for common use cases.
    • Advise on architecture, security, and best practices for using n8n with HIPE.
    • Support you during implementation and evolution of the integration.

This separation keeps infrastructure and access control under your governance, while leveraging our expertise on HIPE and the node package.

Data governance and identifiers

Section titled “Data governance and identifiers”

Correct identifier mapping is critical for reliable integrations, especially for bidirectional data flows.

  • Every main entity in HIPE (companies, users, projects, etc.) exposes an externalId field.
    • This is designed to store the identifier from your source system (ERP, CRM, etc.).
  • For bidirectional integrations, your systems must also have a way to store the corresponding HIPE identifier (or the externalId you send to HIPE), for example:
    • A dedicated column in your database table.
    • A custom field in your CRM or ERP.

For any bidirectional sync, we must be able to persist a stable mapping between HIPE entities and your local entities.

Without this, it is not possible to reliably match records, avoid duplicates, or safely update data in both directions.

Security and network expectations

Section titled “Security and network expectations”

Security is based on the principle that n8n and HIPE communicate only over private, controlled channels.

  • Access to n8n and to the internal systems it connects to should go through a VPN or equivalent private connectivity.
  • HIPE is accessed from n8n only via HTTPS API calls, never by opening direct database connections from HIPE to your systems.
  • When connecting n8n to your own databases, we recommend:
    • A dedicated database account with the minimum required permissions (ideally read‑only for ETL/reporting).
    • Network segmentation and no public DB exposure.
  • HIPE is never given credentials or control over your infrastructure outside this private connectivity.

For detailed technical steps, see:

We are available to review your proposed setup with your security and infrastructure teams.

Project kick‑off checklist

Section titled “Project kick‑off checklist”

When starting an n8n + HIPE project, we recommend aligning on the following points:

  • Scope and objectives – What problems should the integration solve? Which entities (users, companies, projects, orders, etc.) are in scope?
  • Direction of sync – One‑way (source → HIPE or HIPE → target) or bidirectional?
  • Identifier mapping – Confirm which fields will store HIPE IDs / externalId in your systems, and how they map back to HIPE.
  • Hosting & network – Where n8n runs, how VPN / private connectivity is set up, and how webhooks are exposed (if used).
  • Ownership – Who owns n8n operations, data mappings, and workflow evolution on your side?
  • Environments – How many environments (sandbox, staging, production) and how promotion between them is managed.

Once these points are clear, the implementation details in the technical pages become much easier to execute.

Where to go next

Section titled “Where to go next”