n8n Integration
What it is
thanks.io has an n8n node available as a verified community package (n8n-nodes-thanks-io) - built and maintained by thanks.io and verified by n8n. The node lets you add thanks.io mail sends as an action step in any n8n workflow, connecting to over 1,000 other apps and services.
Available actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Send Postcard | Send a postcard mailer |
| Send Notecard | Send a folded notecard mailer |
| Send Windowed Letter | Send a letter in a windowed envelope |
| Send Windowless Letter | Send a letter in a windowless envelope |
| Send Magnacard | Send a magnet-style mailer |
| Send Giftcard | Send a giftcard mailer |
How to use it
n8n Cloud (verified node)
Because the thanks.io node is a verified community node, an instance owner must enable it once before anyone on the instance can use it.
- As an instance owner, go to Settings → Community nodes and install
n8n-nodes-thanks-io. (Learn more about verified node setup) - Open the workflow editor, click + in the top right, and search for thanks.io in the Nodes panel.
- Drag the thanks.io node into your workflow canvas.
- Click the node and select Create New Credential, then enter your thanks.io API key.
- Configure the node: choose an action (e.g. Send Postcard), choose what to mail (see Choose what to mail), and map recipient fields.
- Connect to your trigger, then click Execute Node to test and activate.
Self-hosted n8n
- In your n8n directory:
npm install n8n-nodes-thanks-io - Restart n8n, then follow the Cloud steps above.
Choose what to mail
Every send action has a Creative field. A creative is a saved design from your thanks.io dashboard: a front and a message together, with its handwriting and background. Set one and the piece is sent exactly as it looks in Creatives.
- From List - search your creatives by name. The list shows only creatives that are ready to send and match the action you picked (and, for Send Postcard, the selected Size), so a 6x9 creative is never offered to a 4x6 send. Each entry links to the creative in the dashboard so you can open and edit it.
- ID - paste a creative ID. In Creatives, open a creative's menu and choose Copy creative ID (or Preview, which shows the ID with a copy button); see Finding template IDs.
When you use a creative:
- Leave Image Template ID, Front Image URL, Message, Message Template ID, the custom background fields, and the handwriting fields empty. The send is rejected if any of them is set, because the creative already supplies them.
- QR Code URL and, on letters, Additional Pages URL can still be added.
- A gift card creative already carries its brand and amount, so Giftcard Brand and Giftcard Amount can be left empty.
Without a creative, use the template fields: set an Image Template ID or a Front Image URL (one of them is required when no creative is set), plus a Message or Message Template ID. For postcards, use templates of the type that matches the selected size.
The Creative field comes with a recent version of the thanks.io node. If you don't see it, update n8n-nodes-thanks-io: on n8n Cloud or any instance using the community nodes UI, an instance owner updates it from Settings → Community nodes; on a self-hosted install, run npm update n8n-nodes-thanks-io in your n8n directory and restart n8n.
Tips & best practices
- Inspect the Execution view after a test run to verify field mapping before going live.
- Turn on Test Mode in thanks.io (Settings → API Access) while building, so orders are accepted and then canceled automatically. See API Test Mode.
- Design and preview the piece in Creatives first, then pick that creative in the node. Changes you make to the creative later apply to the workflow's next sends.
- For bulk sends, pass data through a Split In Batches node before the thanks.io node to avoid rate limits.