Getting Started with Nodebase

A comprehensive developer guide to building, running, and scaling visual workflows in minutes.

1. What is Nodebase?

Nodebase is a visual workflow automation platform designed for modern product and operations teams. Through an intuitive drag-and-drop canvas, you can connect SaaS APIs, database queries, logic filters, and AI agents into reliable, event-driven pipelines.

2. Core Concepts

Before assembling your first workspace, familiarize yourself with the three core tenets of Nodebase:

A. Workflows & Directing Graph

A workflow is a directed graph of nodes connected together. The workspace executes sequentially or splits into parallel branches based on conditional outputs.

B. Triggers vs. Actions vs. Logic Nodes

Every pipeline contains three distinct categories of nodes:

Triggers (Entrypoints): Starts the execution. Can be a Manual Trigger, a scheduled cron-like Schedule Trigger, or an HTTP Webhook Trigger.
Actions (Integrations): Performs tasks inside third-party APIs (e.g., Slack, Gmail, Google Sheets, Razorpay).
Logic & Utility Nodes: Structures data flows (e.g., If/Else branches, Code execution, Loops, HTTP Requests).

C. Execution Context State

As a workflow runs, Nodebase aggregates outputs into a single JSON object called the Context. When a node resolves, its return payload is automatically appended under its configured Variable Name.

jsonShared Context JSON Example

{
  "webhookTrigger": {
    "body": {
      "customer_email": "[email protected]",
      "plan": "enterprise"
    },
    "headers": {
      "host": "nodebase.mayanksaraswal.in"
    }
  },
  "crmLookup": {
    "ok": true,
    "data": {
      "lead_score": 92,
      "company": "Vijay Enterprises"
    }
  }
}

Downstream steps retrieve these values utilizing Handlebars bindings. E.g. {{crmLookup.data.lead_score}} resolves to 92.

3. Dynamic Templating Syntax

Parameter fields within Nodebase nodes accept Handlebars tags. These expressions are resolved at runtime prior to execution.

Syntax Pattern	Description / Output Type	Example Output
{{variableName.field}}	Accesses a specific parameter value.	"[email protected]"
{{json variableName}}	Stringifies an entire object structure (ideal for raw HTTP bodies).	{"customer_email":"vijay..."}
{{variableName.list.0.name}}	Accesses specific elements in a zero-indexed array.	"Vijay Enterprises"

4. Step-by-Step Tutorial: Building a Lead Routing Pipeline

Follow this tutorial to build a workflow that routes premium webhook leads into custom communication channels.

Initialize the Workflow Canvas

Navigate to the Workflows dashboard tab. Click New Workflow. You will be presented with a grid-based canvas. Change the workflow name at the top to Lead Routing System.

Configure the Webhook Trigger

Drag the Webhook Trigger from the sidebar nodes library onto the canvas. Double-click it to open settings:

Set the **Variable Name** to webhook.
Under URL paths, copy the unique production webhook endpoint. This endpoint accepts `POST` payloads.
Click **Save**. Connect this node as the origin.

Add Conditional Logic (If/Else Node)

Drag an If/Else logic node and link the output port of the Webhook Trigger to its input port. Double-click the If/Else node to configure:

For the **Value A** field, type {{webhook.body.deal_value}}.
Set the **Operator** dropdown to **Greater Than**.
For **Value B**, enter 10000.
Click **Save**. The If/Else node now splits the path into two output branches: true and false.

Integrate Slack Alerts (Premium Path)

Connect a Slack Node to the true (upper) output port of the If/Else node:

Select your configured Slack credentials (or add a webhook in Credentials).
Set the channel to #sales-alerts.
Configure the message template as: "🔥 Premium Lead Alert! Customer: {{webhook.body.name}} (Company: {{webhook.body.company}}) has requested a demo. Value: ${{webhook.body.deal_value}}!".

Integrate Email Automation (Standard Path)

Connect a Gmail Node to the false (lower) output port of the If/Else node:

Select your Google credential.
Set the **Recipient** to {{webhook.body.email}}.
Set the **Subject** to "Thank you for contacting us!".
In the body, write a warm thank-you note referencing their company name: Hi {{webhook.body.name}}, thanks for reaching out. We have logged your request for {{webhook.body.company}}....

5. Execution, Testing & Debugging

To test your new pipeline, you must simulate or trigger an execution:

A. Triggering the Flow

Send a test HTTP request to your copied Webhook URL using curl, Postman, or a similar utility:

bash

curl -X POST https://nodebase.mayanksaraswal.in/api/v1/webhooks/YOUR_KEY \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "Vijay Sen", "company": "Vijay Enterprises", "email": "[email protected]", "deal_value": 15000}'

B. Inspecting Execution Run Logs

Once sent, the canvas updates in real-time:

Status Badges: Every node displays a colored ring (Green: Success, Red: Failed, Orange: Processing).
Variables Context Panel: Click on any node to view the JSON snapshot of the workflow context at the moment that specific node completed. This makes tracking Handlebars resolution bugs simple.
Execution Logs: The **Runs** pane lists historic workflows. Click any run ID to replay or debug the execution path.

6. Setting Up Credentials

To maintain clean segregation, API tokens and OAuth connections are managed in the centralized credential manager:

Navigate to the **Settings → Credentials** screen in the dashboard menu.
Click **Add Credential** and select your application type.
Input the keys or complete the OAuth popup authorization (for services like Gmail or Google Sheets).
Once saved, these credentials become selectable in the corresponding canvas nodes.

Credential configurations are encrypted with AES-256 keys. Never share workflow screenshots displaying raw API tokens in prompt texts; always store keys in the credential manager.

Introduction Overview