Advanced

This guide covers advanced Directus features in n8n using raw CRUD operations, which give you full access to Directus's native filter syntax, query parameters, and complex query capabilities.

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Raw CRUD Operations

The Directus node provides raw versions of all CRUD operations that allow you to use Directus's native JSON syntax for filters, query parameters, and data manipulation. These operations give you full control over the API request.

Available Raw Operations

Quick reference of all available raw operations organized by resource type:

Using Raw Operations

Raw operations work similarly to their standard counterparts, but instead of using the node's form fields, you provide data as a JSON object: the JSON Data field for Create/Update, or the Query Parameters field for Get/Get Many.

Setting Up a Raw Operation

1. Add a Directus node to your workflow
2. Set Resource to Item, User, or File
3. Select a Raw JSON operation (e.g., "Get Many (Raw JSON)", "Create (Raw JSON)")
4. For Items operations, select the Collection
5. Enter your data in the JSON Data field (Create/Update) or the Query Parameters field (Get/Get Many)
6. For Get and Update operations, provide the Item ID if needed

Get Many (Raw JSON)

Retrieve items with advanced filtering and query parameters:

{
  "filter": {
    "status": {"_eq": "published"},
    "views": {"_gt": 1000}
  },
  "fields": "title,author.name,views",
  "sort": "-date_created",
  "limit": 10
}

Get (Raw JSON)

Retrieve a single item with custom query parameters:

{
  "fields": "title,content,author.name,author.email,comments.text"
}

Create (Raw JSON)

Create items with full control over the JSON structure:

{
  "title": "My New Post",
  "content": "Post content here",
  "status": "published",
  "author": "author-uuid-here",
  "categories": ["category-uuid-1", "category-uuid-2"]
}

Update (Raw JSON)

Update items with complex data structures:

{
  "title": "Updated Title",
  "status": "archived",
  "metadata": {
    "tags": ["updated", "archived"],
    "notes": "Item has been archived"
  }
}

Using Filters with Raw Operations

Raw operations allow you to use Directus's complete filter syntax. Specify filters in the filter parameter of the Query Parameters field (Get Many).

Example: Complex filter with logical operators

{
  "filter": {
    "_and": [
      {"status": {"_eq": "published"}},
      {
        "_or": [
          {"category": {"_eq": "tutorial"}},
          {"category": {"_eq": "guide"}}
        ]
      },
      {"views": {"_gt": 100}}
    ]
  }
}

Example: Relational filtering

{
  "filter": {
    "author": {
      "name": {"_eq": "John Doe"}
    },
    "comments": {
      "_some": {
        "status": {"_eq": "approved"}
      }
    }
  }
}

Query Parameters

Get (Raw JSON) and Get Many (Raw JSON) support all Directus query parameters. Include them in the Query Parameters field alongside filters:

Common query parameters:

{
  "fields": "title,author.name,views",
  "sort": "-date_created",
  "limit": 10,
  "offset": 0
}

Search:

{
  "search": "directus tutorial"
}

Aggregation:

{
  "aggregate": {
    "count": "id",
    "sum": "views",
    "avg": "rating"
  },
  "groupBy": "category"
}

Content Versioning

When it applies

Only collections with content versioning enabled in Directus use the version query parameter. Non-versioned collections don't need it.

Reading versioned content

Use Get (Raw JSON) and pass version in the Query Parameters field. The version parameter only applies to single-item retrieval, so it has no effect on Get Many (Raw JSON):

{
  "version": "draft"
}

Or for the published version:

{
  "version": "published"
}

version: "main" still works for backward compatibility, but published is preferred. See Directus v12 breaking changes.

Updating draft content

Directus doesn't accept a version parameter on item updates. Draft edits go through the dedicated Versions API instead: POST /versions/{id}/save to save changes to a version, then POST /versions/{id}/promote to publish it.

Neither Update nor Update (Raw JSON) can call these endpoints. Use an HTTP Request node to call them directly with your Directus credentials.

See Content Versioning for the full versioning workflow in Directus.

Working with Relations

When using Create (Raw JSON) or Update (Raw JSON), you can include related data directly in your JSON:

{
  "title": "My Post",
  "author": "author-uuid-here",
  "categories": ["category-uuid-1", "category-uuid-2"],
  "comments": [
    {"text": "Great post!", "user": "user-uuid-here"}
  ]
}

Using Expressions in Raw Operations

You can use n8n expressions in your raw JSON data for dynamic queries:

{
  "filter": {
    "status": {"_eq": "{{ $json.status }}"},
    "views": {"_gt": {{ $json.min_views }}}
  },
  "fields": "{{ $json.requested_fields }}",
  "sort": "-{{ $json.sort_field }}",
  "limit": {{ $json.limit }}
}

Performance Tips

• Select only needed fields: Use the fields parameter to reduce data transfer
• Use pagination: Use limit and offset/page for large datasets, process in batches with n8n's Split In Batches node
• Filter in Directus: Always use the filter parameter rather than processing all data in n8n

Example:

{
  "fields": "id,title,status",
  "filter": {
    "status": {"_eq": "published"},
    "date_created": {"_gte": "$NOW(-30 days)"}
  },
  "limit": 100
}

Next Steps

• ← Back to Overview Return to the integration overview
• Learn about Directus Actions → Basic operations guide
• Learn about Directus Triggers → Automation workflows