Description
n8n-nodes-pterodactyl
Automate your Pterodactyl Panel with n8n workflows – manage game servers, monitor resources in real-time, and control infrastructure via API.
Pterodactyl Panel is an open-source game server management platform built with PHP, React, and Go.
n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.
Table of Contents
- Features
- Installation
- Quick Start
- What You Can Do
- Usage Examples
- Credentials Setup
- Troubleshooting
- Compatibility
- Advanced Features
- Contributing
- Project Status
- License
- Important Notice
- Resources
Features
- 🎮 47+ Operations – Server management, files, databases, backups, users, schedules, networks
- ⚡ Real-Time WebSocket – Stream console output and resource statistics
- 👥 Client & Application APIs – Both user and admin operations
- 🔐 Credential Validation – Tests API connectivity on credential save
- 🎨 Dynamic Dropdowns – Load servers, users, and locations from your panel
- 📦 TypeScript – Full type definitions included
Installation
Via n8n Community Nodes
- In n8n, go to Settings > Community Nodes
- Click Install a community node
- Enter:
n8n-nodes-pterodactyl - Click Install
Manual Installation (Self-Hosted)
cd ~/.n8n/nodes
npm install n8n-nodes-pterodactyl
Restart n8n to load the new nodes.
Quick Start
1. Set Up Credentials
You'll need an API key from your Pterodactyl Panel:
For Client API (user operations):
- Go to Account Settings → API Credentials
- Create a new API key
- Copy the key immediately
For Application API (admin operations):
- Go to Admin Panel → Application API
- Create a new API key with appropriate permissions
- Copy the key immediately
2. Configure in n8n
- Add a Pterodactyl node to your workflow
- Click Create New Credential
- Select the credential type you need
- Enter your Panel URL and API key
- Save and test the connection
3. Start Automating
Create a workflow to list your servers and check their status.
What You Can Do
Client API Operations
Server Management
- List all your servers
- Get server details and resource usage
- Control server power (start, stop, restart)
- Send console commands
- Monitor real-time resource usage
File Operations
- Browse and manage server files
- Read and write file contents
- Create archives and extract files
- Get secure upload URLs
Database Management
- List and create databases
- Rotate passwords
- Delete databases when needed
Backup Operations
- Create and restore backups
- Download backup archives
- Manage backup retention
Account & Access
- Manage your account settings
- Control API keys
- Manage subuser permissions
- Configure server schedules
Network
- View and manage IP allocations
- Set primary allocation
Application API Operations (Admin)
User Management
- Create and manage user accounts
- View user details and their servers
Server Provisioning
- Create new game servers
- Update server configurations
- Remove servers
Infrastructure
- Manage datacenter locations
WebSocket Features
Real-Time Monitoring
- Stream console output
- Get live resource statistics
- React to server status changes
- Track installation progress
Connection Management
- Automatic reconnection on disconnect
- Token refresh handling
- Graceful error recovery
Usage Examples
Automated Backups
Schedule daily backups for all servers:
Schedule Trigger (Daily at 3 AM)
↓
List Servers
↓
For each server
↓
Create Backup
↓
Send notification to Slack/Discord
Real-Time Monitoring
Alert on server errors from console output:
WebSocket Trigger
↓
Listen for console output
↓
If error detected
↓
Send alert to team
Config Deployment
Deploy configuration updates automatically:
GitHub Webhook (on push)
↓
Download config file
↓
Write to server
↓
Restart server
↓
Confirm success
Server Provisioning
Automate customer onboarding:
Webhook (new order)
↓
Create user account
↓
Create server
↓
Send welcome email
Credentials Setup
Client API Key
Use for: Server management, file operations, backups
- Log into your Pterodactyl Panel
- Click your username → Account Settings
- Go to API Credentials
- Click Create New
- Add a description (e.g., "n8n Automation")
- Copy the key (shown only once!)
Application API Key
Use for: User management, server creation, admin tasks
- Log into Pterodactyl as admin
- Go to Admin Panel
- Navigate to Application API
- Click Create New
- Add description and select permissions
- Copy the key (shown only once!)
Tips:
- Use Client API for most automation tasks
- Only use Application API when you need admin privileges
- Create separate keys for different workflows
- Never share API keys or commit them to code
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Can't connect to Panel
- Check that your Panel URL is correct (e.g.,
https://panel.example.com) - Remove any trailing slashes from the URL
- Verify the panel is accessible from your n8n instance
API Key not working
- Make sure you copied the entire key
- Check if the key was revoked in the panel
- Verify you're using the right credential type (Client vs Application)
WebSocket won't connect
- Ensure Wings is running on the server
- Check firewall rules allow WebSocket connections
- Verify the server ID is correct
"ConfigurationNotPersistedException" warning
- This is usually harmless – it means Wings couldn't sync immediately
- The operation succeeded on the Panel
- Wings will sync when it comes back online
Getting Help
Compatibility
Requirements:
- n8n v0.198.0 or higher
- Pterodactyl Panel v1.0 or higher
- Wings v1.0 or higher (for WebSocket features)
- Node.js v18.10.0 or higher
Tested with:
- n8n 1.x
- Pterodactyl Panel 1.11.x
- Self-hosted and n8n Cloud
- PostgreSQL and MySQL
Advanced Features
Dynamic Dropdowns
Many operations include dropdowns that load data from your panel:
- Server selection shows your accessible servers
- User selection (Application API)
- Location selection
- Allocation management
Pagination
List operations handle pagination automatically:
- Enable "Return All" to fetch everything
- Or set a limit for faster queries
Error Handling
Error handling features:
- Retries on HTTP 429 (rate limit) and 5xx responses
- ConfigurationNotPersistedException logged as warning instead of error
- WebSocket reconnection with exponential backoff
Contributing
This is a community project and we welcome contributions!
How to Help
- 🐛 Report bugs or issues you encounter
- 💡 Suggest features or improvements
- 📝 Improve documentation
- 🧪 Add test coverage
- 💻 Submit pull requests
Development Setup
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/goevexx/pterodactyl-api-node.git
cd pterodactyl-api-node
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Run tests
npm test
# Build
npm run build
See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines.
Project Status
This project is actively maintained. Current focus:
- ✅ Core operations implemented and tested
- ✅ WebSocket support with auto-reconnect
- ✅ 81% test coverage
- 🔄 Adding more example workflows
- 🔄 Improving documentation
- 📋 Planning additional Pterodactyl features
See ROADMAP.md for detailed plans.
License
MIT – Free to use, modify, and distribute.
Acknowledgments
- Built for the n8n community
- Integrates with Pterodactyl Panel
- Thanks to all contributors and users
Important Notice
⚠️ Independent Project
This project is independently maintained and not officially affiliated with Pterodactyl Panel or n8n.
Pterodactyl® is a registered trademark of Dane Everitt and contributors. The Pterodactyl logo is used under nominative fair use to indicate compatibility with the Pterodactyl Panel API.
Resources
Built with ❤️ for the community
