Bento N8N Integration

Connect Bento's powerful email marketing and automation platform directly into your N8N workflows. Send transactional emails, track events, manage subscribers, and execute advanced subscriber commands.

Overview

The Bento n8n Community Node makes it quick and easy to integrate Bento's email marketing and automation platform directly into your n8n workflows. This integration provides:

Subscriber Management: Create, update, and retrieve subscriber information with custom fields and tags
Event Tracking: Track custom events and user behavior for advanced segmentation and automation
Transactional Emails: Send personalized transactional emails with HTML/text content and template variables
Subscriber Commands: Execute powerful commands like adding/removing tags, managing fields, and subscription status
Email Validation: Validate email addresses for spam/throwaway detection using Bento's validation service

Prerequisites

Before getting started, you'll need:

n8n version 0.198.0 or higher
Node.js 20.15 or higher
An active Bento account with API credentials
Your Bento Publishable Key, Secret Key, and Site UUID

Installation

Install Community Node

Open your n8n instance
Go to Settings → Community Nodes
Click Install a community node
Enter the package name: bento-n8n-sdk
Click Install

Get Bento API Credentials

Log into your Bento dashboard
Navigate to API Keys
Copy your Publishable Key, Secret Key, and Site UUID

Keep your API credentials secure and never share your secret key or include it in version control.

Configure Credentials in n8n

In your n8n workflow, add a Bento node
Click on the Credential for Bento API dropdown
Select Create New Credential
Fill in your credentials:
- Publishable Key: Your Bento publishable key (used for client-side operations)
- Secret Key: Your Bento secret key (used for server-side operations)
- Site UUID: Your Bento site UUID (identifies your specific Bento site)
Click Save and Test to verify the connection

Your Secret Key is sensitive information. n8n automatically encrypts and securely stores your credentials.

Available Operations

Create Subscriber

Add a new subscriber to your Bento audience with email and profile data.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address

Optional Parameters:

Name
First Name
Type
string
Description
Subscriber's first name for personalization
Name
Last Name
Type
string
Description
Subscriber's last name for personalization
Name
Custom Fields
Type
object
Description
Additional key-value pairs to store with the subscriber

Example Use Cases:

Add new users from form submissions
Import subscribers from external databases
Create subscribers from webhook data

Get Subscriber

Retrieve detailed information about an existing subscriber by email.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address

Returns: Complete subscriber profile including custom fields, tags, and subscription status

Example Use Cases:

Look up subscriber information before sending personalized content
Verify subscriber existence in conditional workflows
Retrieve custom field data for personalization

Update Subscriber

Modify subscriber profile information and custom attributes.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address

Optional Parameters:

Name
First Name
Type
string
Description
Updated first name
Name
Last Name
Type
string
Description
Updated last name
Name
Custom Fields
Type
object
Description
Updated or new custom field values

Example Use Cases:

Update subscriber information from CRM changes
Add new custom fields based on user behavior
Sync subscriber data across platforms

Track Event

Record custom events and behaviors for subscriber segmentation and automation.

Required Parameters:

Name
User ID
Type
string
Description
Unique identifier for the user (typically email address)
Name
Event Name
Type
string
Description
Name of the custom event (e.g., "purchase_completed", "page_viewed")

Optional Parameters:

Name
Event Properties
Type
object
Description
Additional key-value pairs with event data

Example Use Cases:

Track purchase events with order details
Record page views and user interactions
Monitor feature usage and engagement
Trigger automation based on user behavior

Example Event Properties:

{
  "purchase_amount": 99.99,
  "product_id": "SKU123",
  "category": "electronics"
}

Send Transactional Email

Send personalized transactional emails using HTML or text content.

Required Parameters:

Name
Recipient Email
Type
string
Description
Email address of the recipient
Name
From Email
Type
string
Description
Sender email address (must be an existing author in your Bento account)
Name
Subject
Type
string
Description
Email subject line
Name
Email Type
Type
select
Description
Choose between HTML or Text format

Content Parameters:

Name
HTML Body
Type
string
Description
HTML content (when Email Type is HTML)
Name
Text Body
Type
string
Description
Plain text content (when Email Type is Text)

Optional Parameters:

Name
Transactional
Type
boolean
Description
Mark as transactional email - this ignores if the user has unsubscribed. USE WITH CAUTION!
Name
Personalizations
Type
object
Description
Template variables for dynamic content using liquid tags

Example Use Cases:

Send password reset emails
Deliver order confirmations
Send welcome emails to new users
Notify users of account changes

Example Personalization:

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "order_number": "12345",
  "total": "$99.99"
}

Subscriber Command

Execute commands on subscribers to manage tags, fields, and subscription status.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address
Name
Command
Type
select
Description
The action to perform

Available Commands:

Add Tag: Add a tag to the subscriber
Remove Tag: Remove a tag from the subscriber
Add Tag via Event: Add a tag through event tracking
Add Field: Add or update a custom field
Remove Field: Remove a custom field
Subscribe: Subscribe the email address
Unsubscribe: Unsubscribe the email address
Change Email: Update the subscriber's email address

Example Use Cases:

Segment subscribers with tags based on behavior
Manage subscription preferences
Update subscriber data programmatically
Handle unsubscribe requests

Validate Email

Validate email addresses for spam/throwaway detection using Bento's validation service.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The email address to validate

Optional Parameters:

Name
Name
Type
string
Description
Associated name (improves validation accuracy)
Name
IP Address
Type
string
Description
Associated IP address (improves validation accuracy)

Returns: Validation results including deliverability score and risk assessment

Example Use Cases:

Filter out invalid emails before adding subscribers
Prevent spam signups
Improve email deliverability rates
Validate email quality in real-time

Best Practices

Security Best Practices

Always use n8n's credential system - never hardcode API keys
Validate all input data before processing
Use HTTPS for all communications
Implement rate limiting for high-volume workflows
Keep your Secret Key secure and never expose it in client-side code

Common Workflow Examples

User Registration Flow

Trigger: New user signs up via webhook
Create Subscriber: Add user to Bento with profile data
Track Event: Send "signup" event with registration details
Send Email: Welcome email with onboarding instructions

E-commerce Purchase Tracking

Trigger: Purchase completed webhook from e-commerce platform
Track Event: Send "purchase_completed" event with order details
Update Subscriber: Add "customer" tag and update LTV
Send Email: Order confirmation with tracking information

Lead Scoring Workflow

Trigger: User performs action (downloads content, visits pricing page)
Track Event: Record engagement event
Get Subscriber: Retrieve current subscriber data
Subscriber Command: Add appropriate tags based on behavior
Conditional Logic: Trigger different flows based on lead score

Troubleshooting

Common Authentication Problems

Error: "Authentication Failed"

Verify your API credentials are correct and active
Check that your Site UUID format is correct
Ensure you're using the right environment (test vs production)

Error: "Invalid API Key"

Confirm your Secret Key hasn't been regenerated
Check that your Publishable Key matches your account

Technical Limitations

API Limits

Payload Size: Maximum request payload size is 1MB
Concurrent Requests: Limited to 5 concurrent requests per node instance
Field Limits: Custom field keys limited to 50 characters, values to 500 characters
Rate Limiting: Built-in rate limiting prevents API quota exhaustion

Security Features

Input Validation: All inputs are validated for length, format, and security
HTML Sanitization: HTML content is automatically sanitized to prevent XSS attacks
Email Validation: Email addresses are validated using RFC-compliant regex patterns
Secure Error Handling: Error messages don't expose sensitive information

Reliability Features

Automatic Retries: Failed requests are automatically retried with exponential backoff
Timeout Handling: Configurable timeouts prevent hanging requests
Concurrent Request Management: Intelligent management of concurrent API requests

FAQ

Additional Resources

Bento N8N Integration

Overview

The Bento n8n Community Node makes it quick and easy to integrate Bento's email marketing and automation platform directly into your n8n workflows. This integration provides:

Subscriber Management: Create, update, and retrieve subscriber information with custom fields and tags
Event Tracking: Track custom events and user behavior for advanced segmentation and automation
Transactional Emails: Send personalized transactional emails with HTML/text content and template variables
Subscriber Commands: Execute powerful commands like adding/removing tags, managing fields, and subscription status
Email Validation: Validate email addresses for spam/throwaway detection using Bento's validation service

Prerequisites

Before getting started, you'll need:

n8n version 0.198.0 or higher
Node.js 20.15 or higher
An active Bento account with API credentials
Your Bento Publishable Key, Secret Key, and Site UUID

Installation

Install Community Node

Open your n8n instance
Go to Settings → Community Nodes
Click Install a community node
Enter the package name: bento-n8n-sdk
Click Install

Get Bento API Credentials

Log into your Bento dashboard
Navigate to API Keys
Copy your Publishable Key, Secret Key, and Site UUID

Keep your API credentials secure and never share your secret key or include it in version control.

Configure Credentials in n8n

In your n8n workflow, add a Bento node
Click on the Credential for Bento API dropdown
Select Create New Credential
Fill in your credentials:
- Publishable Key: Your Bento publishable key (used for client-side operations)
- Secret Key: Your Bento secret key (used for server-side operations)
- Site UUID: Your Bento site UUID (identifies your specific Bento site)
Click Save and Test to verify the connection

Your Secret Key is sensitive information. n8n automatically encrypts and securely stores your credentials.

Available Operations

Create Subscriber

Add a new subscriber to your Bento audience with email and profile data.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address

Optional Parameters:

Name
First Name
Type
string
Description
Subscriber's first name for personalization
Name
Last Name
Type
string
Description
Subscriber's last name for personalization
Name
Custom Fields
Type
object
Description
Additional key-value pairs to store with the subscriber

Example Use Cases:

Add new users from form submissions
Import subscribers from external databases
Create subscribers from webhook data

Get Subscriber

Retrieve detailed information about an existing subscriber by email.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address

Returns: Complete subscriber profile including custom fields, tags, and subscription status

Example Use Cases:

Look up subscriber information before sending personalized content
Verify subscriber existence in conditional workflows
Retrieve custom field data for personalization

Update Subscriber

Modify subscriber profile information and custom attributes.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address

Optional Parameters:

Name
First Name
Type
string
Description
Updated first name
Name
Last Name
Type
string
Description
Updated last name
Name
Custom Fields
Type
object
Description
Updated or new custom field values

Example Use Cases:

Update subscriber information from CRM changes
Add new custom fields based on user behavior
Sync subscriber data across platforms

Track Event

Record custom events and behaviors for subscriber segmentation and automation.

Required Parameters:

Name
User ID
Type
string
Description
Unique identifier for the user (typically email address)
Name
Event Name
Type
string
Description
Name of the custom event (e.g., "purchase_completed", "page_viewed")

Optional Parameters:

Name
Event Properties
Type
object
Description
Additional key-value pairs with event data

Example Use Cases:

Track purchase events with order details
Record page views and user interactions
Monitor feature usage and engagement
Trigger automation based on user behavior

Example Event Properties:

{
  "purchase_amount": 99.99,
  "product_id": "SKU123",
  "category": "electronics"
}

Send Transactional Email

Send personalized transactional emails using HTML or text content.

Required Parameters:

Name
Recipient Email
Type
string
Description
Email address of the recipient
Name
From Email
Type
string
Description
Sender email address (must be an existing author in your Bento account)
Name
Subject
Type
string
Description
Email subject line
Name
Email Type
Type
select
Description
Choose between HTML or Text format

Content Parameters:

Name
HTML Body
Type
string
Description
HTML content (when Email Type is HTML)
Name
Text Body
Type
string
Description
Plain text content (when Email Type is Text)

Optional Parameters:

Name
Transactional
Type
boolean
Description
Mark as transactional email - this ignores if the user has unsubscribed. USE WITH CAUTION!
Name
Personalizations
Type
object
Description
Template variables for dynamic content using liquid tags

Example Use Cases:

Send password reset emails
Deliver order confirmations
Send welcome emails to new users
Notify users of account changes

Example Personalization:

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "order_number": "12345",
  "total": "$99.99"
}

Subscriber Command

Execute commands on subscribers to manage tags, fields, and subscription status.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The subscriber's email address
Name
Command
Type
select
Description
The action to perform

Available Commands:

Add Tag: Add a tag to the subscriber
Remove Tag: Remove a tag from the subscriber
Add Tag via Event: Add a tag through event tracking
Add Field: Add or update a custom field
Remove Field: Remove a custom field
Subscribe: Subscribe the email address
Unsubscribe: Unsubscribe the email address
Change Email: Update the subscriber's email address

Example Use Cases:

Segment subscribers with tags based on behavior
Manage subscription preferences
Update subscriber data programmatically
Handle unsubscribe requests

Validate Email

Validate email addresses for spam/throwaway detection using Bento's validation service.

Required Parameters:

Name
Email
Type
string
Description
The email address to validate

Optional Parameters:

Name
Name
Type
string
Description
Associated name (improves validation accuracy)
Name
IP Address
Type
string
Description
Associated IP address (improves validation accuracy)

Returns: Validation results including deliverability score and risk assessment

Example Use Cases:

Filter out invalid emails before adding subscribers
Prevent spam signups
Improve email deliverability rates
Validate email quality in real-time

Best Practices

Security Best Practices

Always use n8n's credential system - never hardcode API keys
Validate all input data before processing
Use HTTPS for all communications
Implement rate limiting for high-volume workflows
Keep your Secret Key secure and never expose it in client-side code

Common Workflow Examples

User Registration Flow

Trigger: New user signs up via webhook
Create Subscriber: Add user to Bento with profile data
Track Event: Send "signup" event with registration details
Send Email: Welcome email with onboarding instructions

E-commerce Purchase Tracking

Trigger: Purchase completed webhook from e-commerce platform
Track Event: Send "purchase_completed" event with order details
Update Subscriber: Add "customer" tag and update LTV
Send Email: Order confirmation with tracking information

Lead Scoring Workflow

Trigger: User performs action (downloads content, visits pricing page)
Track Event: Record engagement event
Get Subscriber: Retrieve current subscriber data
Subscriber Command: Add appropriate tags based on behavior
Conditional Logic: Trigger different flows based on lead score

Troubleshooting

Common Authentication Problems

Error: "Authentication Failed"

Verify your API credentials are correct and active
Check that your Site UUID format is correct
Ensure you're using the right environment (test vs production)

Error: "Invalid API Key"

Confirm your Secret Key hasn't been regenerated
Check that your Publishable Key matches your account

Technical Limitations

API Limits

Payload Size: Maximum request payload size is 1MB
Concurrent Requests: Limited to 5 concurrent requests per node instance
Field Limits: Custom field keys limited to 50 characters, values to 500 characters
Rate Limiting: Built-in rate limiting prevents API quota exhaustion

Security Features

Input Validation: All inputs are validated for length, format, and security
HTML Sanitization: HTML content is automatically sanitized to prevent XSS attacks
Email Validation: Email addresses are validated using RFC-compliant regex patterns
Secure Error Handling: Error messages don't expose sensitive information

Reliability Features

Automatic Retries: Failed requests are automatically retried with exponential backoff
Timeout Handling: Configurable timeouts prevent hanging requests
Concurrent Request Management: Intelligent management of concurrent API requests

Bento N8N Integration

Create Subscriber

Get Subscriber

Update Subscriber

Track Event

Send Transactional Email

Subscriber Command

Validate Email

Security Best Practices

User Registration Flow

E-commerce Purchase Tracking

Lead Scoring Workflow

Common Authentication Problems

API Limits

Security Features

Reliability Features

Can I use this with n8n Cloud?

What happens if an email address is invalid?

Can I send emails to unsubscribed users?

How do I get support?

Bento N8N Integration

Create Subscriber

Get Subscriber

Update Subscriber

Track Event

Send Transactional Email

Subscriber Command

Validate Email

Security Best Practices

User Registration Flow

E-commerce Purchase Tracking

Lead Scoring Workflow

Common Authentication Problems

API Limits

Security Features

Reliability Features

Can I use this with n8n Cloud?

What happens if an email address is invalid?

Can I send emails to unsubscribed users?

How do I get support?