How can I resolve the 'Invalid tools[1].function.name' error with Google Sheets in n8n?

The error is occurring because the Tools Agent (which leverages Langchain’s tool calling interface) validates that each tool’s function name conforms to a strict regex (only letters a–z/A–Z, numbers, underscores, and dashes are allowed). In your case, the function name "Añadir_o_Actualizar_fila" includes an accented character ("ñ") which is not permitted.

Background

The Tools Agent node uses a schema to “call” external tools. That schema requires that all function names match the pattern:

  ^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$

Even if the integration (Google Sheets, in this instance) localizes the function names (for example, using Spanish names), the underlying schema remains strict.

Workarounds

Since the function name for this tool is fixed by the integration, here are a couple of approaches you can consider:

1. Override or Remap the Function Name
   If you have the ability to customize the tool node configuration in your workflow, look for an option to override the default function name. Changing "Añadir_o_Actualizar_fila" to something like "Anadir_o_Actualizar_fila" (i.e. replacing the accented "ñ" with "n") should satisfy the regex.

2. Report or Check for a Fix from n8n
   If the function name is hardcoded and cannot be overridden in your version (n8n v1.77.3), this may be an issue for the n8n team. You could check the n8n community forum or file an issue on their GitHub repository so they can address the localization conflict in a future update.

3. Use an Alternative Integration Method
   As a temporary workaround, consider using the HTTP Request node (with the appropriate batch options) to interact with the Google Sheets API directly. This bypasses the strict naming rules imposed for tool function calls within the Tools Agent.

Final Notes

Make sure your workflow reflects valid function names since this isn’t an issue of the AI model configuration—the enforced naming convention comes directly from Langchain’s interface expectations. Converting the accented characters to unaccented ones (or otherwise renaming to match the pattern) is necessary, even if your target language is Spanish.

Hope this helps you resolve the issue! If you have further questions specific to n8n’s integration or function parameters, checking the official documentation or community discussions may provide additional insights.

It looks like the error is coming from the fact that the function name used by your Google Sheets tool (“Añadir_o_Actualizar_fila”) contains special characters (the “ñ” in this case) that don’t match the allowed pattern (only letters a–z, A–Z, numbers, underscores, or dashes).

What’s Happening

When you integrate tools with an AI agent in n8n, each tool’s function name is validated against a regular expression that only permits:

• Letters (a–z and A–Z)
• Numbers (0–9)
• Underscores (_)
• Dashes (-)

Since “Añadir_o_Actualizar_fila” contains an “ñ”, it fails this check.

Workarounds and Suggestions

1. Override the Function Name (if possible):
   Although the tool’s name is “fixed” (for example, coming from the native Google Sheets integration with Spanish labels), n8n sometimes lets you override parameters in the node’s configuration. Check if you can manually specify an acceptable function name (such as “Anadir_o_Actualizar_fila”) in your node configuration. This would essentially remove or replace the special character.

2. Switch the Locale:
   Some integrations derive function names based on the interface language. Switching your instance (or just the node) to English might use the standard English function name (for example, “add_or_update_row”), which adheres to the allowed pattern.

3. Report the Issue:
   If neither of the above solutions works because the function name is embedded and not changeable via configuration, this appears to be a bug in how localized tool names are processed. In that case, you should consider reporting the issue on the n8n GitHub repository or community forum. The maintainers might provide a patch or an alternative work-around in a future release.

Example of a Name Normalization Function

If you have some flexibility (e.g. in custom node configurations or similar), you can use a little JavaScript function to normalize the name before it’s sent. For example:

JAVASCRIPTCopied
function normalizeName(name) {
  // Normalize the string to decompose accented characters into base character and diacritics
  // Then remove diacritics with a regex
  return name.normalize('NFD').replace(/[\u0300-\u036f]/g, '');
}

const originalName = "Añadir_o_Actualizar_fila";
const validName = normalizeName(originalName); // "Anadir_o_Actualizar_fila"
console.log(validName);

While this doesn’t directly fix a “fixed” tool parameter, it illustrates the principle that special characters need to be removed.

Final Thoughts

Since you’re using n8n version 1.77.3 on Digital Ocean, you might also want to check if there’s an updated version or a patch addressing localized function names in AI agent integrations. In the meantime, if you can override the function name manually or switch the language settings, that would be your best bet to conform to the allowed pattern.

I hope this helps you resolve the error!

The error indicates that the function name used by the Google Sheets tool doesn’t pass the strict naming validation imposed by the underlying Langchain function calling interface. This validation only allows letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), underscores (_), and dashes (-). In your case, the default function name "Añadir_o_Actualizar_fila" contains an accent (the "ñ"), which causes the error.

Why This Happens

• The Tools Agent in n8n implements Langchain’s tool calling interface.
• The interface requires that function names match the regex pattern:
  ^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$
• Non-ASCII characters (like "ñ") or spaces are not allowed.

Workarounds & Recommendations

1. Rename the Function Name:
   Since the function name is fixed in the node configuration, one option is to modify it manually to a version that adheres to the allowed pattern. For example, you could change:

   • From:
     Añadir_o_Actualizar_fila
   • To:
     Anadir_o_Actualizar_fila

   This change replaces the "ñ" with an "n", which complies with the pattern.

2. Use an Alias (If Available):
   Some integrations let you change the internal “function name” while still displaying a friendly name elsewhere (for example, in a description field). Check if n8n provides a way to override or alias the function name for display purposes while keeping the underlying name compliant.

3. Report / Request a Feature:
   If changing the function name is not an option because it’s hard-coded or if the Spanish name must be preserved for your workflow, it might be a good idea to open an issue or feature request on the n8n GitHub repository or reach out to n8n support. The team might consider making the validation more flexible or allowing an alias mechanism.

Summary

The root of the problem is that the default Google Sheets tool function name in Spanish does not match the allowed pattern. The immediate solution is to modify the function name (for example, change "Añadir" to "Anadir") so it only contains valid characters. If that isn’t feasible for your use case, consider reaching out to the n8n community or support to discuss potential workarounds or fixes in a future release.

I hope this helps resolve the issue!