How can I properly parse JSON from the HTTP Request node in n8n?

Below is some advice on what might be causing the issue and a couple of ways to address it:

Check the HTTP Request Node Settings

n8n’s HTTP Request node will only parse the response as JSON if the response headers indicate JSON (for example, if the Content-Type is set to “application/json”). In your case, if jina.ai returns a JSON string inside a property called “response” but without the proper header, n8n might be treating the entire output as a single string rather than a parsed JSON object. Double-check that:

• The HTTP Request node’s “Response Format” is set to “JSON”
• The API response headers actually include a JSON content type

Parsing the Response Manually

If the API cannot be convinced to return a proper JSON header, you can add a Function or Set node immediately after the HTTP Request node to parse the response. For example, you could use a Function node like this:

JAVASCRIPTCopied
// Assumes the HTTP request node returns an item with a property "response" containing the raw JSON string.
const items = [];
for (const item of $input.all()) {
  const parsed = JSON.parse(item.json.response);
  items.push({ json: parsed });
}
return items;

This way, you make sure you get a JSON object that you can then manipulate further (for example, selecting only the relevant section for your AI agent).

Extracting Specific Content

If you're scraping a webpage (or receiving an HTML content inside JSON) and you need only a specific part (such as a section wrapped by a certain CSS selector), consider using the HTML node to extract only the section you need. The n8n workflow example “Populate a Pinecone vector database from a website” demonstrates this using the HTML node to extract content with a selector like “.md-content” before further processing.

Summary

1. Verify headers and Response Format: Ensure the HTTP node is set to output JSON and that the API returns the correct headers.
2. Parse the response manually: Use a Function node to JSON.parse the “response” string if needed.
3. Extract the necessary content: If dealing with HTML, use the HTML extraction node to target specific content.

By applying these adjustments, you should be able to work with individual JSON objects (or specific parts of the data) that will be more compatible with your AI workflow in n8n.