Stage 2 · Lesson 3 of 8
Expressions and built-in data
In n8n, most happens through . An expression is a small piece of inside double curly braces that fills a node field from earlier data. For example, {{ $json.email.trim().toLowerCase() }} takes the email, removes stray spaces and lowercases it.
$json means the current item. You can reach any earlier node by its name with $('Node name').item.json. For dates, n8n includes Luxon, a date library, through $now and $today.
So formatting a date or changing its is one method call away. Expressions cover most cleaning and joining work, so learn them before reaching for the .
Common trapreferencing a node by a name you later rename, or pairing items from two different branches, which can quietly return data from the wrong record.
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Resources for this stage
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n8n · Beginner
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