One feature that we are really missing in n8n is the ability to work with streaming APIs.
Is this something n8n are working on?
I use n8n for everything, I love using it for AI but I find myself not using n8n’s AI features due to a lack of SSE capabilities.
Right now, I build workflows for AI applications but I generally have to code my own AI cloud functions and use n8n to orchestrate them, if they require real-time user interaction.
For example, I have an AI app that triggers an n8n workflow, which does lots of data gathering before sending a request to my cloud function, the cloud function then interacts with the AI steaming APIs, and streams responses back to my client via a web socket. When complete, the HTTP node gets the final message returned for further actions and processing.
Of course, creating a cloud function of this nature and also having to code clients to work with the WebSocket is quite a bit of work.
I’d love it if n8n supported SSE and Web Sockets. Competitors like Buildship have this functionality, we need it too!
So we do have an SSE trigger. Have you tried to use it yet? If yes, were there any challenges or feature gaps?
As for the Web Sockets to stream the response back; since n8n nodes “execute” and then output their step; this paradigm would either have to change OR the AI node itself (e.g. AI Agent node) would need to have ability to stream response back. That sounds relatively non-trivial. If you have any other details on this web sockets usecase; please do share them and I’ll try to get a more technical colleague familiar with Web Sockets to weigh in on feasibility here (which of course would inform how soon we might be able to add such a feature).
