Having trouble with openAi node

[Aarush_Bisht]

Describe the problem/error/question

I am unable to store my file in openAi store to get it analyzed.

What is the error message (if any)?

Please share your workflow

(Select the nodes on your canvas and use the keyboard shortcuts CMD+C/CTRL+C and CMD+V/CTRL+V to copy and paste the workflow.){
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "httpMethod": "POST",
        "path": "expense-refund",
        "responseMode": "responseNode",
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "b0fe6459-5c3e-4471-9dee-66fc7804526c",
      "name": "Expense Request Webhook",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
      "typeVersion": 2.1,
      "position": [
        256,
        512
      ],
      "webhookId": "1925ec29-f342-48ac-9443-5b9051d5b603"
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "conditions": {
          "options": {
            "caseSensitive": true,
            "leftValue": "",
            "typeValidation": "strict",
            "version": 3
          },
          "conditions": [
            {
              "leftValue": "={{ $binary }}",
              "rightValue": "",
              "operator": {
                "type": "object",
                "operation": "exists",
                "singleValue": true
              },
              "id": "04f33b5c-dec6-4bbe-9175-3d604027a356"
            }
          ],
          "combinator": "and"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "id": "459d1c30-e54b-4bed-9902-74893b4e4b81",
      "name": "Check for Attachments",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
      "typeVersion": 2.3,
      "position": [
        528,
        520
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "respondWith": "json",
        "responseBody": "={\n\"response\":\"thank you for chossing our service. Now processing\"\n}",
        "options": {
          "responseCode": 200
        }
      },
      "id": "17ff1a23-6505-4f62-82fe-76311450b801",
      "name": "Send Response",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook",
      "typeVersion": 1.5,
      "position": [
        528,
        384
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "conditions": {
          "options": {
            "caseSensitive": true,
            "leftValue": "",
            "typeValidation": "strict",
            "version": 3
          },
          "conditions": [
            {
              "id": "57fdf79a-297e-4559-b886-94cd87e21f8f",
              "leftValue": "",
              "rightValue": "",
              "operator": {
                "type": "string",
                "operation": "equals",
                "name": "filter.operator.equals"
              }
            }
          ],
          "combinator": "and"
        },
        "options": {}
      },
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
      "typeVersion": 2.3,
      "position": [
        816,
        476
      ],
      "id": "33081ac2-6f2f-49b5-a40c-ce22c3dfd553",
      "name": "If"
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "resource": "file",
        "binaryPropertyName": "=data0",
        "options": {
          "purpose": "assistants"
        }
      },
      "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.openAi",
      "typeVersion": 1.8,
      "position": [
        1104,
        464
      ],
      "id": "f79083c8-9c3d-414b-89d4-12a53fd455a7",
      "name": "OpenAI",
      "credentials": {
        "openAiApi": {
          "id": "SxxxxxxSG",
          "name": "mxxxxxxxopenai cred"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Expense Request Webhook": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Check for Attachments",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          },
          {
            "node": "Send Response",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Check for Attachments": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "If",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ],
        []
      ]
    },
    "Send Response": {
      "main": [
        []
      ]
    },
    "If": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "OpenAI",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "OpenAI": {
      "main": [
        []
      ]
    }
  },
  "pinData": {
    "Expense Request Webhook": [
      {
        "headers": {
          "host": "mt-ba.app.n8n.cloud",
          "user-agent": "PostmanRuntime/7.49.1",
          "content-length": "15187",
          "accept": "*/*",
          "accept-encoding": "gzip, br",
          "cdn-loop": "cloudflare; loops=1; subreqs=1",
          "cf-connecting-ip": "123.252.195.162",
          "cf-ew-via": "15",
          "cf-ipcountry": "IN",
          "cf-ray": "9f349cb258b9ff60-BOM",
          "cf-visitor": "{\"scheme\":\"https\"}",
          "cf-worker": "n8n.cloud",
          "content-type": "multipart/form-data; boundary=--------------------------220710795265328152432585",
          "postman-token": "7a4c0a92-62cf-4669-8d8d-5d80d4dcb202",
          "x-forwarded-for": "123.252.195.162, 172.69.178.100",
          "x-forwarded-host": "mt-ba.app.n8n.cloud",
          "x-forwarded-port": "443",
          "x-forwarded-proto": "https",
          "x-forwarded-server": "traefik-prod-users-gwc-39-6cdb7cfdbb-2ljth",
          "x-is-trusted": "yes",
          "x-real-ip": "123.252.195.162"
        },
        "params": {},
        "query": {},
        "body": {},
        "webhookUrl": "https://mt-ba.app.n8n.cloud/webhook/expense-refund",
        "executionMode": "production"
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "templateCredsSetupCompleted": true,
    "instanceId": "0f39d8fdd402ddce20d0eb724526828e8c2d8679170e3a08fe6cd471c799fab6"
  }
}

Share the output returned by the last node

Information on your n8n setup

• n8n version:
• Database (default: SQLite):
• n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
• Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app):
• Operating system:

[Aarush_Bisht]

image for reference

[achamm]

@Aarush_Bisht your binaryPropertyName is set to =data0 which means n8n is evaluating it as an expression — data0 isn’t a valid JS variable so it resolves to undefined and the node can’t find the file. turn off expression mode on that field so it’s just the plain string data0.

plug your openai creds into the OpenAI node, click the binaryPropertyName field and make sure the expression toggle (the little = icon) is OFF.

[Ectilow]

@Aarush_Bisht you’re using the OpenAI node’s file resource with operation upload a file and purpose assistants, but your workflow data doesn’t flow properly into the node.

[Aarush_Bisht]

so should I not select assistant setting?

[Aarush_Bisht]

@achamm have tried that. all combinations…..expression - hard code, fixed - hardcode. expression - dynamic. nothing worked. same in all cases.

[Ectilow]

@Aarush_Bisht Yes, exactly, you should not use the assistant setting.

[Aarush_Bisht]

tried every way.

[Aarush_Bisht]

ok let me try that too. @Ectilow

[Aarush_Bisht]

@Ectilow seems like that also did not worked.

[Aarush_Bisht]

@Web_Technos In my webhook i am receiving data , might not be showing when you copied it. I removed all if nodes and directly connected it to webhook , still same.

[achamm]

@Aarush_Bisht your webhook node has pinned data that contains zero binary — just headers and an empty body. unpin that node (right-click → Unpin Data) and trigger a fresh test request from Postman so the actual file flows through, the OpenAI node is looking for data0 but pinned data never includes binary content so it’ll always say “File not found” regardless of how you set the field name.

[Aarush_Bisht]

Wow, you are right , it worked. I was copying one of the test cases from execution logs , I think binary files do not get copied from previous execution history . Thanks for the help. Will mark your comment as answer. @achamm . Also thanks @Ectilow for commenting and trying to help.