Hi everyone,
I’m excited to share my first community node with the n8n community – n8n-nodes-image-hasher – a tool for detecting duplicate or manipulated images using perceptual hashing (pHash).
What is pHash?
pHash, or perceptual hash, is a technique to generate a “fingerprint” of multimedia files that represents their content, not their exact data.
Unlike cryptographic hashes (which completely change with even a one-pixel edit), pHashes remain similar for visually similar content. This makes them useful for detecting near-duplicates or manipulated versions of the same image.
How it works:
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Content Analysis: The algorithm analyzes perceptual features such as an image’s structure, colors, and patterns.
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Feature Extraction: It extracts key visual features.
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Hash Generation: A compact, fixed-length hash is generated based on these features.
Key characteristics:
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Similarity-Based: Similar content produces similar hash values, even with small edits.
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Not just for exact matches: Designed for visually alike content, not identical files.
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Resilient to changes: Works even if images are resized, compressed, or slightly edited.
Applications of pHash:
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Duplicate detection: Spotting near-duplicate images in large datasets
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Content recognition: Identifying content across different formats
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Copyright enforcement: Finding unauthorized copies of media
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Digital forensics: Linking related data in investigations
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Agricultural use cases: Detecting plant diseases via leaf image analysis
What does this node do?
The Image Hasher node brings pHash into your n8n workflows. You can:
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Generate perceptual hashes for binary image data
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Detect duplicates or manipulated versions of images
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Automate content verification in workflows
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Use it in pipelines for fraud prevention, dataset cleaning, or media processing
Key Features
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Configurable hash size: 4, 8, 16, or 32 bits for speed vs precision
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Works directly with binary image input from n8n nodes
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Automatically handles temporary files
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Graceful error handling for missing or invalid images
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Easy integration into existing workflows
Installation
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Go to Settings → Community Nodes in your n8n instance.
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Click Install.
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In the NPM Package Name field, paste:
n8n-nodes-image-hasher -
After installation, it will appear in your installed community nodes list. Search for Image Hasher and start using it.
Quick Example
Input: Binary image from an HTTP Request node
Operation: Generate 16-bit perceptual hash
Output:
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{
“hash”: “fc00fc00fc61fee0fce0eee4e30ce005f04df00c13fc03fc01d403fc0ffc03fc”,
“algorithm”: “phash”,
“size”: 16,
“totalBits”: 256,
“createdAt”: “2025-10-04T14:09:21.705Z”
}hash: The perceptual hash value generated for the image
algorithm: The algorithm used (
phash)size: The hash size (default: 16)
totalBits: Total number of bits in the hash (
size * size)createdAt: Timestamp of when the hash was created.
