Make OpenAI Citation for File Retrieval RAG
Configured with Aggregate, Chat Trigger, HTTP Request, Markdown, and additional nodes. Review the connections and setup before adapting this template.
Node categories in this workflow
- Transform
- Data store
- Trigger
- AI & models
- Web / API
- Code
Icons describe general node roles, inferred from node types. Inspect the parameters for the configured action.
Drag to pan; use + and − to zoom. Reconstructed from the exported node positions; nothing runs here. Dashed lines represent non-main connections. Full node names and notes appear below.
How it works
The exported workflow contains the following configured nodes. Their connections are shown above; inspect the JSON for the complete logic, expressions, and external actions.
| Node | Category | Type | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate | Transform | Aggregate | See node parameters |
| Window Buffer Memory | Data store | Memory Buffer Window | See node parameters |
| Create a simple Trigger to have the Chat button within N8N | Trigger | Chat Trigger | See node parameters |
| OpenAI Assistant with Vector Store | AI & models | Open Ai | assistant |
| Get ALL Thread Content | Web / API | HTTP Request | See node parameters |
| Split all message iterations from a thread | Transform | Split Out | See node parameters |
| Split all content from a single message | Transform | Split Out | See node parameters |
| Split all citations from a single message | Transform | Split Out | See node parameters |
| Retrieve file name from a file ID | Web / API | HTTP Request | See node parameters |
| Regularize output | Transform | Edit Fields | See node parameters |
| Optional Markdown to HTML | Transform | Markdown | See node parameters |
| Finnaly format the output | Code | Code | See node parameters |
Setup
- Download the JSON and import it into an isolated n8n instance. Leave the workflow inactive.
- Connect your own credentials through n8n’s credential store. Replace
REPLACE_WITH_*values with your resource identifiers. - Inspect API destinations, Code nodes, database queries, file paths, and outbound actions.
- Run with synthetic data and harmless destinations. Enable triggers only after checking the actual outputs.
Requirements
An n8n instance with the listed node types and compatible versions. Service-connected workflows may require accounts, credentials, or paid APIs.
Credential types declared in the source
openAiApi
Workflow notes
Make OpenAI Citation for File Retrieval RAG
Make OpenAI Citation for File Retrieval RAG
Use case
In this example, we will ensure that all texts from the OpenAI assistant search for citations and sources in the vector store files. We can also format the output for Markdown or HTML tags.
This is necessary because the assistant sometimes generates strange characters, and we can also use dynamic references such as citations 1, 2, 3, for example.
What this workflow does
In this workflow, we will use an OpenAI assistant created within their interface, equipped with a vector store containing some files for file retrieval.
The assistant will perform the file search within the OpenAI infrastructure and will return the content with citations.
- We will make an HTTP request to retrieve all the details we need to format the text output.
Setup
Insert an OpenAI Key
How to adjust it to your needs
At the end of the workflow, we have a block of code that will format the output, and there we can add Markdown tags to create links. Optionally, we can transform the Markdown formatting into HTML.
by Davi Saranszky Mesquita https://www.linkedin.com/in/mesquitadavi/
Create a simple Trigger to have the Chat button within N8N
https://www.npmjs.com/package/@n8n/chat
Setup
Setup
- Configure OpenAI Key
In this step, we will use an assistant created within the OpenAI platform that contains a vector store a.k.a file retrieval
A file retrieval request contains a lot of information, and we want only the text that will be substituted and the file name.
A file retrieval request contains a lot of information, and we want only the text that will be substituted and the file name.
- id
- filename
- text
Make OpenAI Citation for File Retrieval RAG
Make OpenAI Citation for File Retrieval RAG
Purpose and structure
This folder contains the Make OpenAI Citation for File Retrieval RAG workflow. Its executable nodes use aggregate, chatTrigger, code, httpRequest, markdown, memoryBufferWindow, openAi, set, splitOut. The table and connection map below are derived from the JSON, not an inferred guarantee of behavior.
Setup
Import inactive. Configure your own credentials and replace REPLACE_WITH_* values. Review external destinations and Code nodes before running.
Entry points
Create a simple Trigger to have the Chat button within N8N
Verification
Sanitized source candidate; not runtime-tested. This overview is generated from node metadata. Read the folder README for the connection map, credential types, and license.
Attribution
https://github.com/Zie619/n8n-workflows/blob/94007c1445d9258a7da116646b79473e7c7c3282/workflows/Splitout/1059_Splitout_Code_Automation_Webhook.json MIT; preserve source notices.
Canvas section labels
These name areas of the original canvas; they do not include explanatory instructions.
- Within N8N, there will be a chat button to test
- Retrieving all thread content is necessary because the OpenAI tool does not retrieve all citations upon request.
- With the last three splits, we may have many citations and texts to substitute. By doing an aggregation, it will be possible to handle everything as a single request.
- This simple code will take all the previous files and citations and alter the original text, formatting the output. In this way, we can use Markdown tags to create links, or if you prefer, we can add an HTML transformation node.