TOON in n8n: Community Nodes Compared

n8n has no built-in node for TOON: n8n’s integrations documentation lists none. TOON (Token-Oriented Object Notation) is a compact text format for passing structured data to language models: a list of objects with the same fields is written once as a header and then one line per item, instead of repeating every key as JSON does. In n8n, TOON community nodes sit between a node that returns JSON and an AI node, to shorten the data you put in a prompt. This guide compares them, using the description and README each author publishes on npm and npm’s download counts.

What TOON looks like

The README of n8n-nodes-toon-encode shows this JSON:

{
  "users": [
    {"name": "Alice", "age": 30, "city": "NYC"},
    {"name": "Bob", "age": 25, "city": "LA"}
  ]
}

encoded as TOON:

users[2]{name,age,city}:
  Alice,30,NYC
  Bob,25,LA

The same README puts the token savings at 40 to 60 percent. That is the author’s figure. The TOON project’s own README says the format works best for objects with the same fields and that JSON may be more efficient for deeply nested or non-uniform data.

TOON community nodes

Our TOON hub lists 5 packages that pass our quality rule:

Versions and dates come from the npm registry. Downloads are npm’s raw count for the week of 20 to 26 October 2026. Both of the top two had irregular spikes that week: n8n-nodes-toon-encode got 6,363 of its downloads on 22 and 23 October and between 6 and 19 a day on the other days npm reported, and @tehw0lf/n8n-nodes-toon got 343 on 22 October alone. Read them as spikes rather than a steady install rate.

n8n-nodes-toon-encode

The most installed TOON package has two nodes: TOON Encode turns JSON into TOON and TOON Decode turns it back. Encode takes any JSON (by default the whole item, {{ $json }}) and writes the result to an output field, toon by default. Options set the indentation (0 for the most compact output), the delimiter for table rows (comma, tab or pipe) and optional length markers in front of arrays, which the README suggests turning on when you pass arrays to a model. Its README says it has no external dependencies and works on n8n Cloud as well as self-hosted, and that it is tested against the official TOON test suite. Its last release dates from October 2025. n8n-nodes-toon-encode-iadvance is a fork with the same README.

@tehw0lf/n8n-nodes-toon

The second most installed package, released most recently (October 2026). One TOON node, in the Transform category, with two operations: JSON to TOON and TOON to JSON, for example to parse a model’s answer back into JSON. Encoding options cover indent size, the delimiter (comma, tab or pipe), key folding for single-key chains and Include Token Metrics, which adds a token count comparison to the output. Decoding has a strict mode, on by default, that enforces array counts and indentation. The input field accepts a field name, dot notation or an expression, and the result goes to the data field by default. Its README calls it a pure Node.js implementation with zero external dependencies.

Other packages

• n8n-nodes-toon-converter: converts in both directions, between JSON and TOON.
• n8n-nodes-toon-formatter: one Format operation that encodes JSON from a field or an expression and writes the TOON text to a toon property. It doesn’t decode.

Check each node page here for the latest release and, where it has one, its GitHub repository for open issues before you build on a package.

How to choose

• Shorten API results or table rows before an AI node: TOON Encode from n8n-nodes-toon-encode, the most installed, with indentation set to 0.
• Read TOON back into JSON after a model answers: TOON to JSON in @tehw0lf/n8n-nodes-toon, or TOON Decode in n8n-nodes-toon-encode.
• See how many tokens you save: @tehw0lf/n8n-nodes-toon, with Include Token Metrics turned on.

To install a package on a self-hosted instance, an owner or admin enters its npm name in Settings > Community Nodes; full steps are in How to Install n8n Community Nodes. On n8n Cloud only verified community nodes can be installed, see Verified vs Unverified n8n Community Nodes. Related: OpenAI in n8n.

FAQ

What is TOON in n8n?

TOON (Token-Oriented Object Notation) is a compact text format for structured data in language model prompts. n8n has no built-in TOON node; community nodes encode JSON to TOON and decode it back.

How do I convert JSON to TOON in n8n?

Install a TOON community node such as n8n-nodes-toon-encode, add its TOON Encode node after the node that returns your JSON, and use the toon output field in your prompt.

How much does TOON save?

The n8n-nodes-toon-encode README gives 40 to 60 percent fewer tokens than JSON. The TOON project says it works best for objects with the same fields, and that JSON may be more efficient for deeply nested or non-uniform data.

What is the most used TOON community node?

n8n-nodes-toon-encode, with 6,404 npm downloads in the week of 20 to 26 October 2026, most of them on 22 and 23 October.