feat(core): Support Chat hub on workflow canvas

packages/@n8n/api-types/src/chat-hub.ts

@@ -330,6 +330,28 @@ export class ChatHubSendMessageRequest extends Z.class({
 	timeZone: TimeZoneSchema,
 }) {}
 
+/**
+ * Request schema for sending a message via the manual (draft) execution path.
+ * Same shape as ChatHubSendMessageRequest — the endpoint itself signals "use draft from DB".
+ * Requires workflow:execute permission (not available to chat-only users).
+ */
+export class ChatHubManualSendMessageRequest extends Z.class({
+	messageId: z.string().uuid(),
+	sessionId: z.string().uuid(),
+	message: z.string(),
+	model: n8nModelSchema,
+	previousMessageId: z.string().uuid().nullable(),
+	credentials: z.record(
+		z.object({
+			id: z.string(),
+			name: z.string(),
+		}),
+	),
+	attachments: z.array(chatAttachmentSchema),
+	agentName: z.string().optional(),
+	timeZone: TimeZoneSchema,
+}) {}
+
 export class ChatHubRegenerateMessageRequest extends Z.class({
 	model: chatHubConversationModelSchema,
 	credentials: z.record(

packages/@n8n/api-types/src/index.ts

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ export {
 	chatAttachmentSchema,
 	type ChatAttachment,
 	ChatHubSendMessageRequest,
+	ChatHubManualSendMessageRequest,
 	ChatHubRegenerateMessageRequest,
 	ChatHubEditMessageRequest,
 	ChatHubUpdateConversationRequest,

packages/cli/src/modules/chat-hub/chat-hub-execution.service.ts

@@ -94,8 +94,14 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 		previousMessageId: ChatMessageId,
 		retryOfMessageId: ChatMessageId | null,
 		responseMode: ChatTriggerResponseMode,
+		pushRef?: string,
 	) {
-		const executionMode = model.provider === 'n8n' ? 'webhook' : 'chat';
+		const executionMode =
+			pushRef && model.provider === 'n8n'
+				? 'manual'
+				: model.provider === 'n8n'
+					? 'webhook'
+					: 'chat';
 		const { id: workflowId } = workflowData;
 
 		try {
@@ -109,6 +115,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 				retryOfMessageId,
 				executionMode,
 				responseMode,
+				pushRef,
 			);
 		} catch (error) {
 			this.logger.error(`Error in chat execution: ${error}`);
@@ -153,6 +160,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 		retryOfMessageId: ChatMessageId | null,
 		executionMode: WorkflowExecuteMode,
 		responseMode: ChatTriggerResponseMode,
+		pushRef?: string,
 	) {
 		this.logger.debug(
 			`Starting execution of workflow "${workflowData.name}" with ID ${workflowData.id}`,
@@ -173,6 +181,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 				retryOfMessageId,
 				executionMode,
 				responseMode,
+				pushRef,
 			);
 		} else if (responseMode === 'streaming') {
 			return await this.executeWithStreaming(
@@ -184,6 +193,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 				previousMessageId,
 				retryOfMessageId,
 				executionMode,
+				pushRef,
 			);
 		}
 	}
@@ -200,6 +210,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 		previousMessageId: string,
 		retryOfMessageId: string | null,
 		executionMode: WorkflowExecuteMode,
+		pushRef?: string,
 	) {
 		let executionId: string | undefined;
 		let executionStatus: 'success' | 'error' | 'cancelled' = 'success';
@@ -310,6 +321,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 				streamAdapter,
 				true,
 				executionMode,
+				pushRef,
 			);
 
 			executionId = execution.executionId;
@@ -360,6 +372,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 		retryOfMessageId: string | null,
 		executionMode: WorkflowExecuteMode,
 		responseMode: NonStreamingResponseMode,
+		pushRef?: string,
 	) {
 		// 1. Start the workflow execution
 		const running = await this.workflowExecutionService.executeChatWorkflow(
@@ -369,6 +382,7 @@ export class ChatHubExecutionService {
 			undefined,
 			false,
 			executionMode,
+			pushRef,
 		);
 
 		const executionId = running.executionId;

packages/cli/src/modules/chat-hub/chat-hub-workflow.service.ts

@@ -1057,6 +1057,7 @@ Respond the title only:`,
 		timeZone: string,
 		trx: EntityManager,
 		executionMetadata: ChatHubAuthenticationMetadata,
+		manual?: boolean,
 	): Promise<PreparedChatWorkflow> {
 		if (model.provider === 'n8n') {
 			return await this.prepareWorkflowAgentWorkflow(
@@ -1067,6 +1068,7 @@ Respond the title only:`,
 				attachments,
 				trx,
 				executionMetadata,
+				manual,
 			);
 		}
 
@@ -1203,21 +1205,29 @@ Respond the title only:`,
 		attachments: IBinaryData[],
 		trx: EntityManager,
 		executionMetadata: ChatHubAuthenticationMetadata,
+		manual?: boolean,
 	) {
 		const workflow = await this.workflowFinderService.findWorkflowForUser(
 			workflowId,
 			user,
-			['workflow:execute-chat'],
-			{ includeTags: false, includeParentFolder: false, includeActiveVersion: true, em: trx },
+			manual ? ['workflow:execute'] : ['workflow:execute-chat'],
+			{ includeTags: false, includeParentFolder: false, includeActiveVersion: !manual, em: trx },
 		);
 
-		if (!workflow?.activeVersion) {
+		if (!workflow) {
 			throw new BadRequestError('Workflow not found');
 		}
 
-		const chatTriggers = workflow.activeVersion.nodes.filter(
-			(node) => node.type === CHAT_TRIGGER_NODE_TYPE,
-		);
+		// In manual mode, use draft nodes/connections directly from the workflow.
+		// In normal mode, use the published activeVersion.
+		if (!manual && !workflow.activeVersion) {
+			throw new BadRequestError('Workflow not found');
+		}
+
+		const workflowNodes = manual ? workflow.nodes : workflow.activeVersion!.nodes;
+		const workflowConnections = manual ? workflow.connections : workflow.activeVersion!.connections;
+
+		const chatTriggers = workflowNodes.filter((node) => node.type === CHAT_TRIGGER_NODE_TYPE);
 
 		if (chatTriggers.length !== 1) {
 			throw new BadRequestError('Workflow must have exactly one chat trigger');
@@ -1247,19 +1257,15 @@ Respond the title only:`,
 			);
 		}
 
-		const chatResponseNodes = workflow.activeVersion.nodes.filter(
-			(node) => node.type === CHAT_NODE_TYPE,
-		);
+		const chatResponseNodes = workflowNodes.filter((node) => node.type === CHAT_NODE_TYPE);
 
 		if (chatResponseNodes.length > 0 && responseMode !== 'responseNodes') {
 			throw new BadRequestError(
 				'Chat nodes are not supported with the selected response mode. Please set the response mode to "Using Response Nodes" or remove the nodes from the workflow.',
 			);
 		}
 
-		const agentNodes = workflow.activeVersion.nodes?.filter(
-			(node) => node.type === AGENT_LANGCHAIN_NODE_TYPE,
-		);
+		const agentNodes = workflowNodes.filter((node) => node.type === AGENT_LANGCHAIN_NODE_TYPE);
 
 		// Agents older than this can't do streaming
 		if (agentNodes.some((node) => node.typeVersion < TOOLS_AGENT_NODE_MIN_VERSION)) {
@@ -1287,8 +1293,9 @@ Respond the title only:`,
 
 		const workflowData: IWorkflowBase = {
 			...workflow,
-			nodes: workflow.activeVersion.nodes,
-			connections: workflow.activeVersion.connections,
+			nodes: workflowNodes,
+			connections: workflowConnections,
+			pinData: manual ? (workflow.pinData ?? undefined) : undefined,
 			// Force saving data on successful executions for custom agent workflows
 			// to be able to read the results after execution.
 			settings: {

packages/cli/src/modules/chat-hub/chat-hub.controller.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {
 	ChatHubSendMessageRequest,
+	ChatHubManualSendMessageRequest,
 	ChatModelsResponse,
 	ChatHubConversationsResponse,
 	ChatHubConversationResponse,
@@ -153,6 +154,38 @@ export class ChatHubController {
 		};
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Send a message using the draft (unpublished) workflow version.
+	 * Requires workflow:execute — not available to chat-only users.
+	 * Passes pushRef header so the execution sends canvas events.
+	 */
+	@GlobalScope('workflow:execute')
+	@Post('/conversations/send/manual')
+	async sendMessageManual(
+		req: AuthenticatedRequest,
+		_res: Response,
+		@Body payload: ChatHubManualSendMessageRequest,
+	): Promise<ChatSendMessageResponse> {
+		const pushRef = req.headers['push-ref'] as string | undefined;
+		if (!pushRef) {
+			throw new BadRequestError('push-ref header is required for manual execution');
+		}
+
+		await this.chatService.sendHumanMessageManual(
+			req.user,
+			{
+				...payload,
+				userId: req.user.id,
+			},
+			extractAuthenticationMetadata(req),
+			pushRef,
+		);
+
+		return {
+			status: 'streaming',
+		};
+	}
+
 	@GlobalScope('chatHub:message')
 	@Post('/conversations/:sessionId/messages/:messageId/edit')
 	async editMessage(