Summarize consultants

Q: What aggregation operations does the Summarize node support?

The Summarize node supports count, sum, average, min, max, countUnique, and concatenate operations. You can apply different operations to different fields in the same node — for example, summing the 'amount' field while counting the 'id' field and concatenating the 'notes' field, all in one step.

Q: Can I group summarised data by a category field?

Yes. The Summarize node has a 'Group By' option that works like SQL's GROUP BY clause. If you are summarising sales data, you can group by 'region' to get separate totals for each region, or group by 'product_name' to see sales figures broken down by product. You can group by multiple fields as well.

Q: How does the Summarize node differ from the Aggregate node in n8n?

The Aggregate node combines all input items into a single item with arrays of values — it collects data without performing calculations. The Summarize node actually computes statistics like sums and averages. Use Aggregate when you need to batch items together; use Summarize when you need calculated totals or counts.

Q: Can I use the Summarize node to build automated reports?

Absolutely. A typical pattern is: pull data from your source system (CRM, accounting tool, project management app), run it through the Summarize node to calculate the metrics you care about, then format the output and send it via email or Slack. This replaces the manual process of exporting data and building reports in spreadsheets.

Q: What happens if some items have missing or null values in the field I am summarising?

The Summarize node skips null or missing values for numeric operations like sum and average, so they do not throw errors or skew your results. For count operations, items with missing values in the counted field are excluded. It is good practice to add a filter or default value step before the Summarize node if missing data is common in your source.

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About Summarize

The Summarize node in n8n is a data transformation tool that aggregates and condenses data from multiple items into summary statistics. Think of it as a GROUP BY operation for your workflow data — it takes a list of items and produces counts, sums, averages, min/max values, or concatenated text fields, optionally grouped by a category field.

This matters when your workflows process batches of data and you need to extract meaning from them rather than just pass individual records along. For example, if you pull all invoices from your accounting software for the past month, the Summarize node can group them by client and calculate the total amount per client, the number of invoices, and the average invoice value — all without writing code or exporting to a spreadsheet.

Common uses in n8n workflows include aggregating order data for daily sales reports, counting support tickets by category for weekly team updates, summing expense claims by department for finance review, and combining text fields from multiple records into a single summary string. The node supports operations like count, sum, average, min, max, countUnique, and concatenate.

If your team is manually building summary reports from data spread across multiple systems, our automated data processing services can help you set up n8n workflows that pull, summarise, and deliver the numbers you need automatically.

Summarize FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about how Summarize consultants can help with integration and implementation

What aggregation operations does the Summarize node support?

Can I group summarised data by a category field?

How does the Summarize node differ from the Aggregate node in n8n?

Can I use the Summarize node to build automated reports?

What happens if some items have missing or null values in the field I am summarising?

Is the Summarize node suitable for large datasets with thousands of items?

The Summarize node works well for datasets up to several thousand items within n8n’s memory limits. For very large datasets (tens of thousands of rows or more), you may hit n8n’s memory constraints, especially on self-hosted instances with limited RAM. In those cases, consider doing the aggregation at the database level using a query node and reserving Summarize for smaller, pre-filtered datasets.

How it works

We work hand-in-hand with you to implement Summarize

As Summarize consultants we work with you hand in hand build more efficient and effective operations. Here’s how we will work with you to automate your business and integrate Summarize with integrate and automate 800+ tools.

Step 1

Identify the data you need to summarise

Start by clarifying what source data feeds into your summary and what output you need. For example, if you want a weekly sales summary, your source might be a CRM node pulling closed deals from the past seven days, and your output might be total revenue, deal count, and average deal size grouped by sales rep.

Step 2

Pull the source data into your workflow

Add the appropriate source node to your n8n workflow — this could be a CRM node, database query, API call, or spreadsheet read. Make sure it returns all the individual records you want to summarise. Apply any date filters or other criteria at the source level to keep the dataset relevant and manageable.

Step 3

Add the Summarize node

Drag the Summarize node onto your n8n canvas and connect it after your data source node. In the node settings, add your aggregation fields: select the operation (sum, count, average, etc.) and the field name it should operate on. Add multiple aggregations if you need several metrics in the same summary output.

Step 4

Configure grouping if needed

If you want breakdowns by category, enable the ‘Group By’ option and select the field to group on. For example, grouping by ‘department’ gives you separate summary rows for each department. You can group by multiple fields for more granular breakdowns, such as department and month.

Step 5

Format the summary output

The Summarize node outputs one item per group (or a single item if no grouping is used). Use a Set node or Function node to rename fields, format numbers (rounding, currency symbols), and structure the data for your delivery method. If sending via Slack, build a formatted message string; if emailing, construct an HTML table.

Step 6

Deliver the summary

Connect a delivery node to send the formatted summary to its destination. Common options include a Slack node posting to a channel, a Gmail node sending the report to stakeholders, or a Google Sheets node writing the data to a spreadsheet for ongoing tracking. Set the workflow’s trigger to run on the schedule your team needs — daily, weekly, or monthly.

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