n8n Open-Sources Nod, a Local AI Agent That Blocks Unauthorized Actions
n8n open-sourced Nod, a local-first personal agent that gets its own sandboxed computer and browser to finish real-world errands across Gmail, Slack, and the open web.
- n8n open-sourced Nod, a local personal agent with its own sandboxed computer and browser
- Apache-2.0, free, runs on macOS 14+, Windows 11 preview, Linux preview, or self-hosted
- Scored 98% completion with 0 unsafe actions across 678 test runs on 226 errands
- Vault injects passwords and cards at the browser, never exposing them to the model
- Supports 30+ model providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and local Ollama
- Details and install guide at nod.n8n.io
The team behind workflow automation platform n8n has released Nod, an Apache-2.0 personal AI agent that operates a sandboxed Linux workspace and Chromium browser on the user’s computer. A model plans each job; the local runtime executes the browser and app actions needed to complete it. The release gives developers an inspectable implementation of local agent execution, credential isolation, and server-enforced approval checks.
| Primary platform | macOS 14 or later |
|---|---|
| Preview platforms | Windows 11 and Linux |
| Execution | Local Node.js process, Docker containers, Linux workspace, and Chromium browser |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Model access | Cloud providers, supported subscriptions, or local Ollama and vLLM endpoints |
| Current tenancy | Single user |
Approval is part of execution
Nod can gather context from Gmail, Calendar, Slack, and Notion, then prepare work that spans those services and authenticated websites. A scheduled morning task, for example, can assemble a one-page call brief from email threads, calendar entries, internal notes, and recent client news.
Before an app action or browser step changes external state, Nod’s local server checks the proposal against the current request and stored policies. Actions without authorization pause for approval. Read-only browsing can proceed automatically, while message sends, form submissions, purchases, cancellations, and similar changes require prior authorization or a later confirmation.
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