Skip to content

Authentication Setup

This guide shows you how to configure DeepTagger API credentials in n8n.

Prerequisites

You need:

  1. A DeepTagger account
  2. A DeepTagger API key (see Getting an API Key)

Getting an API Key

Step 1: Log in to DeepTagger

Go to deeptagger.com and log in to your account.

Step 2: Navigate to API Settings

  1. Click on your profile/account menu
  2. Select Settings or API Keys
  3. You'll see the API key management page

Step 3: Generate an API Key

  1. Click Generate New API Key or Create API Key
  2. Give your key a descriptive name (e.g., "n8n Production")
  3. Copy the API key immediately and save it securely

API Key Security

  • API keys are shown only once during creation
  • Store your key securely (password manager, secrets vault)
  • Never commit API keys to version control
  • Rotate keys periodically for security

Step 4: Note the Base URL

The default API base URL is: 

https://deeptagger.com/api/v1

Custom Deployments

If you're using a self-hosted or custom DeepTagger deployment, use your custom base URL instead.

Configuring Credentials in n8n

Method 1: In-Node Configuration (Quick Start)

When you add a DeepTagger node to your workflow:

  1. Add the DeepTagger node to your workflow
  2. Click on the credential dropdown (shows "Please select a credential")
  3. Click "Create New"
  4. Enter your credentials:
  5. Name: Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "DeepTagger Production")
  6. API Key: Paste your DeepTagger API key
  7. Base URL: Leave as default (https://deeptagger.com/api/v1) or enter your custom URL
  8. Click "Save"

The credential is now available for all DeepTagger nodes in your workflows.

For better organization and reusability:

  1. Open Credentials Panel
  2. Click Credentials in the left sidebar

  3. Or use keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+K → type "credentials"

  4. Create New Credential

  5. Click "New Credential" button (top-right)

  6. Search for and select "DeepTagger API"

  7. Fill in the Details 

    Name: DeepTagger Production
API Key: dtag_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Base URL: https://deeptagger.com/api/v1

  8. Test the Credential (if available)

  9. Click "Test" button to verify the connection

  10. You should see a success message

  11. Save

  12. Click "Save" to store the credential

Multiple Environments

Create separate credentials for different environments: - DeepTagger Production - Live API key - DeepTagger Staging - Test API key - DeepTagger Development - Dev API key

Method 3: Environment Variables (Advanced)

For automated deployments and better security:

  1. Set environment variable on your n8n server: 

    export DEEPTAGGER_API_KEY="dtag_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
export DEEPTAGGER_BASE_URL="https://deeptagger.com/api/v1"

  2. Reference in n8n credentials:

  3. API Key: {{$env.DEEPTAGGER_API_KEY}}

  4. Base URL: {{$env.DEEPTAGGER_BASE_URL}}

  5. Docker/Docker Compose: 

    services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n
    environment:
      - DEEPTAGGER_API_KEY=dtag_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
      - DEEPTAGGER_BASE_URL=https://deeptagger.com/api/v1

  6. Kubernetes Secret: 

    apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: deeptagger-credentials
type: Opaque
stringData:
  apiKey: dtag_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  baseUrl: https://deeptagger.com/api/v1

Credential Fields Explained

API Key (Required)

Your DeepTagger API key for authentication.

  • Format: dtag_ followed by random characters
  • Example: dtag_a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0
  • Where to find: DeepTagger Dashboard → Settings → API Keys

Keep It Secret

Never share your API key publicly or commit it to version control.

Base URL (Optional)

The DeepTagger API endpoint.

  • Default: https://deeptagger.com/api/v1
  • When to change: Only if using a custom/self-hosted deployment
  • Format: Must be a valid HTTPS URL (HTTP allowed for local development)

Using Credentials in Workflows

Once configured, using the credential is simple:

  1. Add a DeepTagger node to your workflow
  2. Select your credential from the dropdown
  3. That's it! The node will use the credential automatically

You can reuse the same credential across multiple: - Workflows - DeepTagger nodes - n8n instances (if using shared credential storage)

Managing Multiple Credentials

Organizing Credentials

Use clear naming conventions:

DeepTagger - Production (Client A)
DeepTagger - Production (Client B)
DeepTagger - Staging
DeepTagger - Development

Switching Credentials

To change which credential a node uses:

  1. Click on the DeepTagger node
  2. Open the Credential dropdown
  3. Select a different credential
  4. The node will now use the new credential

Sharing Credentials

In self-hosted n8n:

  1. Credentials are user-specific by default
  2. To share across users, use environment variables (Method 3 above)
  3. Or configure credential sharing in n8n settings (enterprise feature)

Testing Your Credentials

To verify your credentials are working:

  1. Create a simple test workflow: 

    Manual Trigger → DeepTagger Node → Output

  2. Configure the DeepTagger node:

  3. Select your credential
  4. Choose a valid Project ID
  5. Input Type: Text

  6. Text: "Test document"

  7. Execute the workflow:

  8. Click "Execute Workflow"
  9. Check the output for successful extraction or error messages

Successful Test

Output will contain extracted data (may be empty if no matches): 

{
  "status": "success",
  "extracted_data": {}
}

Failed Test

If credentials are wrong, you'll see an error: 

Error: Unauthorized - Invalid API key

Credential Security Best Practices

Do's ✅

  • Store API keys in n8n credential store (encrypted)
  • Use environment variables for automated deployments
  • Rotate API keys periodically (every 3-6 months)
  • Create separate keys for different environments
  • Use descriptive names for credentials
  • Revoke unused API keys immediately

Don'ts ❌

  • Don't hardcode API keys in workflow expressions
  • Don't share credentials via email or chat
  • Don't commit .env files with real keys to git
  • Don't use production keys in development
  • Don't screenshot credentials
  • Don't share the same key across multiple teams

Revoking a Credential

If an API key is compromised:

In DeepTagger Dashboard

  1. Go to Settings → API Keys
  2. Find the compromised key
  3. Click Revoke or Delete
  4. Confirm the action

In n8n

  1. Go to Credentials panel
  2. Find the credential
  3. Click Delete
  4. Update any workflows using that credential

Rotating Keys

  1. Create a new API key in DeepTagger dashboard
  2. Create a new credential in n8n with the new key
  3. Update workflows to use the new credential
  4. Test workflows to ensure they work
  5. Revoke the old API key in DeepTagger dashboard
  6. Delete the old credential in n8n

Troubleshooting

Error: "No API key found in request"

Cause: Credential not configured or not selected in the node.

Solution: 1. Ensure you've created a DeepTagger API credential 2. Select the credential in your DeepTagger node 3. Verify the API key is not empty

Error: "Unauthorized" or "401"

Cause: Invalid or expired API key.

Solution: 1. Check the API key in DeepTagger dashboard 2. Regenerate the API key if needed 3. Update the credential in n8n with the new key

Error: "Invalid base URL" or "Network Error"

Cause: Incorrect base URL or network connectivity issue.

Solution: 1. Verify the base URL: https://deeptagger.com/api/v1 2. Check for typos (trailing slashes, http vs https) 3. Test network connectivity to the DeepTagger API 4. Check firewall rules if self-hosted

Can't find "DeepTagger API" in credentials list

Cause: Node not installed or n8n not restarted.

Solution: 1. Verify the DeepTagger node is installed: npm list n8n-nodes-deeptagger 2. Restart n8n completely 3. Refresh your browser

Next Steps

Get Help

If you're having credential issues:

  1. Check this troubleshooting section
  2. Review the API Authentication docs
  3. Contact support@deeptagger.com with:
  4. Error message (hide your API key!)
  5. n8n version
  6. Steps you've already tried