Parallel Array Name Disambiguator with Provenance Report

How it works

1. 1.Run the manual trigger; the first Code node emits a fictional payload of parallel arrays under two different parents
2. 2.The second Code node infers each array name from the parent field path and safely skips non-array fields
3. 3.A Set node pins a manual name (purchased_items) for path orders.items overriding inference
4. 4.The resolver Code node detects inferred-name collisions and appends a stable numbered suffix (items_2) without stopping the flow
5. 5.An IF node splits manual from automatic records; Merge recombines both branches
6. 6.The final Code node builds the provenance report: per-name path and status, counts, auto-to-manual ratio, uniqueness check

Use cases

• Flattening variable nested JSON payloads into uniquely named records
• Documenting naming provenance before mapping arrays to downstream columns
• Resolving naming collisions across parallel sources without halting execution

Requirements

• n8n 2.44.6 with code, set, if, merge, stickyNote and manualTrigger nodes
• No credentials: fully local fictional data; for production replace the payload node with your source using the same schema

Setup and testing in n8n

1. Import the JSON into n8n and open the workflow
2. Execute the manual trigger and verify the provenance output contains purchased_items (manual), items_2 (disambiguated) and empty labels
3. Edge case: set payload to {} or null in the loader and confirm the flow still completes with a safe empty report
4. Change the manual name to collide with an inferred name and verify the safety net assigns a unique _alt suffix

Service Value

Ready-made workflow template for automation delivery and service execution.