Split a Single Item into Multiple Items Using the Split Out Node

The Split Out node takes an array field inside one item and fans it out into multiple items, one per array element. This is essential when an API returns a batch inside a single record and you need each element downstream. If the source is a delimited string, first convert it to an array with an Edit Fields node.

What does the Split Out node do?

The Split Out node takes an array field inside a single item and fans it out into multiple items -- one per array element. This is essential when an API returns a batch response and you need to process each element individually downstream.

Real-world example: A blog CMS returns a post object with a comma-separated tags string. You need individual items per tag to upsert each tag into a taxonomy database table.

How do you split an array field into items?

// Incoming item:
{
  "post_id": 42,
  "title": "Getting Started with n8n",
  "tags": "automation, n8n, workflow, no-code"
}

First, use an Edit Fields node to convert the string to an array:

tags_array = {{ $json.tags.split(',').map(t => t.trim()) }}

Then configure the Split Out node:

Setting	Value
Field To Split Out	tags_array
Include Other Fields	Enabled

// Output — 4 separate items:
{ "post_id": 42, "title": "Getting Started with n8n", "tags_array": "automation" }
{ "post_id": 42, "title": "Getting Started with n8n", "tags_array": "n8n" }
{ "post_id": 42, "title": "Getting Started with n8n", "tags_array": "workflow" }
{ "post_id": 42, "title": "Getting Started with n8n", "tags_array": "no-code" }

Each item retains the parent fields (post_id, title) while isolating a single tag for downstream processing like database upserts or API calls per tag.

Related: Flatten Deeply Nested API Responses · Use the HTTP Request Node as a Universal Connector