Using custom object workflow nodes

Last updated: November 12, 2026

Overview

Custom object nodes let a workflow create, read, update and archive a custom object's records as one of its steps, without writing a GraphQL query.

In this article, we'll cover the four nodes each custom object gets, where to find them, how each field type is filled in, how files and secret fields behave, and what happens to your workflows when a custom object changes.

The four nodes

Each active custom object on your tenant gets four nodes, named after the object:

Node	What it does
Create [object] record	Creates a record with the field values you set.
Get [object] record	Gets a record by its ID and returns all of its field values.
Update [object] record	Updates a record. Only the fields you set are changed.
Archive [object] record	Archives a record by its ID.

For example, a custom object named Site gets Create Site record, Get Site record, Update Site record and Archive Site record.

There is nothing to set up. The nodes appear as soon as the custom object is created, and they follow the object from then on.

Get, Update and Archive need the record's ID. Map it from the workflow's trigger, when its object type is this custom object, or from the output of a Create step.

Find the nodes in the node library

In the workflow builder, add a node to open the node library.
Open the Custom objects folder.
Open the folder for your object. It's named with the object's plural name (for example, Sites).
Select the node you need and add it to your workflow.

If another node on your tenant already has the same name, the custom object node gets a number after its name, for example Create Site record (2).

Fill in a node's fields

Each node lists your custom object's fields, labeled with the field's name. Each field type gets its own input, the same way you'd fill in the record in the app:

Field type	Input in the node
Text, number, boolean	A text, number or yes/no input
Single select, multi-select	A dropdown of the field's options
Text list, number list	A list, with `Add item` to add each value
Date	A date picker
Timestamp	A date picker and a time picker
Range	Two whole numbers, a min and a max. The max must be greater than the min
Reference	A record picker for the object the field points to (another custom object, or a gaiia object such as a product)
File	A file upload area
Secret	A text input. The value is hidden in executions (see below)

You can also map any field from an earlier step or from the workflow's input instead of typing a value, as with any other node.

On Create, fields marked as required on the custom object are required on the node. On Update, every field is optional: leave a field empty to keep its current value. To clear a value, map null to it.

Ranges on a custom object record can't be negative. A node that sends a negative min or max fails at that step.

Work with file fields

File fields move through a workflow as files, so one step can pass a file to the next.

On Create and Update, upload a file in the node, or map a file from an earlier step. If the type isn't allowed, the node shows This file type is not allowed.
Get returns each file stored on the record as a file the next steps can use.
Files can be up to 25 MB.
A file flagged by gaiia's malware scan can't be read, and the step that uses it fails.

Work with secret fields

Secret fields stay secret in workflows too.

On Create and Update, you can set a secret field's value.
Get returns a secret's real value only when the workflow runs with the Custom objects > Records > Secret Fields > View permission. Otherwise it returns the masked value ••••••••, and the step still succeeds.
Later steps receive the real value, but it never appears in the execution's inputs, outputs or logs. Anyone reading the execution sees it redacted.

Generated workflows are read-only

Each of the four nodes runs a workflow that gaiia generates and keeps up to date for you. These workflows don't appear in your workflow list, and no one can edit them. You use them only as nodes in your own workflows.

When the custom object changes

The nodes follow the custom object automatically, and your published workflows keep working:

Change to the custom object	What happens to the nodes
A field is added	It appears on every node.
A field is made required	It becomes required on Create.
A field is archived	It's removed from the nodes. If a published workflow still uses it, it stays on that node, labeled [field name] (archived), until no published workflow uses it.
A field is unarchived	It's back on every node.
A select option is removed	Same as an archived field: an option still used by a published workflow stays, labeled (archived).
The object is renamed	The folder and node names change. Workflows already using the nodes are not affected.
The object is archived	Its folder leaves the node library.
The object is enabled again	The same folder and nodes come back.

An archived field still shown on a node is a sign to update the workflow. Replace or remove that field before you publish again.

Troubleshoot common issues

I don't see the Custom objects folder

Check that your tenant has at least one active custom object. Archived objects don't have nodes in the library. If you still don't see the folder, contact gaiia support.

A field I expect isn't on the node

Check that the field is still active on the custom object. Archived fields are removed from the nodes, except where a published workflow still uses them. A select field with no options has no input on the node.

Get returns •••••••• instead of a secret's value

The workflow ran without the Custom objects > Records > Secret Fields > View permission. Ask your gaiia admin to check the permissions of the user who runs the workflow.

A step fails on a range value

Check that the min and max are whole numbers, that neither is negative, and that the max is greater than the min.

A step fails on a file

Check that the file is 25 MB or smaller and of an allowed type. A file flagged by the malware scan can't be used.