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Nodes

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Nodes

A pipeline is a graph, and nodes are its vertices. Every node is one component that does one job: call a model, embed text, query a vector store, parse a document, run a tool. You assemble nodes into a pipeline; the engine runs them.

Anatomy of a node​

Each node in a .pipe file is an object with a stable identity and a behaviour:

  • id: a unique name for this node within the pipeline (e.g. llm_1).
  • provider: what the node is (e.g. llm_openai, qdrant, webhook). The provider determines the node's behaviour and which lanes it supports.
  • config: provider-specific settings: API keys, model profiles, collection names, instructions. Swapping a provider or model is a config edit, not a code change.
  • input: the data lanes this node consumes and the nodes they come from.
{ "id": "llm_1", "provider": "llm_openai", "config": { "profile": "openai-5-2" }, "input": [{ "lane": "questions", "from": "qdrant_1" }] }

Class types​

Every provider belongs to a class type that describes the kind of work it does. The class type also governs how the node is wired: data nodes connect through lanes, while agent, tool, llm, and memory nodes participate in control connections (see Agents & tools).

source · data · text · image · audio · video · embedding · llm · store · database · graph · tool · agent · memory · guard · rerank · search · infrastructure · target · preprocessor

The list is not exhaustive — new class types are added as the catalog grows.

Connectors​

Connectors are the nodes at the edges of the graph, the ones that read from or write to the world outside the pipeline:

  • Sources bring data in: a webhook that receives a request, a chat source that streams a conversation, a file or database reader.
  • Targets send results out: a response node that returns data to the caller, or a node that writes to a store or external system.

Everything between a source and a target (embedding, retrieval, LLM calls, preprocessing) transforms data as it flows through.

Swap providers, keep the pipeline​

Because behaviour lives in provider + config, you can often change which LLM or vector store a pipeline uses without touching its shape — as long as the new provider has a compatible contract (same class type, supported lanes, and control connections). Point an llm node at a different provider, or repoint a store node at a different collection, and the surrounding graph is unchanged; swapping to a provider with a different contract can change required config, lanes, or control connections. Always validate the pipeline after changing a provider.

The catalog​

Every available provider (100+ nodes across 15+ LLM providers, 9 vector databases, OCR, NER, PII anonymization, transcription, and web tools) is documented with its config, inputs, and outputs in Nodes.

Next steps​

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