Localhavenn8n 3.0 ยท data study
We checked all 13,092 public n8n templates against n8n 3.0
1,023 templates (7.8 %) use something n8n 3.0 removes - and they are the older, popular ones: together they hold 25.3 % of all template views, about 1 in 4. 27 of the 100 most-viewed templates break. If you built a workflow from a template, check it before you upgrade.
The numbers
| What happens on 3.0 | Templates | Share of templates | Share of views |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaks - uses a removed node or a removed AI Agent mode | 1,023 | 7.8 % | 25.3 % |
| Runs differently - e.g. Gmail Trigger below 1.4, If/Switch "Always Output Data" | 447 | 3.4 % | 2.2 % |
| Check your setup - e.g. community nodes, Execute Command, sub-workflows from files | 1,892 | 14.5 % | 3.7 % |
| No finding | 9,730 | 74.3 % | 68.8 % |
Each template counts once, at its worst finding. Paid templates included: 111 of 1,311 break.
What breaks most
| Removed in 3.0 | Templates | Replace with |
|---|---|---|
| Function (legacy) | 330 | Code node |
| Cron | 245 | Schedule Trigger |
| OpenAI (legacy version) | 109 | the current OpenAI node |
| HTTP Request Tool (legacy) | 94 | see n8n's breaking-changes page |
| AI Agent v1 in an old agent mode | 88 | AI Agent (current version) |
| Item Lists (legacy) | 84 | Split Out / Aggregate / Sort |
| SerpApi tool (legacy) | 79 | see n8n's breaking-changes page |
| Convert to/from binary data (legacy) | 48 | see n8n's breaking-changes page |
| Read Binary File (legacy) | 40 | see n8n's breaking-changes page |
| Write Binary File (legacy) | 39 | see n8n's breaking-changes page |
It is not only old templates
| Template created | Templates | Break on 3.0 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 24 | 14 | 58.3 % |
| 2020 | 309 | 76 | 24.6 % |
| 2021 | 141 | 54 | 38.3 % |
| 2022 | 144 | 79 | 54.9 % |
| 2023 | 86 | 27 | 31.4 % |
| 2024 | 462 | 59 | 12.8 % |
| 2025 | 6,574 | 587 | 8.9 % |
| 2026 | 5,352 | 127 | 2.4 % |
Check your own workflows
- Self-hosted with Docker: the free, open-source n8n Upgrade Dry-Run runs copies of your workflows on your current version and on 3.0 side by side and shows node by node what changes - the same rules as this study, plus real test runs.
- npm/npx install: the read-only n8n 3.0 check lists workflows that use removed nodes.
- Pin your current version until they are fixed (a redeploy of
latestmay start 3.0).
Method
On 2026-10-07 we downloaded the list of all 13,149 public templates from n8n's template API and each template's workflow JSON
(13,092 usable; 57 were deleted or could not be fetched). Every workflow was checked with the static rules of the
published n8n Upgrade Dry-Run 0.7 (git blob 8f077b4fb733), which follow n8n's official
v3.0 breaking-changes page (checked 2026-10-07).
"Views" are the all-time view counts n8n shows for each template.
Checked against the real 3.0 image
We tested the rules on n8n 2.42.3 and the n8n 3.0 release-candidate image (v3-rc-20261005), with a random sample of 20 templates (10 flagged "breaks", 10 with no finding) run through the free Dry-Run: first, the node lists inside both images: all 37 node types that n8n 3.0 removes (16 core, 21 AI nodes) are present in 2.42.3 and missing from the 3.0 release candidate, each one is covered by our rules, and no other node type was removed. Then the test runs: in 3 of the 10 flagged templates the 3.0 run stopped with "Unrecognized node type" exactly at the node our rules flagged; the other 7 stopped earlier at steps that need credentials or internet (the same on 2.42.3), so the run never reached the removed node. None of the 10 "no finding" templates showed "Unrecognized node type".
Honest limits
- Static rules: "breaks" means the template uses something 3.0 removes. Whether your copy fails depends on what you changed.
- Views are page views of the template, not installs or active workflows.
- One snapshot; templates are added and fixed every day. n8n 3.0 was not released yet when we ran this - we will refresh it on release day.
- "Runs differently" and "Check your setup" are not failures - they need a look.
Data
Download the CSV (13,092 rows: template id, name, link, views, created, level, reasons - no workflow contents). Free to use with a link back (CC BY 4.0). Cite as: Localhaven, "n8n 3.0 template study", 2026-10-07.
Our own data and code; not affiliated with n8n GmbH. Made with AI assistance.
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