Message Learner
Stop guessing message properties
Automatically discovers available msg properties as messages flow. Inspired by Apple Shortcuts' magic variables.
The Problem We Discovered
"I have to debug, inspect, guess, repeat... for every single message property. Half my time is spent figuring out what data I already have."
The current Node-RED workflow: Deploy. Trigger. Debug node. Dig through JSON. Find property. Copy path. Update node. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
We watched users spend more time discovering properties than building flows. Complex API responses required archaeological expeditions through debug panels. Teams couldn't remember their own message structures from last week. Meanwhile, Apple Shortcuts users just see their available data. No hunting. No guessing.
Learn Once, Reference Forever
What It Does:
- Learns as Messages Flow: Captures structure automatically
- Deep Inspection: Finds nested properties (
payload.data.user.id) - Property Inspector Sidebar: See all discovered properties at a glance
- One-Click Copy: Click any property path to copy
- Rich Metadata: Type, frequency, source node, sample values
How It Works:
- Enable Learn Mode (toolbar button)
- Send test messages through your flow
- Open Property Inspector sidebar
- See every available property instantly
- Click to copy any path
See It In Action
Scenario 1: API Response Learning
- Call external API once
- Message Learner discovers all response properties
- See
payload.data.user.id,payload.data.user.email, etc. - Click to copy any path for use in nodes
Scenario 2: Complex Data Structures
- Nested arrays and objects automatically discovered
- Type information shows arrays vs objects vs primitives
- Sample values preview actual data
- Frequency counts show which properties are always present
Scenario 3: Team Collaboration
- New team member opens flow
- Enables Learn Mode and triggers flow once
- Instantly sees all available message properties
- No need to read documentation or ask questions
Get Started in 30 Seconds
# Quick install cd ~/.node-red npm install --registry https://npm.fierylab.io @fiery-lab/fiery-contrib-msg-learner node-red-restart # Or add our registry permanently echo "@fiery-lab:registry=https://npm.fierylab.io" >> ~/.npmrc npm install @fiery-lab/fiery-contrib-msg-learner
First Use:
- Click "Learn" button in toolbar
- Button turns blue showing "Learn: ON"
- Trigger your flows with test data
- Open Message Properties sidebar (right panel)
- Click any property to copy its path
Fine-tune If Needed
Most users never need to change these defaults:
| Setting | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Max Depth | 10 levels | How deep to inspect objects |
| Max Properties | 1000/flow | Storage limit per flow |
| Exclude | _msgid, req, res | Skip internal properties |
| Sort By | Frequency | Most-used properties first |