Nango Function Builder
Build deployable Nango functions (actions and syncs) with repeatable patterns and validation steps.
When to use
- User wants to build or modify a Nango function
- User wants to build an action in Nango
- User wants to build a sync in Nango
Sync Strategy Gate (required before writing code)
If the task is a sync, read references/syncs.md before writing code and state one of these paths first:
- Checkpoint plan:
- change source (updated_at, modified_since, changed-records endpoint, cursor, page token, offset/page, since_id, or webhook) - checkpoint schema - how the checkpoint changes the provider request or resume state - whether the request still walks the full dataset or returns changed rows only - delete strategy
- Full refresh blocker:
- exact provider limitation from the docs or sample payloads - why checkpoints cannot work here
Invalid sync implementations:
- full refresh because it is simpler
saveCheckpoint()withoutgetCheckpoint()- reading or saving a checkpoint without using it in request params or pagination state
- using
syncType: 'incremental'ornango.lastSyncDatein a new sync - using
trackDeletesStart()/trackDeletesEnd()with a changed-only checkpoint (modified_after,updated_after, changed-records endpoint). Those requests omit unchanged rows, sotrackDeletesEnd()will falsely delete them. - using
trackDeletesStart()/trackDeletesEnd()in an incremental sync that already has explicit deleted-record events
Choose the Path
Action:
- One-time request, user-triggered, built with
createAction() - Read
references/actions.mdbefore writing code
Sync:
- Scheduled or webhook-driven cache updates built with
createSync() - Complete the Sync Strategy Gate first
- Read
references/syncs.mdbefore writing code
Workflow (recommended)
- Decide whether this is an action or a sync.
- Read the matching reference file:
references/actions.mdorreferences/syncs.md. - For syncs, inspect provider docs or payloads for checkpoints and deletes, decide whether the endpoint returns full data or changed rows, and complete the Sync Strategy Gate.
- Gather required inputs and external values. For connection lookup, credentials, or discovery, use the Nango HTTP API.
- Confirm this is a Zero YAML TypeScript project (
no nango.yaml) and that you are in the Nango root (.nango/exists). - Create or update the function under
{integrationId}/actions/or{integrationId}/syncs/, apply the schema and casing rules here, then register it inindex.ts. - Validate with
nango dryrun... --validate -e dev --no-interactive --auto-confirm. - If validation cannot pass, stop and report the missing external state or inputs.
- After validation passes, run
nango dryrun... --save, thennango generate:tests, thennpm test. - Deploy with
nango deploy devonly when requested.
Required Inputs (Ask User if Missing)
Always:
- Integration ID (provider name)
- Connection ID (for dryrun)
- Script name (kebab-case)
- API reference URL or sample response
Action-specific:
- Use case summary
- Input parameters
- Output fields
- Metadata JSON if required
- Test input JSON for dryrun
--inputand mocks (required; use{}for no-input actions)
Sync-specific:
- Model name (singular, PascalCase)
- Frequency (every hour, every 5 minutes, etc.)
- Checkpoint schema (timestamp, cursor, page token, offset/page,
since_id, or composite) - How the checkpoint changes the provider request or resume state
- Delete strategy (deleted-record endpoint/webhook, or why full refresh is required)
- If proposing a full refresh, the exact provider limitation that blocks checkpoints from the docs/sample response
- Metadata JSON if required (team_id, workspace_id)
If any required external values are missing, ask a targeted question after checking the repo and provider docs. For syncs, choose a checkpoint plus deletion strategy whenever the provider supports one. If you cannot find a viable checkpoint strategy, state exactly why before writing a full refresh.
Preconditions (Do Before Writing Code)
Confirm TypeScript Project (No nango.yaml)
This skill only supports TypeScript projects using createAction()/createSync().
ls nango.yaml 2>/dev/null && echo "YAML PROJECT DETECTED" || echo "OK - No nango.yaml"If you see YAML PROJECT DETECTED:
- Stop immediately.
- Tell the user to upgrade to the TypeScript format first.
- Do not attempt to mix YAML and TypeScript.
Reference: https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/platform/migrations/migrate-to-zero-yaml
Verify Nango Project Root
Do not create files until you confirm the Nango root:
ls -la .nango/ 2>/dev/null && pwd && echo "IN NANGO PROJECT ROOT" || echo "NOT in Nango root"If you see NOT in Nango root:
- cd into the directory that contains.nango/
- Re-run the check
- Do not use absolute paths as a workaround
All file paths must be relative to the Nango root. Creating files with extra prefixes while already in the Nango root will create nested directories that break the build.
Project Structure and Naming
./
|-- .nango/
|-- index.ts
|-- hubspot/
| |-- actions/
| | `-- create-contact.ts
| `-- syncs/
| `-- fetch-contacts.ts
`-- slack/
`-- actions/
`-- post-message.ts- Provider directories: lowercase (hubspot, slack)
- Action files: kebab-case (create-contact.ts)
- Sync files: kebab-case (many teams use a
fetch-prefix, but it's optional) - One function per file (action or sync)
- All actions and syncs must be imported in index.ts
Register scripts in index.ts (required)
Use side-effect imports only (no default/named imports). Include the .js extension.
// index.ts
import './github/actions/get-top-contributor.js';
import './github/syncs/fetch-issues.js';Symptom of incorrect registration: the file compiles but you see No entry points found in index.ts... or the function never appears.
Non-Negotiable Rules
Shared platform constraints
- Zero YAML TypeScript projects use
createAction()/createSync(), notnango.yaml. - Register every action/sync in
index.tswith side-effect imports (import './<path>.js'). - You cannot add arbitrary packages. Use relative imports; built-ins include
zod,crypto/node:crypto, andurl/node:url. - Use the Nango HTTP API for connection lookup, credentials, and proxy calls outside function code. Do not invent CLI token/connection commands.
- Add an API doc link comment above each provider call.
- Action outputs cannot exceed 2MB.
- HTTP retries default to
0; setretriesdeliberately, especially for writes.
Sync rules
- Sync records need a stable string
id. - New syncs should define a
checkpointschema, callnango.getCheckpoint()first, andnango.saveCheckpoint()after each page or batch. - A checkpoint is valid only if it changes the request or resume state (
since,updated_after,cursor,page_token,offset,page,since_id, etc.). Saving one without using it is not incremental sync. - New syncs must not use
syncType: 'incremental'ornango.lastSyncDate. - Default to
nango.paginate(...)+nango.batchSave(...). Avoid manualwhile (true)loops whencursor,link, oroffsetpagination fits. - Prefer
batchDelete()when the provider returns deletions, tombstones, or delete webhooks. - Use full refresh only if the provider cannot return changes, deletions, or resume state, or if the dataset is tiny.
- For full refresh, cite the exact provider limitation from docs or payloads. "It is easier" is not enough.
deleteRecordsFromPreviousExecutions()is deprecated. For full refresh, calltrackDeletesStart()before fetch/save andtrackDeletesEnd()only after a successful full fetch/save.- Never combine
trackDeletesStart()/trackDeletesEnd()with changed-only checkpoints (modified_after,updated_after, changed-records endpoints, etc.). They omit unchanged rows, sotrackDeletesEnd()would delete them. - Checkpointed full refreshes are still full refreshes. Call
trackDeletesEnd()only in the run that finishes the full window.
Conventions
- Match field casing to the external API. Passthrough fields keep provider casing; non-passthrough fields should use the majority casing of that API.
- Prefer explicit field names.
- Add
.describe()examples for IDs, timestamps, enums, and URLs. - Avoid
any; use inline mapping types. - Prefer static Nango endpoint paths (avoid
:id/{id}in the exposed endpoint); pass IDs in input/params. - List actions should expose
cursorplus a next-cursor field in the majority casing of that API (next_cursor,nextCursor, etc.). - Use
nango.zodValidateInput()only when you need custom validation or logging; otherwise rely on schemas +nango dryrun --validate.
Schema Semantics
- Default non-required inputs to
.optional(). - Use
.nullable()only whennullhas meaning, usually clear-on-update; add.optional()when callers may omit the field too. - Raw provider schemas should match the provider:
.optional()for omitted fields,.nullable()for explicitnull,.nullish()only when the provider truly does both. - Final action outputs and normalized sync models should prefer
.optional()and normalize upstreamnullto omission unlessnullmatters. - Default generated schemas to
.optional()for non-required inputs and normalized outputs; widen only when the upstream contract justifies it. - Prefer
.nullable()overz.union([z.null(), T])orz.union([T, z.null()]). - Return
nullonly when the output schema allows it. z.object()strips unknown keys by default. For provider pass-through usez.object({}).passthrough(),z.record(z.unknown()), orz.unknown()with minimal refinements.
Field Naming and Casing Rules
- Use explicit suffixes in the API's majority casing: IDs (
user_id,userId), names (channel_name,channelName), emails (user_email,userEmail), URLs (callback_url,callbackUrl), and timestamps (created_at,createdAt).
Mapping example (API expects a different parameter name):
const InputSchema = z.object({
userId: z.string()
});
const config: ProxyConfiguration = {
endpoint: 'users.info',
params: {
user: input.userId
},
retries: 3
};If the API is snake_case, use user_id instead. The goal is API consistency.
Dryrun, Mocks, and Tests (required)
Required loop (do not skip steps):
- Run
nango dryrun... --validate -e dev --no-interactive --auto-confirmuntil it passes. - Actions: always pass
--input '{...}'(use--input '{}'for no-input actions). - Syncs: use
--checkpoint '{...}'when you need to simulate a resumed run. - If validation cannot pass, stop and state the missing external state or inputs required.
- After validation passes, run
nango dryrun... --save -e dev --no-interactive --auto-confirmto generate<script-name>.test.json. - Run
nango generate:tests, thennpm test.
Hard rules:
- Treat
<script-name>.test.jsonas generated output. Never create, edit, rename, or move it (including recordedhashfields). - If mocks are wrong or stale, fix the code and re-record with
--save. - Do not hard-code error payloads in
*.test.json; use a Vitest test withvi.spyOn(...)for 404/401/429/timeout cases. - Connection ID is the second positional argument; do not use
--connection-id. - Use
--integration-id <integration-id>when script names overlap across integrations. - Prefer
--checkpointfor new incremental syncs;--lastSyncDateis a legacy pattern. - If
nangois not on PATH, usenpx nango.... - CLI upgrade prompts can block automation; set
NANGO_CLI_UPGRADE_MODE=ignoreif needed.
Reference: https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/platform/functions/testing
References
- Action patterns, CRUD examples, metadata usage, and ActionError examples:
references/actions.md - Sync patterns, concrete checkpoint examples, delete strategies, and full refresh fallback:
references/syncs.md
Useful Nango docs (quick links)
- Functions runtime SDK reference: https://nango.dev/docs/reference/functions
- Implement an action: https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/use-cases/actions/implement-an-action
- Implement a sync: https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/use-cases/syncs/implement-a-sync
- Checkpoints: https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/use-cases/syncs/checkpoints
- Deletion detection (full vs incremental): https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/use-cases/syncs/deletion-detection
- Testing integrations (dryrun, --save, Vitest): https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/platform/functions/testing
- Nango HTTP API reference: https://nango.dev/docs/reference/api
Deploy (Optional)
Deploy functions to an environment in your Nango account:
nango deploy dev
# Deploy only one function
nango deploy --action <action-name> dev
nango deploy --sync <sync-name> devReference: https://nango.dev/docs/implementation-guides/use-cases/actions/implement-an-action
When API Docs Do Not Render
If web fetching returns incomplete docs (JS-rendered):
- Ask the user for a sample response
- Use existing actions/syncs in the repo as a pattern
- Run dryrun with
--validateuntil it passes, then run dryrun with--save, thennango generate:tests
Final Checklists
Action:
- Nango root verified
references/actions.mdwas used for the action pattern- Schemas and types are clear, and missing-value rules match the provider vs normalized contract
createAction()includes endpoint, input, output, and scopes when required- Fields use passthrough casing or the API's majority casing
- Provider call includes an API doc link comment and intentional retries
nango.ActionErroris used for expected failures- Registered in index.ts
- Dryrun succeeds with
--validate -e dev --no-interactive --auto-confirm --input '{...}' <action-name>.test.jsonwas generated bynango dryrun... --saveafter--validatenango generate:testsran andnpm testpasses
Sync:
- Nango root verified
references/syncs.mdwas used for the sync pattern- Models map is defined, ids are stable strings, and normalized models prefer
.optional()unlessnullmatters - Incremental was chosen first, with a checkpoint schema unless full refresh is explicitly justified from docs or payloads
nango.getCheckpoint()is read at the start andnango.saveCheckpoint()runs after each page or batch- Checkpoint data changes the provider request or resume state (
since,updated_after,cursor,page_token,offset,page,since_id, etc.) - Changed-only checkpoint syncs (
modified_after,updated_after, changed-records endpoint) do not usetrackDeletesStart()/trackDeletesEnd() - If checkpoints were not used, the response explains exactly why no viable checkpoint strategy exists
- Raw provider schemas model omitted vs
nullcorrectly, and fields use passthrough casing or the API's majority casing nango.paginate()is used unless the API truly cannot fit Nango's paginator- Deletion strategy matches the sync type:
batchDelete()for incremental only when the provider returns explicit deletions; otherwise full-refresh fallback usestrackDeletesStart()before fetch/save andtrackDeletesEnd()only after a successful full fetch plus save - Metadata handled if required
- Registered in index.ts
- Dryrun succeeds with
--validate -e dev --no-interactive --auto-confirm <sync-name>.test.jsonwas generated bynango dryrun... --saveafter--validatenango generate:testsran andnpm testpasses