> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.stackai.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.stackai.com/workflow-builder/outputs/action-node.md).

# Action Node

### What is an Action Node?

An Action node allows your workflow to interact with external systems. You can use it to send data to other apps, update databases, trigger web searches, or automate other tasks across services.

This node is typically used after collecting and processing data through Input or LLM nodes.

Common uses include:

* Sending rows to **Airtable** or **Excel**
* Updating documents in **Notion** or **MongoDB**
* Querying or writing to **PostgreSQL**
* Triggering a **Web Search** and retrieving results
* Sending Emails using **Gmail** or **Outlook**

These nodes help turn your workflows into automated agents that don’t just compute — they also take action.

### How to use the Action node

To use the Action node:

1. Click the node.
2. In the right panel, search and select an action from the desired node.

Depending on the Action selected:

* **Input:** Requires structured data (usually JSON or plain text) from a previous node.
* **Output:** Sends data to an external service. The result can optionally be passed to an Output node or another processing node like an LLM.

Not all actions produce user-facing output. Some simply perform the task in the background — such as logging, sending an email, or updating a database.


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