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Nodes are the fundamental building blocks of Cordage workflows. Each node performs a specific function and can be connected to create complex processing pipelines.

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Node Anatomy

Every node has these common elements:
  • Header: Shows the node type, name, and settings icon
  • Input Handles: Connection points on the left side for receiving data
  • Output Handles: Connection points on the right side for sending data
  • Preview Area: Shows current state or output (for visual nodes)
  • Status Indicator: Shows execution state (pending, running, complete, error)

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Node Categories

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Input Nodes

Input nodes provide data to your workflow. They’re typically the starting points.
Provides text data like prompts, descriptions, or parameters.Outputs:
  • text - The entered text string
Use cases:
  • AI model prompts
  • Configuration values
  • Labels and metadata
Upload or reference images for processing.Outputs:
  • image - Image URL or data
Use cases:
  • Source images for transformation
  • Reference images for AI models
  • Images to enhance or edit
Upload videos for processing pipelines.Outputs:
  • video - Video URL or data
Use cases:
  • Video-to-video AI transformations
  • Frame extraction
  • Video editing workflows
Upload audio files for audio-related workflows.Outputs:
  • audio - Audio URL or data
Use cases:
  • Speech-to-text processing
  • Audio enhancement
  • Music generation seed

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AI Model Nodes

Model nodes execute AI models from Replicate’s catalog.
Executes any model with customizable parameters.Features:
  • Dynamic input schema based on selected model
  • Real-time preview of outputs
  • Run history for each execution
Common model types:
  • Image generation (Flux, SDXL, Stable Diffusion)
  • Image upscaling (Real-ESRGAN, Topaz)
  • Background removal (RemBG)
  • Style transfer
  • Video generation
Generates or transforms text using language models.Inputs:
  • prompt - The text prompt
  • system - Optional system message
Outputs:
  • text - Generated text response
Use cases:
  • Prompt enhancement
  • Text summarization
  • Content generation
Analyzes images and generates text descriptions.Inputs:
  • image - Image to analyze
Outputs:
  • description - Text description of the image
Use cases:
  • Auto-captioning
  • Content analysis
  • Accessibility metadata

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Tool Nodes

Tool nodes perform deterministic image operations without AI.
Crops images to specified dimensions or aspect ratios.Parameters:
  • Aspect ratio presets (1:1, 16:9, 4:3, custom)
  • Manual crop region selection
  • Center crop option
Resizes images to target dimensions.Parameters:
  • Width and height (pixels or percentage)
  • Maintain aspect ratio option
  • Interpolation method
Applies blur effects to images.Parameters:
  • Blur radius/intensity
  • Blur type (gaussian, motion, etc.)
Applies color and tone adjustments.Parameters:
  • Brightness, contrast, saturation
  • Hue rotation
  • Color temperature
Advanced tonal adjustments.Parameters:
  • Input/output levels
  • Gamma correction
  • Per-channel adjustments
Inverts image colors.

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Utility Nodes

Saves workflow outputs to storage.Parameters:
  • Output format (PNG, JPEG, WebP)
  • Quality settings
  • File naming pattern
Features:
  • Triggers workflow execution
  • Generates downloadable files
  • Required for webhook outputs
Combines multiple images into one.Parameters:
  • Layer ordering
  • Blend modes
  • Position and scaling
Combines multiple text inputs into one.Use cases:
  • Building complex prompts
  • Adding style modifiers
  • Combining dynamic parts
Selects items from array outputs.Parameters:
  • Selection index
  • Random selection option
Adds annotations to your canvas.Features:
  • Resizable text areas
  • No effect on execution
  • Great for documentation

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Iterator Nodes

Runs workflow for each line of text.Inputs:
  • Multi-line text (one item per line)
Outputs:
  • Current text item (per iteration)
Use cases:
  • Batch prompt processing
  • Multiple style variations
Runs workflow for each uploaded file.Inputs:
  • Multiple images/videos
Outputs:
  • Current media item (per iteration)
Use cases:
  • Batch image processing
  • Portfolio enhancement

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Integration Nodes

Exposes workflow for external triggering.Features:
  • Unique webhook URL/key
  • Input parameter mapping
  • API access control
See also: Webhooks Tutorial
Creates custom input forms.Features:
  • Custom field definitions
  • User-friendly input interface
  • Validation rules

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Node Interaction

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Selecting Nodes

  • Click to select a single node
  • Shift+Click to add to selection
  • Drag on empty canvas to box-select multiple nodes
  • Ctrl/Cmd+A to select all nodes

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Moving Nodes

  • Drag selected nodes to reposition
  • Use arrow keys for precise positioning
  • Nodes snap to grid by default

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Duplicating Nodes

  • Right-click > Duplicate
  • Ctrl/Cmd+D to duplicate selected
  • Duplicated nodes retain connections where possible

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Deleting Nodes

  • Right-click > Delete
  • Backspace/Delete key
  • Connections are automatically removed

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Node Settings

Click the Settings icon (gear) in a node header to open the Inspector Panel, where you can:
  • Rename the node
  • Configure node-specific parameters
  • View execution history
  • See input/output details

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Best Practices

Name your nodes - Give descriptive names to make workflows readable.
Use comments - Add Comment nodes to document complex sections.
Group related nodes - Keep related operations close together visually.
Test incrementally - Run partial workflows to verify each step works.