building-nango-functions

Build Nango Functions

Build Nango action and sync implementations without choosing the execution workflow.

This skill covers the function design contract: schemas, provider calls, action outputs, sync models, checkpoints, deletion handling, metadata, retries, and runtime constraints. It intentionally does not cover local CLI validation/deploy or remote API compile/dryrun/deploy.

If the task becomes clearly local/CLI-based, use building-nango-functions-locally instead. If it becomes clearly remote/API-based, use building-nango-functions-remotely instead.

Implementation Scope

• Build or modify a Nango function implementation
• Build an action in Nango with createAction()
• Build a sync in Nango with createSync()
• Use the active workflow skill for compile, dryrun, test, and deploy mechanics

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() without getCheckpoint()
• reading or saving a checkpoint without using it in request params or pagination state
• using syncType: 'incremental' or nango.lastSyncDate in a new sync
• a full refresh with no checkpoint schema, or one that is never saved after each page — the run restarts from page 1 whenever it exceeds the execution window
• saveCheckpoint() guarded so it only runs when more pages remain (e.g. if (nextCursor) { await nango.saveCheckpoint(...) }). Every successful page, including the last, must call saveCheckpoint(); otherwise a one-page sync reaches clearCheckpoint() with no checkpoint row and fails with checkpoint_conflict.
• calling trackDeletesEnd() before clearCheckpoint(), or without a preceding clearCheckpoint() at all
• using trackDeletesStart() / trackDeletesEnd() with a changed-only checkpoint (modified_after, updated_after, changed-records endpoint). Those requests omit unchanged rows, so trackDeletesEnd() 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.md before writing code

Sync:

• Scheduled or webhook-driven cache updates built with createSync()
• Complete the Sync Strategy Gate first
• Read references/syncs.md before writing code

Required Inputs (Ask User if Missing)

Always:

• Integration ID (provider name)
• Script/function name (kebab-case)
• API reference URL or sample response
• Connection ID if the active workflow will validate or dryrun the function

Action-specific:

• Use case summary
• Input parameters
• Output fields
• Metadata JSON if required
• Test input JSON if the active workflow will validate or dryrun the action (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.

Non-Negotiable Rules

Shared platform constraints

• Nango functions use createAction() / createSync().
• You cannot add arbitrary packages. Use relative imports only when the chosen workflow supports them; built-ins include zod, crypto/node:crypto, and url/node:url.
• Use the Nango HTTP API for connection lookup, credentials, and proxy calls outside function code. Do not invent CLI token or connection commands.
• Add an API doc link comment above each provider call.
• Action outputs cannot exceed 2MB.
• File uploads and downloads cannot be implemented as actions (sandboxed runtime: no fs, no axios, 2 MB output limit). Use a proxy script in {integration}/proxy/ with @nangohq/node instead — see references/actions.md.
• HTTP retries default to 0; set retries deliberately. Treat 3 as the normal maximum; for sync provider calls, values above 3 are effectively forbidden unless docs prove they are safe and necessary. Avoid retries for non-idempotent writes unless the API supports idempotency.
• Do not set deprecated function definition routing fields: action endpoint and sync endpoints. Trigger actions by action name through the SDK/API, and consume sync records through the records API.

Sync rules

• Sync records need a stable string id.
• New syncs should define a checkpoint schema, call nango.getCheckpoint() first, and nango.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' or nango.lastSyncDate.
• Default to nango.paginate(...) + nango.batchSave(...). Avoid manual while (true) loops when cursor, link, or offset pagination 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.
• Full refresh syncs still need a checkpoint schema (page/cursor/offset) covering pagination progress, not just incremental syncs. Nango syncs run inside a time-limited execution window; a full refresh with no checkpoint restarts from page 1 on every run that exceeds the window, wasting compute re-fetching the same early pages and never reaching the rest.
• deleteRecordsFromPreviousExecutions() is deprecated. For full refresh, call trackDeletesStart() on every execution (safe/idempotent — it will not overwrite the start of an already-open window), then saveCheckpoint() after each page, clearCheckpoint() after the last page, and trackDeletesEnd() only after that clearCheckpoint().
• In a full refresh, call saveCheckpoint() after every successful page, including the last, before calling clearCheckpoint(). Never guard the save with "more pages remain." If a distinct execution path creates no checkpoint at all (for example, it processes no pages), do not call clearCheckpoint() on that path; it throws checkpoint_conflict at runtime. This exception is not a substitute for saving the terminal page.
• Never combine trackDeletesStart() / trackDeletesEnd() with changed-only checkpoints (modified_after, updated_after, changed-records endpoints, etc.). They omit unchanged rows, so trackDeletesEnd() would delete them.
• Checkpointed full refreshes are still full refreshes. Call trackDeletesEnd() only in the run that finishes and clears the checkpoint.
• If a sync requires metadata (e.g. team_id, workspace_id, guild_id), set autoStart: false. The sync cannot run until the caller has set the metadata, so starting it automatically would fail.

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.
• List actions should expose cursor plus 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 plus the chosen validation workflow.

Schema Semantics

• Default non-required inputs to .optional().
• Use .nullable() only when null has 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 explicit null, .nullish() only when the provider truly does both.
• Final action outputs and normalized sync models should prefer .optional() and normalize upstream null to omission unless null matters.
• Default generated schemas to .optional() for non-required inputs and normalized outputs; widen only when the upstream contract justifies it.
• Prefer .nullable() over z.union([z.null(), T]) or z.union([T, z.null()]).
• Return null only when the output schema allows it.
• z.object() strips unknown keys by default. For provider pass-through use z.object({}).passthrough(), z.record(z.unknown()), or z.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.

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

When API Docs Do Not Render

If web fetching returns incomplete docs (JS-rendered):

• Ask the user for a sample response
• Use existing Nango actions or syncs in the workspace as a pattern when they exist
• Use the skill-specific validation or dryrun workflow until it passes