i get out of memory errors all the time, but I am pumping large data through the flows when that happens.
and neither the PC or the n8n host are anywhere near capacity. so its weird.
+1 need for this autosave workflow. cause if browser was crash and forget to save all workflow missing after refresh.
using docker n8n.
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+1. Iāve lost my work a few times because my authentication token times out (using oauth-proxy).
Would be nice to have a Drafts feature
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I really like this product, but it is beyond me how this issue is still open given that this thread is 2 years old and routinely commented in. @jan please fix, Iāve just lost multiple hours of work with no recovery.
You should have auto save that just pushes saves into a draft if you are worried about effecting a prod workflow.
2 Likes
I just lost several hours worth of work after the page froze and I refreshed. I canāt express how frustrating this is. Iāve been in computing since the 90ās and although this was a common problem back in the day, I canāt remember the last time I faced it personally. Itās been many, many years at least. The fact this thread exists, only puts salt in the wound.
I like and appreciate this project but Iām now reconsidering my choices. This isnāt really an acceptable state of affairs in 2023 for any project. Open source or not.
I donāt want to sound un-appreciative of the work thatās been done. But Iām new to the app and a potential future contributor but this just turned me off adopting or contributing to the project. Perhaps for good.
Just something to think about.
You could have just stopped after the first paragraph tbh.
I understand your frustration after losing hours of work, as it has happened to many of us.
Itās important to learn from these experiences and share constructive feedback to help improve the project. While itās natural to feel upset, itās also essential to focus on finding solutions together. Your input is valuable, and we empathise with your situation.
3 Likes
Thanks. Totally fair.
Is there a Github issue you can direct me towards? Are the maintainers active in it? I wasnāt able to find anything.
Same experience as everyone here.
Like many of you, Iāve experienced the frustration of losing unsaved workflow progress in n8n. This common issue can deter new users and negatively affect the overall experience with the platform.
I propose a straightforward yet impactful solution: a āDraftā system. Hereās the concept:
- For New Workflows: As soon as you start a new workflow, n8n automatically saves your progress in a āDraftā state.
- For Existing Workflow Edits: When editing an existing workflow, n8n creates a āDraftā copy. This preserves your ongoing changes separately, ensuring the live workflow remains unaffected. You would then manually commit this draft to production, replacing the live workflow only when ready.
The beauty of this system is its simplicity. Itās a user-friendly approach that I believe could be implemented with minimal changes to the existing system. More importantly, it prevents the loss of work and sidesteps the risk of unintended live changes ā a major concern in past discussions.
This issue is not just about convenience; itās about reliability and user trust in n8n. Losing work can be a devastating blow, especially for new users. Itās challenging to recommend a tool with such a fundamental flaw. The numerous accounts in this thread alone underscore the urgency of addressing this gap in user experience.
Having been a user of n8n since its early days, I am a staunch advocate for the platform. I believe this āDraftā system could significantly enhance usability, reliability, and from a business perspective, curb user attrition in a big way.
Looking forward to your thoughts and feedback.
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I just lost 2-3 hours of work also. beyond frustrated.
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If youāre not in cloud and executed your lost workflow at least once, you may be able to recover a copy of it from the executions table in the DB
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Sounds like a great solution. Seems like there is high need for this.
Why is this stalled for 5 years?
+1 for this feature.
Itās particularly painful when testing a workflow that crashes the browser window due to data payload size. All of those changes need to be recreated.
Also looking for this feature
Another one to the victim of losing work. Incredibly frustrating that there isnāt any auto-save concept (or drafts).
+1 for this very needed feature.
I put this repo together to do local backups.
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Iām working on a chrome / brave browser extension to auto-save workflows. Just trying to get a gauge if anyone would be interested in such a thing. If yes then iāll submit it to the Google web store. Itāll be available for manual install in the repo above. Cheers.
Features:
- Open-source.
- Auto-Save timer triggered when Save button appears after an edit.
- Configurable timer.
- Popup timer is draggable to any location on the page.
- Background color changes to orange with 0:30 to auto-save. Red with 0:10 to go.
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Hereās the Chrome browser extension. Instructions are in the Readme.
Itās published. Hereās the extension URL or just search for n8n. Cheers