Autosave for workflows

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. Iā€™ve 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, Iā€™ve 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.

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I just lost several hours worth of work after the page froze and I refreshed. I canā€™t express how frustrating this is. Iā€™ve been in computing since the 90ā€™s and although this was a common problem back in the day, I canā€™t remember the last time I faced it personally. Itā€™s been many, many years at least. The fact this thread exists, only puts salt in the wound.

I like and appreciate this project but Iā€™m now reconsidering my choices. This isnā€™t really an acceptable state of affairs in 2023 for any project. Open source or not.

I donā€™t want to sound un-appreciative of the work thatā€™s been done. But Iā€™m 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.

Itā€™s important to learn from these experiences and share constructive feedback to help improve the project. While itā€™s natural to feel upset, itā€™s also essential to focus on finding solutions together. Your input is valuable, and we empathise with your situation.

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Thanks. Totally fair.

Is there a Github issue you can direct me towards? Are the maintainers active in it? I wasnā€™t able to find anything.

Same experience as everyone here.

Like many of you, Iā€™ve 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 ā€˜Draftā€™ system. Hereā€™s the concept:

  • For New Workflows: As soon as you start a new workflow, n8n automatically saves your progress in a ā€˜Draftā€™ state.
  • For Existing Workflow Edits: When editing an existing workflow, n8n creates a ā€˜Draftā€™ 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. Itā€™s 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; itā€™s about reliability and user trust in n8n. Losing work can be a devastating blow, especially for new users. Itā€™s 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 ā€˜Draftā€™ 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 youā€™re 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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