# Data Table issue - "ghost" tables

**URL:** <https://community.n8n.io/t/data-table-issue-ghost-tables/247329>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Created:** [January 8, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/data-table-issue-ghost-tables/247329 "2026-01-08T22:26:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![edukras](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/edukras/32/67225_2.png) [@edukras](https://community.n8n.io/u/edukras)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/data-table-issue-ghost-tables/247329/1 "2026-01-08T22:26:16Z")

</div>

## Describe the problem/error/question

I’m running a workflow that uses datatable node for checking records “if row exists” and getting records. I tried to change the data table reference to a new one, deleting the other data table, and within the data table nodes I updated the reference in the “From list” to point to the new data table, but the workflow breaks looking into the deleted data table ID. No matter what I tried, the result is the same.

## What is the error message (if any)?

Message:  
_Problem in node ‘If row exists‘  
Could not find the data table: ‘SXPsb2HaJfx5FAw1’_

This ID has been deleted, and I updated with the new one “MrCZqgoALsncFka4” (as shown in json below), but it insists to refer to the older one.

## Please share your workflow

```auto
{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "operation": "rowExists",
        "dataTableId": {
          "__rl": true,
          "value": "=MrCZqgoALsncFka4",
          "mode": "id"
        },
        "filters": {
          "conditions": [
            {
              "keyName": "cpf_normalizado",
              "keyValue": "={{ $json.cpf_busca }}"
            },
            {
              "keyName": "nome_normalizado",
              "keyValue": "={{ $json.nome_normalizado_busca }}"
            },
            {
              "keyName": "razao_social",
              "keyValue": "={{ $json.razao_social }}"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.dataTable",
      "typeVersion": 1.1,
      "position": [
        96,
        -144
      ],
      "id": "ae62e26f-e7c9-4592-aaa7-27f4bb86fa74",
      "name": "If row exists"
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "If row exists": {
      "main": [
        []
      ]
    }
  },
  "pinData": {},
  "meta": {
    "instanceId": "51406322838de5929ff4c4d7aa9a89fe6711910b3f05d527f81f5de7ae7b2009"
  }
}Share the output returned by the last node

```

## **core**

- n8nVersion: 2.2.4

- platform: docker (self-hosted)

- nodeJsVersion: 22.21.1

- nodeEnv: production

- database: sqlite

- executionMode: regular

- concurrency: -1

- license: enterprise (production)

### **storage**

- success: all

- error: all

- progress: false

- manual: true

- binaryMode: filesystem

### **pruning**

- enabled: true

- maxAge: 336 hours

- maxCount: 10000 executions

### **client**

- userAgent: mozilla/5.0 (windows nt 10.0; win64; x64) applewebkit/537.36 (khtml, like gecko) chrome/143.0.0.0 safari/537.36

- isTouchDevice: false

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![achamm](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/achamm/32/143734_2.png) [@achamm](https://community.n8n.io/u/achamm)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/data-table-issue-ghost-tables/247329/2 "2026-01-11T00:15:52Z")

</div>

If the name of the data table is the same, when you go to select the list, select the unselected data table option with the same name, and it should fix the issue.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/system/32/195824_2.png) [@system](https://community.n8n.io/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/data-table-issue-ghost-tables/247329/3 "2026-04-11T00:15:54Z")

</div>

Closed on April 11, 2026, 12:15am UTC

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