Simply running a simple node in test mode

[bally]

I’ve been creating workflows for a while and I don’t know why sometimes I cannot test a simple node:

I have data in the previous node pinned . I press Execute I expect the input to be processed in this very simple manner and yet I get nothing

Data is: Inserted data from last successful execution. You can edit as needed.

[Adam_Abdelmoumni]

Hi @bally , since you use “$json“ for your variable reference, it therefore does refer to the data from previous node. But even though it’s showing variables such as {{ $json.To }} in green (means there is a “To“ variable found), we can’t see this “To“ variable in “Split Messages“ node. We do only see : id, threadid, snippet.

Where are these variables : To, From, [‘Reply-To‘] ?

[bally]

They are all there, lower in the json. This node is actually already working for a while, but I wanted to add some new features. For some reason I cannot test with the pinned data.

[Adam_Abdelmoumni]

can you copy/paste here the json input data so we can try replicate on our end the behavior with a set node ? of course you can edit the data in case it’s confidential

[Anshul_Namdev]

Hi @bally I was also facing this issue in the previous release but everything started working fine when i have updated my n8n and restarted my instance.

[bally]

Try this:

{
  "id": "19bf38",
  "threadId": "19bf38",
  "snippet": "First Name: John Doe Last Name: Doe Email: [email protected] Phone: 1234567 Needed: I am looking for a pie",
  "payload": {
    "partId": "",
    "mimeType": "multipart/alternative",
    "filename": "",
    "body": {
      "size": 0
    },
    "parts": [
      {
        "partId": "0",
        "mimeType": "text/plain",
        "filename": "",
        "headers": [
          {
            "name": "Content-Type",
            "value": "text/plain; charset=us-ascii"
          }
        ],
        "body": {
          "size": 314,
          "data": "Rmlyc3QgTmFtZTogSm9obiBEb2UNCkxh"
        }
      },
      {
        "partId": "1",
        "mimeType": "text/html",
        "filename": "",
        "headers": [
          {
            "name": "Content-Type",
            "value": "text/html; charset=us-ascii"
          }
        ],
        "body": {
          "size": 585,
          "data": "PCFkb2N0eXBlIGh0bWw-DQo8aHRtbCB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5OS94aHRtbCIgZGlyPSJsdHIiIGxhbmc9ImVuLVVTIj4NCjxoZWFkPg0KPHRpdGxlPkNvcnBvcmF0ZSBGb3JtOiBKb2huIERvZTwvdGl0bGU+DQo8L2hlYWQ+DQo8Ym9keT4NCjxwPkZpcnN0I+PC9ib2R5Pg0KPC9odG1sPg0KDQo="
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "sizeEstimate": 6695,
  "historyId": "32654877",
  "internalDate": "1769317189000",
  "labels": [
    {
      "id": "CATEGORY_PERSONAL",
      "name": "CATEGORY_PERSONAL"
    },
    {
      "id": "Label_2965898118",
      "name": "Lead - Lost"
    }
  ],
  "Delivered-To": "[email protected]",
  "Received": "from (envelope-from <[email protected]>) id 1vjsE2-0000000Cy5x-01aa for [email protected]; Sun, 25 Jan 2026 15:59:50 +1100",
  "X-Received": "by 2002:a05:6a2:f78b with SMTP id adf61e7; Sat, 24 Jan 2026 20:59:56 -0800 (PST)",
  "ARC-Seal": "i=1; a=rsa-sha256; t=1769317196; cv=none; d=google.com; s=arc-20240605; b=MYp+5sFovnku6NlvFd6zD+9gh/7nqrJH9+gOFGCWsPrJmBGHJ/5M/uGX3XMQ3G4Z/hg6EspH2K2r+DtaPWuG64vh3DYkAQmKJMiHI4S0mQshec8c1k+DLnRj7ShQahnEex+oUKtEv9GRL2XK1D+oESgnGzchkFpN82F4PNvt90Paw==",
  "From": "John Doe <[email protected]>",
  "Reply-To": "John Doe <[email protected]>",
  "Email": "[email protected]",
  "First-Name": "John",
  "Last-Name": "Doe",
  "From-Phone": "1234567"
}

I updated but it still would not execute

[Adam_Abdelmoumni]

I tried and it works for me, except that the json key “To“ doesn’t exists in the JSON data you shared :

I am using n8n self hosted version 2.6.3 FYI :

Which version are you using?

Below the workflow I created for the test :

test random.json (4.5 KB)

[bally]

Mine:

I imported your test workflow and it does generate an output

I then copied the Jason from your input and put it into the output of my previous node and then try to run my node and it’s not working.

And then I tried try to copy my node into your Test workflow and then it ran forever
Here it is. I changed the top to ‘{{ $json[‘Reply-To’] }}’

test random (1).json (5.8 KB)

[Adam_Abdelmoumni]

Can you show the exact error you get and upload the json wf you have executed along with the pinned data ? so that I can replicate and check.

I just executed the latest json wf you shared and I get no issue :

All output data are being populated :

[bally]

I don’t get an error I just get no output.

I get output on your node and not on my node.

What’s the difference between them? They look like the same

[Adam_Abdelmoumni]

can you share the full JSON of your workflow here?

And screenshot of which node is not showing output as well

[bally]

it is part of this workflow :

Clickup - find task

These are my tasks: [image] I used this filter [image] I’m returning nothing, is this related to the other issues I’ve been having where basically I’m getting nothing in every single test I do? is it due to the fact that this is called by another workflow? But I do have mock data at key points yet it is not working [image]

is it impossible to test a single step if it is a sub task ?