Resolving the 'Identical Response 5x' Error in n8n's HTTP Request Node Pagination

Below is some guidance to help troubleshoot your issue:

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Why the “Identical Response 5x” Error Occurs

n8n stops paginating if it detects that the response hasn’t changed over several requests. This is a safety mechanism to avoid infinite loops. In your case, if the pagination parameters aren’t updated between requests, n8n keeps receiving what it sees as “the same response,” and after five calls it stops.

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Two Main Approaches for Pagination

n8n’s HTTP Request node supports two styles:

1. Using Response Contains Next URL
   • If your API returns a field for the next page (for example, pokeapi returns a next URL), consider switching to this mode.
   • Set Pagination Mode to “Response Contains Next URL” and in Next URL use an expression like:

   JAVASCRIPTCopied
   {{ $response.body.next }}

   This way, n8n automatically stops when there is no next URL.

2. Using “Pagination Complete When” with a Complete Expression
   • If you prefer to signal completion by checking if an array is empty in the response (e.g. results), you must ensure two things:
     - The condition only becomes true when you really have reached the final (empty) page.
     - The parameters used for pagination (for example, a page number in the query) are updated properly so that subsequent requests yield new responses.

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Specific Suggestions for Your Use Case

Since your API (https://pokeapi.co/api/v2/pokemon) returns both a results array and a next field, the easiest method is to use the Response Contains Next URL mode:

1. Change the Pagination Mode
   • Select Add Option > Pagination in the HTTP Request node.
   • Choose Response Contains Next URL.
   • In the Next URL field, enter:

   JAVASCRIPTCopied
   {{ $response.body.next }}

This tells n8n to use the URL provided by the API for the next page. When there’s no value (i.e. it’s null), n8n knows to stop.

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If you want to stick with “Pagination Complete When” and complete expression:

• Ensure the Query Parameter is Updated
  You must update the query parameter (or body parameter) for each request (using the “Update a Parameter in Each Request” option). For example, if you were to use a page or offset parameter, you might do something like:

  JAVASCRIPTCopied
  {{ $pageCount > 0 ? $pageCount * 20 : 0 }}

  (Assuming each page has 20 records.)

• Define a Complete Expression
  Instead of directly checking for an empty array, make sure you don’t signal completion on the very first page. For example, you can write:

  JAVASCRIPTCopied
  ={{ $pageCount > 0 && $response.body.results.length === 0 }}

  This tells n8n to stop paginating only if you’re past the first page and the results array is empty.

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Final Notes

Before settling on your complete expression approach, verify that every new request is returning a truly updated response. The “identical response” error is n8n’s way of saying that it detected no change—so it’s likely that the pagination parameters weren’t shifted to trigger a new page. Using the native “Response Contains Next URL” option generally sidesteps this problem when the API supports it.

By switching to that mode or ensuring your query parameter updates properly along with a well-guarded complete expression, you should be able to avoid the error and paginate through all pages successfully.

Hope this helps!