How Can I Execute HTTP Request Nodes in Parallel in an n8n Workflow?

Below is a typical solution using n8n’s built-in execution model.

How n8n Executes Nodes in Parallel

n8n automatically runs nodes connected to the same output in parallel. In your case, if you have a Trigger node (for example, a Webhook) and you connect its output to both HTTP Request nodes (“Process Info1” and “Process Info2”), n8n will execute both nodes concurrently—as long as there are no dependencies between the two.

Example Workflow Structure

Below is a simplified example of a workflow JSON showing the setup:

JSONCopied
{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "parameters": {
        "path": "webhook",
        "httpMethod": "POST",
        "responseMode": "onReceived"
      },
      "name": "Webhook",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        250,
        300
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "requestMethod": "POST",
        "url": "https://api.example.com/info1"
      },
      "name": "Process Info1",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httprequest",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        500,
        150
      ]
    },
    {
      "parameters": {
        "requestMethod": "POST",
        "url": "https://api.example.com/info2"
      },
      "name": "Process Info2",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httprequest",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        500,
        450
      ]
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Webhook": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Process Info1",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          },
          {
            "node": "Process Info2",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Key Points

• Direct connections: Both HTTP Request nodes are connected directly to the Webhook node output. This ensures that when the Webhook receives a payload, both child nodes are triggered at the same time.
• Independence: Ensure that the two HTTP Request nodes do not rely on each other’s outputs or any sequential processing order.
• Workflow optimization: If later in your workflow you need to combine results from both HTTP Request nodes, you can use a Merge or Wait node to handle the combined output.

Final Notes

This setup works out of the box in n8n (v1.63.4 as you mentioned, running on n8n Cloud) because the platform’s design handles parallel execution whenever a node's output branches out. No extra configuration is required to achieve parallelism in this scenario.

Let me know if you need further details on configuring or troubleshooting parallel execution in n8n!