Infinite Loop in n8n Wait Node Due to Accumulated HTTP GET Responses

Below is a summary of the issue and how to fix it:

What’s Happening

When you loop, the HTTP GET node keeps returning its results and the IF node’s condition ends up checking an array of items rather than a single object. That is why, while in one HTTP call the job_status is available as

  {{ $json.export_details.job_status }}

the next iteration the node sees something like an array (e.g. export_details becomes an array of previous outputs). As a result your IF condition never finds the expected value (like "completed") because you’re not checking the right index (for example, when you have to use {{ $json.export_details[1].job_status }}).

Why It’s Occurring

n8n automatically loops over incoming items for most nodes. If the HTTP node is returning items that accumulate over iterations (or if you’re not clearing previous results), the IF node sees all previous outputs instead of only the most recent one.

How to Fix It

1. Ensure a Single-Item Output per Iteration:
   If you only want to check the latest result, configure your HTTP GET node (or add a Set node) so that it returns a single object instead of merging it with previous iterations.

2. Use the “Execute Once” Parameter:
   If applicable, toggle the Execute Once option on the HTTP GET node (or on the relevant node that is accumulating results) so that it only processes the new item and does not keep previous outputs. This ensures that your condition always checks an object in the same format.

3. Reference the Correct Value:
   Alternatively, if your workflow logic requires working with an array, make sure to target the correct element in the array with an expression like
   {{ $json.export_details[1].job_status }}
   but note that this might not be stable across iterations if the array’s length changes.

In Summary

Your infinite loop is caused because the IF node condition is evaluating data in a changed format (an array that contains previous HTTP GET responses) rather than a single, fresh object. To resolve this, adjust the workflow so that each loop iteration works with the current result only. Using Execute Once or processing the HTTP response to yield only one new item per iteration should help you get back to the intended logic.

This approach follows similar examples on looping in n8n where handling of items is key to avoid unexpected formats.