Why Isn't the IF Condition Executed on Subsequent Debug Runs?

Below is an explanation of what’s happening and why your flow behaves that way:

Debugging vs. Full Workflow Execution

When you run your workflow from the form trigger, all nodes—including the IF node—are executed in order. In contrast, when you use the “Execute Node” debug feature (for example, on the OCR node), the execution is isolated to that node. This means that the logic splitting (handled by the IF node) isn’t actually re-triggered as part of that isolated debugging run. In short, debugging a single node doesn’t simulate the full branching logic of your entire workflow.

Why Disconnecting Helps

When you disconnect the parts of the workflow that aren’t being tested, you’re effectively creating a simplified, nearly linear flow. This allows the node you’re debugging to “see” its input as if it were coming through, which in turn forces the flow to continue along the branch. The behavior you’re observing isn’t a bug but rather a consequence of how n8n’s debugging is designed—it does not automatically run the entire workflow logic (including conditional splitting) when triggering a node for testing.

Recommendations

• Test the Entire Workflow: To see the IF logic in action, trigger the workflow using the primary trigger (in your case, the form) so that all nodes, including the IF, run in sequence.
• Isolate for Debugging: If you need to debug a specific node (like the OCR node), temporarily disconnect the unrelated path. This is a normal practice to ensure that the data propagated to your debug target is what you expect.
• Review Execution Logs: The Executions log in the n8n Editor UI can help confirm that the entire workflow executes as intended when not testing in isolation.

This behavior is intended given the way n8n handles node execution and debugging. It’s not an issue with your setup but rather how partial executions work compared to a full workflow run.

For further details on how conditional nodes (like IF) work within workflows, you can refer to the documentation on splitting workflows with the IF node.

When you debug a node (like your OCR node) by executing it individually, the node’s output isn’t automatically fed into the downstream IF node as it would be in a full workflow execution. This behavior is intended. Debugging a single node (or branch) essentially runs that node “in isolation” and doesn’t trigger subsequent nodes unless they’re explicitly connected for that test. That’s why you see the branch with the IF condition not being reached, and disconnecting other parts of the flow forces only your testing branch to execute.

If you want to see the IF node in action during your tests, you have two main options:

1. Test the whole workflow: Trigger the workflow using the form (or another trigger) rather than using node debugging so that all nodes—including the IF node—are executed in sequence.
2. Isolate your test branch: If you only want to test the OCR node and subsequent nodes, temporarily disconnect or disable unrelated parts of the workflow. This way, your test run will process only the branch you want to verify.

This behavior helps avoid unexpected data or side effects during isolated node executions. It’s not an issue with your setup; it’s a result of how n8n handles node debugging.