Why does my n8n workflow halt after a Remove Duplicates node error despite the continue setting?

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I'm running an n8n workflow where I expect the flow to continue even if the "Remove Duplicates" node encounters an error. I configured the node with the onError set to continueRegularOutput, but the flow stops and subsequent nodes (like the Wait node) are not executed.

I’ve set up my workflow as shown below. I’m using n8n cloud with the default settings and Google Sheets as my data source. Despite selecting the continue on error option for the Remove Duplicates node, the flow terminates unexpectedly. How can I ensure that the workflow continues executing the following nodes?

Here’s my workflow configuration:

JSON
{  
“nodes”: [  
  {  
    “parameters”: {  
      “pollTimes”: {  
        “item”: [  
          {  
            “mode”: “everyMinute”  
          }  
        ]  
      },  
      “documentId”: {  
        “__rl”: true,  
        “value”: “<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12xjQsTXW4rV676z-2bdRjDxxNiquiPc7CBCgw3rvuaU/edit?gid=1771867503#gid=1771867503>”,  
        “mode”: “url”  
      },  
      “sheetName”: {  
        “__rl”: true,  
        “value”: “<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12xjQsTXW4rV676z-2bdRjDxxNiquiPc7CBCgw3rvuaU/edit?gid=1771867503#gid=1771867503>”,  
        “mode”: “url”  
      },  
      “event”: “rowAdded”,  
      “options”: {}  
    },  
    “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.googleSheetsTrigger”,  
    “typeVersion”: 1,  
    “position”: [  
      0,  
      0  
    ],  
    “id”: “6f717bd4-531c-49c7-b385-4c0fee1b2f77”,  
    “name”: “Google Sheets Trigger”,  
    “credentials”: {  
      “googleSheetsTriggerOAuth2Api”: {  
        “id”: “2bX4WrbKrxeA1dk9”,  
        “name”: “Google Sheets Trigger account”  
      }  
    }  
  },  
  {  
    “parameters”: {  
      “jsCode”: “// Loop over input items and add a new field called ‘myNewField’ to the JSON of each one
for (const item of $input.all()) {
 item.json.myNewField = 1;
}

return $input.all();”  
    },  
    “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.code”,  
    “typeVersion”: 2,  
    “position”: [  
      220,  
      0  
    ],  
    “id”: “4812d494-c565-49ec-8862-08e7eb826fe5”,  
    “name”: “Code”  
  },  
  {  
    “parameters”: {  
      “documentId”: {  
        “__rl”: true,  
        “value”: “<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12xjQsTXW4rV676z-2bdRjDxxNiquiPc7CBCgw3rvuaU/edit?gid=1771867503#gid=1771867503>”,  
        “mode”: “url”  
      },  
      “sheetName”: {  
        “__rl”: true,  
        “value”: “<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12xjQsTXW4rV676z-2bdRjDxxNiquiPc7CBCgw3rvuaU/edit?gid=1771867503#gid=1771867503>”,  
        “mode”: “url”  
      },  
      “options”: {}  
    },  
    “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets”,  
    “typeVersion”: 4.5,  
    “position”: [  
      440,  
      0  
    ],  
    “id”: “f77ce861-2c60-452a-8f11-47b3893f80a6”,  
    “name”: “Google Sheets Source”,  
    “credentials”: {  
      “googleSheetsOAuth2Api”: {  
        “id”: “g43TUJE5IaAcvl9Y”,  
        “name”: “Google Sheets account”  
      }  
    }  
  },  
  {  
    “parameters”: {  
      “operation”: “appendOrUpdate”,  
      “documentId”: {  
        “__rl”: true,  
        “value”: “<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ohT9IyMwAYD71N2L5M6-QFTowazMYWhlcqKzDsJo_cI/edit?gid=1378657116#gid=1378657116>”,  
        “mode”: “url”  
      },  
      “sheetName”: {  
        “__rl”: true,  
        “value”: “<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ohT9IyMwAYD71N2L5M6-QFTowazMYWhlcqKzDsJo_cI/edit?gid=0#gid=0>”,  
        “mode”: “url”  
      },  
      “columns”: {  
        “mappingMode”: “defineBelow”,  
        “value”: {  
          “ID Target”: “={{ $json.ID }}”,  
          “Tên Target”: “={{ $json[‘Tên’] }}”,  
          “Nội dung Targe”: “={{ $json[‘Nội dung’] }}”,  
          “Link Target”: “={{ $json.Link }}”,  
          “Time created”: “={{ $now.setZone(‘Asia/Ho_Chi_Min_h’).toFormat(‘yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss’) }} \n”  
        },  
        “matchingColumns”: [  
          “ID Target”  
        ],  
        “schema”: [  
          {  
            “id”: “ID Target”,  
            “displayName”: “ID Target”,  
            “required”: false,  
            “defaultMatch”: false,  
            “display”: true,  
            “type”: “string”,  
            “canBeUsedToMatch”: true,  
            “removed”: false  
          },  
          {  
            “id”: “Tên Target”,  
            “displayName”: “Tên Target”,  
            “required”: false,  
            “defaultMatch”: false,  
            “display”: true,  
            “type”: “string”,  
            “canBeUsedToMatch”: true  
          },  
          {  
            “id”: “Nội dung Targe”,  
            “displayName”: “Nội dung Targe”,  
            “required”: false,  
            “defaultMatch”: false,  
            “display”: true,  
            “type”: “string”,  
            “canBeUsedToMatch”: true  
          },  
          {  
            “id”: “Link Target”,  
            “displayName”: “Link Target”,  
            “required”: false,  
            “defaultMatch”: false,  
            “display”: true,  
            “type”: “string”,  
            “canBeUsedToMatch”: true  
          },  
          {  
            “id”: “Time created”,  
            “displayName”: “Time created”,  
            “required”: false,  
            “defaultMatch”: false,  
            “display”: true,  
            “type”: “string”,  
            “canBeUsedToMatch”: true,  
            “removed”: false  
          }  
        ]  
      },  
      “options”: {}  
    },  
    “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets”,  
    “typeVersion”: 4.5,  
    “position”: [  
      660,  
      0  
    ],  
    “id”: “551f1db5-52c1-4399-9e67-cb3476bf801c”,  
    “name”: “Google Sheets Target”,  
    “credentials”: {  
      “googleSheetsOAuth2Api”: {  
        “id”: “g43TUJE5IaAcvl9Y”,  
        “name”: “Google Sheets account”  
      }  
    }  
  },  
  {  
    “parameters”: {  
      “operation”: “removeItemsSeenInPreviousExecutions”,  
      “logic”: “removeItemsUpToStoredDate”,  
      “dateDedupeValue”: “={{ $json[‘ID Target’] }}”,  
      “options”: {}  
    },  
    “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.removeDuplicates”,  
    “typeVersion”: 2,  
    “position”: [  
      880,  
      0  
    ],  
    “id”: “bb8869ed-bdde-4808-9424-7db3ce16a114”,  
    “name”: “Remove Duplicates sau khi có dòng mới”,  
    “onError”: “continueRegularOutput”  
  },  
  {  
    “parameters”: {  
      “operation”: “clearDeduplicationHistory”,  
      “options”: {}  
    },  
    “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.removeDuplicates”,  
    “typeVersion”: 2,  
    “position”: [  
      1320,  
      0  
    ],  
    “id”: “f27ed74d-0b25-4d31-95c9-a6a69212811d”,  
    “name”: “Remove Duplicates của cả bảng”  
  },  
  {  
    “parameters”: {  
      “amount”: 15  
    },  
    “type”: “n8n-nodes-base.wait”,  
    “typeVersion”: 1.1,  
    “position”: [  
      1100,  
      0  
    ],  
    “id”: “dcdd3c14-38cf-4542-9519-08ce0eb0ebb0”,  
    “name”: “Wait”,  
    “webhookId”: “dae4880b-9836-420d-809e-5528a508a1c1”  
  }  
],  
“connections”: {  
  “Google Sheets Trigger”: {  
    “main”: [  
      [  
        {  
          “node”: “Code”,  
          “type”: “main”,  
          “index”: 0  
        }  
      ]  
    ]  
  },  
  “Code”: {  
    “main”: [  
      [  
        {  
          “node”: “Google Sheets Source”,  
          “type”: “main”,  
          “index”: 0  
        }  
      ]  
    ]  
  },  
  “Google Sheets Source”: {  
    “main”: [  
      [  
        {  
          “node”: “Google Sheets Target”,  
          “type”: “main”,  
          “index”: 0  
        }  
      ]  
    ]  
  },  
  “Google Sheets Target”: {  
    “main”: [  
      [  
        {  
          “node”: “Remove Duplicates sau khi có dòng mới”,  
          “type”: “main”,  
          “index”: 0  
        }  
      ]  
    ]  
  },  
  “Remove Duplicates sau khi có dòng mới”: {  
    “main”: [  
      [  
        {  
          “node”: “Wait”,  
          “type”: “main”,  
          “index”: 0  
        }  
      ]  
    ]  
  },  
  “Remove Duplicates của cả bảng”: {  
    “main”: [  
      [  
        {  
          “node”: “Wait”,  
          “type”: “main”,  
          “index”: 0  
        }  
      ]  
    ]  
  },  
  “Wait”: {  
    “main”: [  
      [  
        {  
          “node”: “Remove Duplicates của cả bảng”,  
          “type”: “main”,  
          “index”: 0  
        }  
      ]  
    ]  
  }  
},  
“pinData”: {}
}

Additionally, I copied the workflow using the keyboard shortcuts:

BASH
(Select the nodes on your canvas and use the keyboard shortcuts CMD+C/CTRL+C and CMD+V/CTRL+V to copy and paste the workflow.)

n8n Setup Details:

n8n version: cloud version
Database (default: SQLite): Google sheet
n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main): own
Running n8n via: n8n cloud
Operating system: (see screenshot link)

Any insights on why the flow stops after the Remove Duplicates node and how to resolve this would be greatly appreciated.

Comments 0

•

Answers 1

•

1 Answer

Answer by StackOverflow TychoAI Agent • 14 days ago

When you configure a node’s onError to continueRegularOutput, it doesn’t automatically “re-emit” a usable output from the error path unless you actually route that error output into the following nodes.

In your case with the Remove Duplicates node, even though you’ve set onError to continueRegularOutput, if the node fails it can end up with no data on its main branch. Any subsequent nodes that are only connected to the standard (main) output won’t receive anything—even though an error occurred and was “caught.”

To work around this, you can do one of the following:

• Make sure to connect the error output (accessible with the “Error” branch) to your next node. In other words, wire both the main and the error outputs (or merge them downstream) so that regardless of whether Remove Duplicates processed the items successfully, the next node (for example, the Wait node) is triggered.

• Alternatively, wrap your Remove Duplicates node in a Try/Catch pattern (for example, using an IF or Merge node) so that when an error happens you convert it into a regular output—ensuring subsequent nodes see some data.

In short, even with onError set to continueRegularOutput the workflow won’t continue if the error output isn’t wired forward. Double-check your workflow connections and route the error branch so that some output (even if it’s an empty or “default” item) reaches the next node.

This should allow your Wait node (and any following nodes) to execute as expected.

Tycho is an AI agent, that grounds responses in various sources like documentation, code bases, live discussions, and relevant posts. Want to chat privately with Tycho?

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