Debug

Debug

Generate sample data, delay, or throw on demand.

What it does

A helper for building and troubleshooting workflows. It does one of three things, chosen by its Mode setting: emits predictable sample data, waits for a short moment, or forces an error. It never touches the network, credentials, or storage — it is purely a way to exercise the rest of a flow.

When to use it

Use this node while you are building or debugging a workflow:

• Feed a downstream step sample data so you can test it without wiring up a real source.
• Add a short delay to slow a step down and watch it run.
• Throw an error on purpose to see how Continue On Fail, retries, and downstream error handling behave.

Inputs and settings

Setting	Notes
Mode	What the node does: Generate (the default), Delay, or Throw.
Shape	Used by Generate: which sample data shape to emit — Indexed items (the default), Long string, Nested object, or Random JSON.
Count	Used by Generate → Indexed items: how many items to emit. Defaults to 5.
Length	Used by Generate → Long string: the exact length, in characters, of the generated string. Defaults to 1000.
Depth	Used by Generate → Nested object: how many levels deep to nest. Defaults to 3.
Delay (ms)	Used by Delay: how long to wait, in milliseconds. Defaults to 1000.
Error message	Used by Throw: the error message to raise. Defaults to Debug node threw on demand.

Outputs

Depends on the mode:

• Generate — depends on the chosen shape:
  • Indexed items — an array of Count items, each { index, id } where index runs from 0 and id is item-<index>.
  • Long string — one item { value } whose string is exactly Length characters, built deterministically.
  • Nested object — one item nested Depth levels deep, { level: 1, child: { level: 2, child: { … } } }, where the leaf’s level equals Depth.
  • Random JSON — one item with randomized primitive fields: { id, name, active, score, tags } (a number, a string, a boolean, a number, and an array of strings).
• Delay — passes the upstream input straight through after waiting, or an empty item when there is no upstream input.
• Throw — produces no output; it raises the configured error.

Dependencies and credentials

• No credential or node dependency is required. The node runs entirely in the browser and works without an account. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Example workflow

To exercise a step that iterates: put a Debug node in Generate mode with the Indexed items shape and a Count of, say, 10, then wire it into the node you want to test. It emits ten predictable items so you can confirm the downstream node handles a list before you connect a real source.

To test error handling: put a Debug node in Throw mode, enable Continue On Fail on it, and confirm the run carries on past it — the node logs the error and outputs a single empty item instead of stopping the workflow.

Troubleshooting

• Delay is not durable. The delay uses a plain in-run timer and does not survive a closed tab. For waits that must survive a closed tab or run for minutes or more, use the Wait node instead.
• Generate settings are per shape. Count, Length, and Depth each apply only to their matching shape; the others are ignored.
• Throw always fails the node. Unless Continue On Fail is enabled (or retries are configured), a Debug node in Throw mode stops the run — that is what it is for.

Related nodes

• Wait — pause the workflow durably, surviving a closed tab
• Code
• Node types overview