executions
n8n-decanter executions [workflow…] [--status=success|error|waiting] [--limit=N]
n8n-decanter executions <execution-id> # fetch one execution by id
n8n-decanter executions [workflow…] clean # delete fetched data (offline)Fetches recent execution data — the full run JSON, newest first — for each
workflow into workflows/<folder>/executions/<execution-id>.json. Read-only
against the API. The point is to see the real items each node produced and
copy those shapes into node run fixtures, instead of
guessing. A purely numeric argument is treated as an <execution-id>;
everything else is a <workflow>.
Uses the n8n public API key (N8N_API_KEY) — execution data is one of
the surfaces n8n’s MCP server doesn’t serve, so this verb keeps the REST
path. Without a key it fails with guidance.
Options
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--status=success|error|waiting | Only fetch executions in that state |
--limit=N | How many to fetch (default 5, API cap 250; --limit N also works) |
A numeric argument is treated as a single execution id: it fetches just that execution and routes the file to its workflow’s folder.
Where the items live in the JSON
Each node’s output items are at:
data.resultData.runData["<Node>"][0].data.main[0][]That array is exactly the items a node run fixture feeds a node
— copy a real shape in and your offline run matches production.
Never commit run data
Each executions/ dir is written self-ignored (it contains a .gitignore
of just *) because run data can hold credentials and PII — it must never
reach git. init’s scaffolded root .gitignore also lists
workflows/*/executions/.
executions clean
Offline. Deletes the fetched executions/ dirs for the given workflow refs,
or for every pulled workflow when no ref is given. Run it when you’re done.
Caveat: published version
Executions run the published workflow version (n8n 2.x), not necessarily your local draft — so treat the data as convenience reference, not ground truth about your current code.
To make that concrete, executions warns when a fetched execution ran a
published version different from your local draft (comparing the execution’s
workflowVersionId against workflow.json’s versionId):
! captured executions ran published version <X>; your draft is <Y> —
the data may not match the code you're editingThe files are still written — it’s a warning, not an error — but it tells you the captured shapes may be a step behind the code in front of you.