Flows

A flow is represented as a tab within the editor workspace and is the main way to organise nodes.

Flow tabs

Note : The term "flow" is also used to informally describe a single set of connected nodes. So a flow (tab) can contain multiple flows (sets of connected nodes).

Each flow can have a name, and description that is displayed in the Information sidebar.

All of the nodes in a flow can access the same flow-scoped context.

Adding a flow

To add a new flow, either click the button in the top bar, or double-click on free space in the tab bar.

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`Flows -> Add`
Action	`core:add-flow`

Reordering flows

Flows can be reordered in the workspace by dragging their tabs around in the tab bar.

Editing flow properties

Flow properties editor

Information Sidebar

To edit a flow’s properties, double-click on its tab in the top bar. This will open the Flow Properties dialog.

: Properties - set the flow's name and description. The description can use Markdown syntax for formatting and will appear in the Information sidebar.
: Environment Variables - properties that are exposed as environment variables within the flow. Since Node-RED 2.1

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`Flows -> Rename`
Action	`core:edit-flow`

Enabling or disabling a flow

The flow can be enabled or disabled using the toggle button at the bottom of the dialog. If a flow is disabled, none of the nodes it contains will be created when the flow is deployed.

The button in the Information sidebar can also be used to enable or disable the node/flow.

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	none
Action	`core:enable-flow`

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	none
Action	`core:disable-flow`

Hiding or showing a flow

A flow can be hidden by right-clicking on it and selecting ‘hide flow’ in the context menu. The option can also be found in the tab bar drop-down menu.

When hidden, the Information sidebar will show an icon next to it. Clicking that icon will show the flow again.

Reference
Key shortcut	`Alt-w`
Menu option	`[Tab Menu] Hide flow`
Action	`core:hide-flow`

Reference
Key shortcut	`Alt-Shift-w`
Menu option	`[Tab Menu] Show last hidden flow`
Action	`core:show-last-hidden-flow`

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`[Tab Menu] Hide other flows`
Action	`core:hide-other-flows`

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`[Tab Menu] Hide all flows`
Action	`core:hide-all-flows`

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`[Tab Menu] Show all flows`
Action	`core:show-all-flows`

Locking a flow

Flows can be locked to prevent any changes being made to them.

To lock/unlock a flow, you can:

Right-click on its tab and select the ‘lock flow’ option
Toggle the lock button in the bottom corner of the Flow Properties dialog
Click the padlock icon in the Information Sidebar when hovering over the flow

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`[Tab Menu] Lock Flow`
Action	`core:lock-flow`

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`[Tab Menu] Unlock Flow`
Action	`core:unlock-flow`

Deleting a flow

To delete a flow, click the ‘Delete’ button in the Flow Properties dialog.

Reference
Key shortcut	none
Menu option	`Flows -> Delete`
Action	`core:remove-flow`

Search flows

Switching between flows

To open a list of the available flows, click the menu button in the top bar. Then select the List Flows option.

Reference
Key shortcut	`Ctrl/⌘-Shift-f`
Menu option	none
Action	`core:list-flows`

Reference
Key shortcut	`Ctrl/⌘-[`
Menu option	none
Action	`core:show-previous-tab`

Reference
Key shortcut	`Ctrl/⌘-]`
Menu option	none
Action	`core:show-next-tab`