How to retry failed Claude calls automatically in n8n?

You can automatically retry failed Claude calls in n8n by wrapping the Claude node inside a Code or HTTP Request retry loop, or by using an Error Workflow that re‑queues the failed execution with its input data. The most direct and production‑safe method is: put the Claude call inside a Try/Catch pattern made from a regular node (Claude) followed by an Error Trigger workflow that retries with a Delay. This way n8n retries only when the Claude call actually fails, without blocking workers for long loops.

 

Recommended Production Approach: Use an Error Workflow to Retry

 

This method is reliable, clean, and scales well. Instead of looping inside the main workflow, you let n8n fail cleanly, and then your Error Workflow handles the retry safely with delays and limits.

• You keep your main workflow simple.
• Retries happen in a separate workflow with its own logic.
• You can add limits (so you don’t retry forever).
• Delays don’t block the original workflow execution.

How it works in practice: Your main workflow tries to call Claude. If Claude returns an error (timeouts, 429s, model overload, bad request), n8n marks the workflow as failed. That failure triggers your Error Workflow, which receives the original execution data and can re‑submit it after a delay.

 

Step‑by‑Step Setup

 

Main Workflow

• Your normal logic.
• Add the Claude node.

No retry logic here. Let it fail if Claude fails.

 

Error Workflow

• Add an Error Trigger node (this workflow only runs when any other workflow errors).
• Add a Function node to extract the original input data and a retry counter.
• Add a Delay node (e.g., wait 10 seconds or 1 minute before retrying).
• Add a Workflow node that re‑calls the original workflow with the same data.

Example Function code that increments retry count:

// Access previous retries stored in the original run
const previousRetries = $json.retryCount || 0

// How many retries we allow
const maxRetries = 3

if (previousRetries >= maxRetries) {
  throw new Error('Max Claude retries reached')
}

return [{
  ...$json,
  retryCount: previousRetries + 1
}]

Then feed this into a Delay node, then a Workflow node that calls the original workflow’s start node, passing this JSON back to it.

 

Alternative: Add a Local Retry Loop Inside the Workflow

 

This can work for short retries, but you must be careful because long loops block the worker until the whole execution finishes. Good for small delays or up to maybe 3 retries, not for long backoff.

Pattern:

• Function node initializes attempt = 1.
• Claude node tries a call.
• If Claude succeeds, workflow continues normally.
• If Claude fails, send flow to a Merge node that loops back to the same Function node to increment attempt.

Example Function node code:

const attempt = $json.attempt || 1
const max = 3

if (attempt > max) {
  throw new Error('Claude failed after max retries')
}

return [{ attempt }]

You can insert a Wait (Delay) node in the loop if you want a pause. But again: all of this happens inside the same long-running execution.

 

Best Practice Advice

 

• Use Error Workflows for real production retry logic. They are safer and don’t block workers.
• Always add delays when retrying Claude API calls, because many failures are rate limits (429).
• Store a retry counter so you avoid infinite loops.
• Log the failure (e.g., write to database or webhook) so you can see patterns.
• Check Claude’s error types — some errors should not be retried (like malformed prompts).

 

In real production setups, the workflow retry via Error Trigger → Delay → Workflow Trigger is the most stable and maintainable solution for Claude calls. It handles burst errors and API load gracefully without tying up your n8n workers.