How to view execution history in n8n?

You can view the execution history in n8n by opening the workflow, then going to the right sidebar and clicking the Executions tab. That tab shows every past run of that workflow, including data that flowed through each node, errors, and timestamps. This is the main place where you inspect what actually happened in production.

 

Where to Find Execution History

 

Each workflow in n8n has its own execution log. When a workflow runs — whether from a trigger node (like Webhook Trigger, Cron, or Schedule Trigger) or because you manually executed it — n8n stores that run as an execution record. To see those records:

• Open your workflow in the editor.
• Look to the right side of the screen for the Executions panel (sometimes collapsed into a small tab showing a clock icon).
• Click it, and you’ll see a full list of runs, including timestamps, status (success or error), and duration.

This is the same place you debug problems in production systems. Each entry lets you open a detailed view of the entire run.

 

How to Inspect a Single Execution

 

When you click on one execution entry, n8n loads a replay of that run. You’re not rerunning the workflow; you’re just looking at the recorded data. Inside that view you can:

• Select any node to see the input and output data that node handled during that exact execution.
• Check the Execution Data section to inspect JSON payloads.
• See where the run failed, if it did fail — the error stack is recorded.

This works the same for short runs or long-running flows (for example, workflows waiting on webhooks or external APIs). This history is critical when diagnosing intermittent or hard-to-reproduce issues.

 

How to Access the Global Executions List

 

If you want to see executions from all workflows (not just a single one), open the left navigation panel and click Executions. That page is a global log. It’s useful in production because you get a high-level view of load, failures, and long-running jobs across the whole instance.

• You can filter by workflow name, status, and execution mode.
• You can click into any run from there and inspect it the same way.

 

When Executions Might Not Appear

 

There are a few real‑world conditions to be aware of:

• If the workflow is not active, only manual runs will appear in the history.
• If your environment has execution pruning enabled (either default or custom), older executions are automatically deleted after a retention period.
• In high-volume systems, you may prune aggressively to save database space — meaning history may be shorter than expected.

 

Downloading or Inspecting Raw Execution Data

 

Inside an execution detail view, there’s a button that lets you download the JSON of the entire run. This is handy for debugging API responses or sharing context with teammates. The JSON is exactly what n8n stored internally.

 

Example: Execution Data Structure

 

{
  "id": "12984",
  "mode": "trigger",
  "startedAt": "2026-01-26T10:32:11.123Z",
  "finishedAt": "2026-01-26T10:32:12.450Z",
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "resultData": {
      "runData": {
        "Webhook Trigger": [
          {
            "data": {
              "body": {
                "email": "[email protected]"  // Webhook input data
              }
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

This is an actual structure you’ll see when downloading execution JSON. It’s the same data n8n shows in the UI.

 

In short: open the workflow, click the Executions sidebar, and you get a full history of every run — essential for debugging and monitoring production workflows.