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GET
/
api
/
execution
/
{id}
Get Execution
curl --request GET \
  --url https://api.example.com/api/execution/{id}
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "<string>",
    "workflowId": "<string>",
    "workflowName": "<string>",
    "status": "<string>",
    "mode": "<string>",
    "startedAt": "<string>",
    "stoppedAt": "<string>",
    "finished": true,
    "data": {}
  },
  "_errorAnalysis": {
    "summary": {},
    "errorNode": {},
    "upstreamNode": {},
    "executionPath": [
      {}
    ],
    "debuggingHints": [
      {}
    ]
  }
}

​
Overview

The n8n_executions tool with action='get' retrieves detailed execution information. Use different modes to control data size and focus on relevant information.
Use mode='error' for fast error debugging with optimized data filtering and upstream context.

​
Parameters

​
Required

​
action
string
required
Must be set to "get" for retrieving execution details.
​
id
string
required
Execution ID to retrieve. Obtained from n8n_test_workflow response or n8n_executions list.

​
Detail Modes

​
mode
enum
default:"summary"
Controls the level of detail and data filtering.

​
Filtered Mode Options

​
nodeNames
array
For mode='filtered': Array of node names to include. Other nodes are omitted from the response.
Example
["HTTP Request", "Set Variables", "Webhook Response"]
​
itemsLimit
number
default:"2"
For mode='filtered': Number of items to return per node.
  • 0 - Structure only (node names, status)
  • 2 - Default (first 2 items)
  • -1 - Unlimited (all items)
  • Any positive integer - First N items
​
includeInputData
boolean
default:"false"
Include input data in addition to output data for each node.

​
Error Mode Options

​
errorItemsLimit
number
default:"2"
For mode='error': Number of sample items to include from upstream node.
  • Minimum: 0 (no sample data)
  • Maximum: 100
  • Default: 2 (sufficient for debugging)
​
includeStackTrace
boolean
default:"false"
For mode='error': Include full stack trace. By default, stack traces are truncated to first 5 lines.
​
includeExecutionPath
boolean
default:"true"
For mode='error': Include the execution path showing which nodes were executed before the error.
​
fetchWorkflow
boolean
default:"true"
For mode='error': Fetch workflow structure for accurate upstream node detection. Improves error context accuracy.

​
Response Fields

​
success
boolean
required
Indicates if the request was successful.
​
data
object
Execution details object. Structure varies by mode.

​
Error Mode Response

When mode='error', the response includes specialized error debugging information:
​
_errorAnalysis
object
Error analysis container (only present for failed executions).

​
Examples

{
  "action": "get",
  "id": "exec_789xyz",
  "mode": "preview"
}

​
Response Examples

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "exec_789xyz",
    "workflowId": "abc123",
    "workflowName": "Customer Onboarding",
    "status": "success",
    "mode": "webhook",
    "finished": true,
    "startedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
    "stoppedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:05.234Z",
    "data": {
      "resultData": {
        "runData": {
          "Webhook": [
            {
              "startTime": 1705315800000,
              "executionTime": 5,
              "source": [],
              "data": {
                "main": [
                  [
                    {
                      "json": {
                        "name": "John Doe",
                        "email": "[email protected]"
                      }
                    },
                    {
                      "json": {
                        "name": "Jane Smith",
                        "email": "[email protected]"
                      }
                    }
                  ]
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "Create Customer": [
            {
              "startTime": 1705315801000,
              "executionTime": 234,
              "source": [{"previousNode": "Webhook"}],
              "data": {
                "main": [
                  [
                    {
                      "json": {
                        "id": "cust_123",
                        "status": "created"
                      }
                    },
                    {
                      "json": {
                        "id": "cust_124",
                        "status": "created"
                      }
                    }
                  ]
                ]
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

​
Mode Comparison

ModeData SizeUse CaseResponse Time
previewSmallestQuick status checkFastest
summarySmallGeneral debuggingFast
filteredMediumTargeted analysisMedium
errorSmall-MediumError debuggingFast
fullLargestComplete auditSlowest

​
Best Practices

  • Preview: Check execution status and node structure
  • Summary: Default for most debugging scenarios
  • Filtered: When you know which nodes to inspect
  • Error: First choice for failed executions
  • Full: Only when complete data is required (exports, audits)
  1. Use mode='error' to get error analysis
  2. Check _errorAnalysis.debuggingHints for quick fixes
  3. Examine upstreamNode.sampleItems to understand input data
  4. Review executionPath to trace execution flow
  5. Use includeStackTrace: true only if hints aren’t sufficient
  • Start with mode='preview' or mode='summary'
  • Use filtered mode with specific nodeNames when possible
  • Set appropriate itemsLimit (usually 2-5 items is sufficient)
  • Avoid mode='full' for workflows with large datasets
  • Use includeInputData: false unless specifically needed
  • Check finished field before processing data
  • For finished: false, poll periodically with mode='preview'
  • Once finished, retrieve full data with appropriate mode

​
Common Patterns

​
Quick Status Check

{
  "action": "get",
  "id": "exec_123",
  "mode": "preview"
}

​
Debug Specific Nodes

{
  "action": "get",
  "id": "exec_123",
  "mode": "filtered",
  "nodeNames": ["Failing Node"],
  "itemsLimit": 10,
  "includeInputData": true
}

​
Analyze Error

{
  "action": "get",
  "id": "exec_error",
  "mode": "error",
  "errorItemsLimit": 5
}

​
Export Complete Data

{
  "action": "get",
  "id": "exec_123",
  "mode": "full",
  "includeInputData": true
}

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