Documentation
Flows
Error Handling

Error Handling

Error Handling in Flows

Even the best-designed workflows can encounter errors. AutoCRUD provides robust error handling capabilities to help you build resilient flows that can recover from failures and provide meaningful feedback.

Understanding Flow Errors

Errors in workflows can occur for various reasons:

  • External Service Failures: APIs might be down or responding with errors
  • Invalid Data: Input data might not match expected formats
  • Permission Issues: Lack of necessary permissions for certain operations
  • Timeout Errors: Operations taking too long to complete
  • Resource Limitations: Hitting quotas or resource constraints

Error Handling Options

AutoCRUD provides several ways to handle errors in your flows:

1. Node-Level Error Handling

Each node can be configured with specific error handling behavior:

  • Retry: Automatically retry the operation on failure
  • Continue: Proceed to the next node despite errors
  • Stop: Halt the flow execution on error
  • Custom Error Path: Direct flow to a specific error handling branch

2. Try/Catch Patterns

Implement a try/catch pattern in your flow design:

  1. Create a main path for the “happy path” execution
  2. Create an alternative path for error handling
  3. Configure nodes to route to the error path when they fail

3. Error Notifications

Set up notifications for when errors occur:

  • Email alerts when flows fail
  • Logging to external monitoring systems
  • Integration with chat platforms for real-time alerts

Implementing Error Handling

Configure Retry Settings

For transient errors, configure retry settings:

  1. Select a node in your flow
  2. Open the node settings panel
  3. Navigate to the “Error Handling” tab
  4. Configure retry attempts, delays, and backoff strategy

Sample Retry Configuration:

Maximum Retries: 3
Initial Delay: 5 seconds
Backoff Multiplier: 2 (doubles delay after each retry)

Set Up Error Notification

For critical workflows, set up error notifications:

  1. Add a “Send Email” or “HTTP Request” node
  2. Connect it to the error path of your flow
  3. Configure it to send details about the error
  4. Include relevant context information for debugging

Create Conditional Error Handling

For sophisticated error handling, use conditional logic:

  1. Add an “If Condition” node after a potential failure point
  2. Configure it to check for error status or codes
  3. Create different paths based on the error condition
  4. Implement appropriate recovery actions for each scenario

Debugging and Troubleshooting

When errors occur, AutoCRUD provides tools to help you identify and fix the issues:

Execution Logs

Every flow execution is logged with detailed information:

  • Timestamp of each step
  • Input and output data for each node
  • Error messages and stack traces
  • Execution duration and status

Visual Indicators

The flow builder provides visual feedback on errors:

  • Red highlights for nodes that encountered errors
  • Warning icons for configuration issues
  • Status indicators for overall flow health

Testing Tools

Use the built-in testing tools to identify and fix errors:

  • Test individual nodes to isolate issues
  • View intermediate outputs to trace data flow
  • Simulate different input scenarios

Best Practices

Follow these best practices for effective error handling:

  • Anticipate Failures: Identify potential failure points and plan for them
  • Validate Inputs: Check input data before performing operations
  • Provide Context: Include helpful error messages and context data
  • Log Everything: Maintain comprehensive logs for debugging
  • Graceful Degradation: Design flows to function with reduced capabilities when services are unavailable
  • Regular Monitoring: Set up monitoring to detect and respond to errors quickly

Examples

API Rate Limit Handling 

If encounter "Rate Limit Exceeded" error:
1. Wait for specified cooldown period
2. Retry the request
3. If still failing after 3 attempts, send notification

Data Validation Flow 

1. Validate input data
2. If validation fails:
   a. Log detailed validation errors
   b. Send notification with specific issues
   c. Stop processing or route to cleanup actions

Service Dependency Handling 

When external service is unavailable:
1. Try alternative service if available
2. Store request for later processing
3. Notify administrator of service outage

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned about error handling, explore how to Monitor and Manage your flows for optimal performance.

Node TypesMonitoring & Management