Show

Controlled node

Overview

The Show node is a debugging and inspection tool that allows you to view the output of any node directly within the workflow editor. When triggered, it captures the input data and displays it in a formatted markdown view or as raw JSON/code. This is particularly useful for verifying data transformations, inspecting API responses, or debugging complex workflows without needing to run the entire workflow to completion.

The node automatically handles different data types:

• Text/Markdown: Renders formatted content with syntax highlighting
• Images: Automatically detects Jimp image objects and displays them as rendered images
• Objects/Arrays: Displays as formatted JSON with collapsible sections
• Large data: Automatically truncates outputs exceeding 4 million characters to prevent browser performance issues

Editor Only

The Show node only functions when the workflow is running in the editor. It does not execute in deployed workflows or background jobs.

Inputs

Input	Type	Description	Default
Run	Event	Triggers the node to capture and display the current value	-
Value	Data	The data to display. Can be any type including text, numbers, objects, arrays, or Jimp images	-

Outputs

Output	Type	Description
Done	Event	Fires when the node has finished processing and displaying the data

Runtime Behavior and Defaults

• Debouncing: To prevent excessive UI updates and database writes, data commits are debounced by 500ms. Rapid changes to the input will be batched into a single display update.
• Image Handling: When a Jimp image object is detected, the node automatically scales it down to a maximum dimension of 512px (maintaining aspect ratio), converts it to JPEG format, uploads it to temporary storage, and displays it as a rendered markdown image.
• Character Limit: String outputs are limited to 4,000,000 characters. Longer strings are silently truncated to prevent browser performance issues.
• View Modes: The node UI provides two viewing modes accessible via the code icon button:
  • Formatted View (default): Renders markdown content with proper formatting
  • Code View: Displays raw JSON with syntax highlighting using the Monokai theme

Example

Connect the Show node to any data output you want to inspect. For example, to view the output of an AI Write node:

1. Connect the Output data socket of an AI Write node to the Value input of the Show node
2. Connect the Done event of the AI Write node to the Run event of the Show node
3. When the workflow runs, the Show node will display the generated text in the editor panel
4. Click the code icon (</>) in the node UI to switch between formatted markdown view and raw JSON view
5. Use the copy button (clipboard icon) to copy the displayed content to your clipboard

This allows you to verify the exact data being passed between nodes in real-time without interrupting the workflow execution flow.