# Add the error badge to the flow tab

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Tags:** editor\
**Created:** [12 September 2026 20:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775 "2026-09-12T20:26:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GogoVega](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gogovega/32/71313_2.png) [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)\
**Post date:** [12 September 2026 20:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/1 "2026-09-12T20:26:33Z")

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Why doesn't the flow tab have an _error_ badge? Like the _changed_ badge, this could improve the visibility of nodes with errors.

We could even extend the badges into the Explorer sidebar for projects with many tabs.

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2026 07:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/2 "2026-09-13T07:59:54Z")

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> [@GogoVega](#):
>
> Why doesn't the flow tab have an _error_ badge?

It was partly because the flow is SVG and the tab/explorer elements are html (so no immediate reuse) & partly time/iteration 🫠

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**Author:** ![GogoVega](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gogovega/32/71313_2.png) [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2026 14:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/3 "2026-09-13T14:39:24Z")

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> <https://github.com/node-red/node-red/pull/5950>
>
> \## Types of changes
> 
> \- \[x\] Bugfix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
> …- \[\] New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
> 
> \## Proposed changes
> 
> Add the \*error\* badge to the flow/subflow tab.
> 
> \<img width="463" height="44" alt="Capture d’écran 2026-09-13 à 14 36 35" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/cd0249c3-7406-4fa7-9ec7-7e77f2e7ad8f" /\>
> 
> Unlike the \*changed\* badge, the \*error\* badge depends on the node's validation mechanism. Consequently, listening for workspace changes (based on dirty) is not sufficient to keep error badges up to date.
> 
> We need to find an event—or something simpler—to track node validation changes.
> 
> \## Checklist
> 
> \- \[x\] I have read the \[contribution guidelines\](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)
> \- \[\] For non-bugfix PRs, I have discussed this change on the forum/slack team.
> \- \[x\] I have run \`npm run test\` to verify the unit tests pass
> \- \[\] I have added suitable unit tests to cover the new/changed functionality

Something like that for the Explorer sidebar?

 ![Capture d’écran 2026-09-13 à 16.38.05](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/2/b/2b85f5140518988b1a4dc6082cc0232112276a36.png)

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**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2026 16:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/4 "2026-09-13T16:01:31Z")

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Nice. I might be tempted to use the explorer panel a bit more with that.

Can you show the "Has documentation" badge (flow, group and node levels) too?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2026 06:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/5 "2026-09-14T06:10:09Z")

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_(passing by)_

I have a whole _other layer_ of stuff for catching / handling errors in/on my flows.

Every `tab` has a name. Every machine has a name.  
On every tab is a block of code that detects errors and sends a report back to a central machine to indicate the error.

I then have a _GUI_ to see who/where the error is and I go the respective editor.

It too has the error/s caught and listed.

It isn't a lot of extra stuff and - probably - isn't prefect.  
But it does seem to work good enough for me to see the node's _name_ (ID) and I copy it from the text shown and search for it on the respective machine.

I can post the code if you want.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GogoVega](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gogovega/32/71313_2.png) [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2026 06:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/6 "2026-09-14T06:42:32Z")

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Thanks, is it related to the validation of a node's configuration?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2026 06:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/7 "2026-09-14T06:45:36Z")

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No, sorry.

It is for catching errors in the flow when running.

(I can't read.)

😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GogoVega](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gogovega/32/71313_2.png) [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2026 08:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775/8 "2026-09-14T08:43:22Z")

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> <https://github.com/node-red/node-red/pull/5951>
>
> \## Types of changes
> 
> \- \[x\] Bugfix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
> …- \[\] New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
> 
> \## Proposed changes
> 
> Ref: https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-the-error-badge-to-the-flow-tab/101775
> 
> Add badges to the Explorer sidebar
> 
> \<img width="316" height="473" alt="Capture d’écran 2026-09-14 à 10 07 59" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f4160767-5fc4-4e87-97b2-38c904b41254" /\>
> 
> The \*error\* badge update is based on events:
> 
> \- \`nodes:validate\`
> \- \`flows:validate\`
> \- \`subflows:validate\`
> 
> \*\*This PR therefore depends on #5950 to work properly\*\*.
> 
> \## Checklist
> 
> \- \[x\] I have read the \[contribution guidelines\](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)
> \- \[\] For non-bugfix PRs, I have discussed this change on the forum/slack team.
> \- \[x\] I have run \`npm run test\` to verify the unit tests pass
> \- \[\] I have added suitable unit tests to cover the new/changed functionality