# Cancel inputs for a period of time

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cancel-inputs-for-a-period-of-time/43749>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [6 April 2021 08:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cancel-inputs-for-a-period-of-time/43749 "2021-04-06T08:37:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [6 April 2021 10:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cancel-inputs-for-a-period-of-time/43749/6 "2021-04-06T10:09:27Z")

</div>

You can block / unblock flow in the node-red editor with simple change and switch nodes...

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/8/4/847ee6402bf78530c9282f95f93fad3395aa675e.png)

```auto
[{"id":"cd7521f5.10b9c","type":"inject","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"0.5","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","x":250,"y":780,"wires":[["f09b3da7.cc7b7"]]},{"id":"f09b3da7.cc7b7","type":"switch","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"blockFlow is false?","property":"blockFlow","propertyType":"flow","rules":[{"t":"false"}],"checkall":"true","repair":false,"outputs":1,"x":430,"y":780,"wires":[["c7e7a1c1.45b11"]]},{"id":"c7e7a1c1.45b11","type":"debug","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":false,"console":false,"tostatus":true,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"payload","statusType":"auto","x":450,"y":840,"wires":[]},{"id":"786630c0.b0ed4","type":"inject","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"block","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"true","payloadType":"bool","x":230,"y":700,"wires":[["484bfc3f.a71ed4"]]},{"id":"f5819368.a7c6f","type":"inject","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"unblock","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"false","payloadType":"bool","x":230,"y":660,"wires":[["484bfc3f.a71ed4"]]},{"id":"484bfc3f.a71ed4","type":"change","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"blockFlow","pt":"flow","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":430,"y":680,"wires":[[]]}]

```

  
  

Or for a more self contained version (with indicator), use a function node...

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/1/3/139b420ea63be823a3166337bec3dc9e327dcb29.png)

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/6/9/690101e7ae0253ac2e26260a82227abbec4ec7d0.png)

```auto
[{"id":"cd7521f5.10b9c","type":"inject","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"0.5","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","x":250,"y":780,"wires":[["c1e35392.abf13"]]},{"id":"c7e7a1c1.45b11","type":"debug","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":false,"console":false,"tostatus":true,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"payload","statusType":"auto","x":450,"y":840,"wires":[]},{"id":"786630c0.b0ed4","type":"inject","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"_block","payload":"true","payloadType":"bool","x":240,"y":700,"wires":[["c1e35392.abf13"]]},{"id":"f5819368.a7c6f","type":"inject","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"_block","payload":"false","payloadType":"bool","x":250,"y":660,"wires":[["c1e35392.abf13"]]},{"id":"c1e35392.abf13","type":"function","z":"4656711a.6b16a","name":"gate","func":"var block = context.get(\"block\") || false;\nif (msg.topic == \"_block\") {\n block = msg.payload;\n context.set(\"block\", block);\n var stat = {\n fill: block ? \"red\" : \"green\",\n shape: block ? \"dot\": \"ring\",\n text: block ? \"Blocked\" : \"Unblocked\"\n }\n node.status(stat)\n}\n\nif(block) return null; //halt flow\n\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"initialize":"","finalize":"","x":410,"y":780,"wires":[["c7e7a1c1.45b11"]]}]

```

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cancel-inputs-for-a-period-of-time/43749)._