# Clear flows and dashboards

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Created:** [23 June 2020 13:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807 "2020-06-23T13:00:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 17\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@pfe](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/pfe)\
**Post date:** [23 June 2020 13:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/1 "2020-06-23T13:00:09Z")

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Hello, We have several node-red flows with Dashboards. How can you clear all the flows and all the dashboards that bellong to those flows? Or Is it possible to clear every thing ( flow,dashboard,vars,..)?  
thanks

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [23 June 2020 14:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/2 "2020-06-23T14:11:19Z")

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Do you mean you want to start NR with nothing in the editor (which would mean there would be nothing in the editor)

First I would suggest backing up our current flows - just in case. From the hamburger menu select EXPORT and select the **all flow** and then press the **download** button.

Once you have done that, you can double click on each tab and then press the delete button (make sure to add an empty tab) and press **deploy** and your flows will be gone.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [23 June 2020 14:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/3 "2020-06-23T14:36:45Z")

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If you really want to go back to an empty system then you can just delete the flows file and restart node-red. It will create a new empty one for you. Make sure you have it backed up unless you are really sure you want to throw it s away. You can find the flows file by looking in the node-red startup log.

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [23 June 2020 14:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/4 "2020-06-23T14:37:53Z")

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That won't delete config nodes will it? You would have to go into the configuration nodes menu and delete them all.

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [23 June 2020 14:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/5 "2020-06-23T14:42:24Z")

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True, I was trying to make it simple for @pfe but you are right that the config nodes will still be there 😳

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [23 July 2020 14:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/6 "2020-07-23T14:42:26Z")

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This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 08:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/7 "2020-07-31T08:48:56Z")

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 08:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/8 "2020-07-31T08:50:16Z")

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@pfe - what version of NR are you running?

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**Author:** ![pfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@pfe](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/pfe)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 09:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/9 "2020-07-31T09:26:11Z")

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Thanks for replying..The version I use.

31 Jul 11:25:01 - [info] Node-RED version: v1.1.2

31 Jul 11:25:01 - [info] Node.js version: v12.18.1

31 Jul 11:25:01 - [info] Windows\_NT 10.0.17763 x64 LE

31 Jul 11:25:11 - [info] Loading palette nodes

Best regards I Freundliche Grüsse

Patrick Frey

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**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 09:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/10 "2020-07-31T09:30:01Z")

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Are you running with 'projects' enabled?  
how do you go from 'Flow to flow'?  
Can you provide a screen shot of what you are trying to remove?

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 09:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/11 "2020-07-31T09:39:13Z")

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> [@zenofmud](#):
>
> Can you provide a screen shot of what you are trying to remove?

Not sure why a screenshot is needed.

If the question is how to remove everything and get back to a clear start the options are either:

1. manually delete everything in the editor, include the config node sidebar and deploy,
2. delete the flows file and restart Node-RED
3. do an HTTP POST to `/flows` with `[]` as the payload (which is what the editor would do when you click the `deploy` button with option 1. You'd still need to reload the editor to pickup the change.

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**Author:** ![pfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@pfe](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/pfe)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 09:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/12 "2020-07-31T09:51:48Z")

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_Are you running with 'projects' enabled?_

I don’t know what this option is.. how to enable this..

_how do you go from 'Flow to flow'?_

I click on the tabs with ctl key pressed to select them and press del key..this operation takes sometimes 20secs..

_Can you provide a screen shot of what you are trying to remove?_

When I have cleared all the tab and the nodes I want to remove , I load an another project with import flow ..

I can provide you a screen shot but It will not bring something..

Best regards I Freundliche Grüsse

Patrick Frey

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 09:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/13 "2020-07-31T09:58:11Z")

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Hi @pfe

if this is about having an easy way to switch between different sets of flows you are working on, then you should take a look at the projects feature - [https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/projects/](https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/projects/)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 10:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/14 "2020-07-31T10:49:42Z")

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Another thing you can do, if you don't want to use the projects feature, is start NR from a terminal window and use `node-red my-flow.json` or `node-red test2.flow` which will create seperate flows.

If you want to get rid of one of them, stop NR, go to the `.node-red` folder and remove the `my-flow.json` and `my-flow_cred.json` files. (or what ever you named them)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@pfe](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/pfe)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 11:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/15 "2020-07-31T11:33:56Z")

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Ok and for the unused configuration node ? I there a way to get rid of them?

I had this morning 1440 unused configuration nodes. !

Best regards I Freundliche Grüsse

Patrick Frey

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 11:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/16 "2020-07-31T11:41:28Z")

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If you go to the configureation tab in the sidebar and click on one of the unused nodes then do a select all (ctrl-a) you can delete them all at the same time.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@pfe](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/pfe)\
**Post date:** [31 July 2020 12:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/17 "2020-07-31T12:11:49Z")

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Ok I made this trick but chrome has stopped .. I was waiting 2 minutes,,

Best regards I Freundliche Grüsse

Patrick Frey