# Clicking outside the editor no longer works

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [29 June 2025 06:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858 "2025-06-29T06:51:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Frida](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/frida/32/68250_2.png) [@Frida](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Frida)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2025 06:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/1 "2025-06-29T06:51:35Z")

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In node-red@latest, I can no longer close the editor when I click outside the editor, now I have to click either cancel or done.  
Can it be made to work again?

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2025 07:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/2 "2025-06-29T07:10:18Z")

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See this long thread for the explanation

> [@Request for feedback: Closing the Edit Dialog](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/request-for-feedback-closing-the-edit-dialog/96849):
>
> A PR has been proposed to change a behaviour in the editor and I wanted to get wider feedback. Currently, if you have a node's edit dialog open, clicking outside of the dialog will close the dialog as if you had confirmed the changes. This is the behaviour we've had since the early days of Node-RED. Originally we treated a click outside the dialog as a 'cancel' - but we had complaints that it was then too easy to accidentally loose changes - so the current behaviour was set. The PR proposes…

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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:** [29 June 2025 07:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/3 "2025-06-29T07:25:51Z")

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There is a default shortcut of `ctrl+esc` you can use to close and discard changes and `ctrl+enter ` to close and accept changes.

if you are are working on windows `ctrl+esc` will simply open the windows start menu (browser's are not allowed to take that shortcut) but you can change it in the settings to just be `esc`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Frida](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/frida/32/68250_2.png) [@Frida](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Frida)\
**Post date:** [29 June 2025 07:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/4 "2025-06-29T07:42:00Z")

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Now more work than I'm used to.  
I hate when clicks are added to clicks to clicks to get something done.

Maybe I should go back to a version that doesn't have it and stick with it.

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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:** [29 June 2025 08:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/5 "2025-06-29T08:27:55Z")

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@Frida this change was made in @next (4.1.0-beta.2) not @latest (4.0.9)

As a beta it's out there to get feedback on the changes prior to the final release.

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We'll look at how we can improve for the final release.

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**Author:** ![Frida](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/frida/32/68250_2.png) [@Frida](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Frida)\
**Post date:** [30 June 2025 06:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/6 "2025-06-30T06:57:49Z")

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Sorry, I'm using @next (4.1.0-beta.2) when I discovered it,  
We always have reload before Deploy if we regret something.

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**Author:** ![spacerabbit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/spacerabbit/32/46944_2.png) [@spacerabbit](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/spacerabbit)\
**Post date:** [1 August 2025 20:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/7 "2025-08-01T20:36:23Z")

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This is really not ergonomic

Please add the option to have it the way it used to be

I downgraded but i’d rather not be stuck to that version forever.

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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:** [1 August 2025 20:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/8 "2025-08-01T20:49:01Z")

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> [@spacerabbit](#):
>
> Please add the option to have it the way it used to be, and maybe another option, instead of cancel it could also accept the changes ?

I thought that clicking outside used to accept the changes, which might not be what is intended and is the reason it was changed.

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**Author:** ![spacerabbit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/spacerabbit/32/46944_2.png) [@spacerabbit](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/spacerabbit)\
**Post date:** [1 August 2025 21:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/10 "2025-08-01T21:03:14Z")

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I was misled by this

“Originally we treated a click outside the dialog as a 'cancel' - but we had complaints that it was then too easy to accidentally loose changes - so the current behaviour was set. The PR proposes…”

I edited my message

Please add an option to have the classic behavior 🙏

Also you can always ctrl-z or get back in the editor. so i’m not sure there’s even a point to locking it like that…

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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:** [2 August 2025 09:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/11 "2025-08-02T09:57:19Z")

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This way?

> [@Request for feedback: Closing the Edit Dialog](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/request-for-feedback-closing-the-edit-dialog/96849/27):
>
> To satisfy everyone, a compromise would be: ctrl-enter: saves changes and closes the edit box. ctrl-escape: discards changes and closes the edit box. (actual default keys) A new selection parameter in the editor settings: nothing: (default for new users) assumes that clicking outside the edit box does nothing. save and exit: (default for current users) keeps the current behavior (saves changes and closes the edit box). discard and exit: discards changes and closes the edit box. (my prefere…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Frida](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/frida/32/68250_2.png) [@Frida](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Frida)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2025 06:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/12 "2025-08-03T06:07:57Z")

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I was a beginner myself once, and I learned how the editor worked. Why do all editors have to look the same?

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2025 08:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/13 "2025-08-03T08:53:12Z")

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Not liking this recent change!

If I'm looking for something in a flow, I double tap on a node, scan it's content, and the without moving the touchpad, I just simply tap it again and the window closes.  
Then move onto the next node...

Not any more. Now I have to use the touchpad and move and click on cancel, then move back to my flow again.

As it's a Windows laptop, `ctrl+esc` will not help, and I shouldn't really have to change the Windows default settings to accommodate this.

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<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:** [3 August 2025 09:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/14 "2025-08-03T09:15:02Z")

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> [@Paul-Reed](#):
>
> As it's a Windows laptop, `ctrl+esc` will not help, and I shouldn't really have to change the Windows default settings to accommodate this

Agree. [Improve edit dialog escape situation · Issue #5198 · node-red/node-red · GitHub](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/issues/5198)

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2025 09:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/15 "2025-08-03T09:29:36Z")

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TBH, It was much better as it was previously, and this change feels like a regression, as sufficient safeguards were already in place to prevent users losing data;

1. The node itself would have a blue circle on it denoting that changes had been made, and...
2. The 'Deploy button' would also be highlighted, again denoting that changes had been made.

For some reason, I missed the earlier discussion about this, otherwise I would have posted earlier.

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2025 09:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/16 "2025-08-03T09:38:57Z")

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Afterthought... Would it be possible to only have to use the Cancel/Done buttons if changes had actually been made to the node?  
Otherwise allow a click outside of the editor to close the window.

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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:** [3 August 2025 11:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/17 "2025-08-03T11:31:12Z")

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The problem is that the click action must trigger the `oneditsave` mechanism to determine if a change has been made to the node before accepting or denying the click action. This mechanism can trigger other actions in the editor, which could create intentional behavior.

Detecting change events in inputs, buttons, etc. is also unreliable because the editor doesn't know in advance what DOM content might be dynamically generated.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Frida](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/frida/32/68250_2.png) [@Frida](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Frida)\
**Post date:** [4 August 2025 06:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/18 "2025-08-04T06:29:43Z")

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Honestly why not remove "cancel & done", and just use "reload & deploy". That's what I use in the version where it works.  
The fewer clicks the better.

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**Author:** ![ThingsTinkerer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/91b2a8/32.png) [@ThingsTinkerer](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ThingsTinkerer)\
**Post date:** [4 August 2025 06:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/19 "2025-08-04T06:48:44Z")

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Seems like save by default is the way to go. Editors used to prompt a save/discard dialog when closed, but it’s much smoother to just auto-save (or semi-save) like vscode or notepad++.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![spacerabbit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/spacerabbit/32/46944_2.png) [@spacerabbit](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/spacerabbit)\
**Post date:** [5 August 2025 08:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/20 "2025-08-05T08:33:26Z")

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Please roll it back the way it used to be. There is literally NO POINT changing this. You can always ctrl-z the changes away.

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**Author:** ![dougle03](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dougle03/32/32979_2.png) [@dougle03](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dougle03)\
**Post date:** [11 August 2025 11:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858/21 "2025-08-11T11:00:16Z")

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Bump.

Please roll it back. I’ve never heard of anyone complaining about the way it used to work.

The Dev’s just need to admit, this was a change no one really wanted… There are many other areas for improvement that need Dev time, this was not one of them.

Thanks. 👍

[Next page](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clicking-outside-the-editor-no-longer-works/97858.md?page=2)