# Create flows.json programmatically?
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934
**Category:** General
**Created:** [10 October 2023 19:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934 "2023-10-10T19:25:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dunken](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Dunken)
#### Post date: [10 October 2023 19:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/1 "2023-10-10T19:25:26Z")
Let's assume I have 10 flows (in 10 tabs). I would like to programmatically create a new flows.json file for a subset of the flows, in order to run them in a second Node-RED instance. What's the recommended way how to do this?
I see two options:
- parse original flows.json file and create a new flows.json with just a subset of the flows
- call GET /flow/:id for the flows needed in the new file and manually create a new file of the the results
Any thoughts or suggestions, or any options I missed?
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [10 October 2023 19:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/2 "2023-10-10T19:29:39Z")
What are the rules for creating the subset?
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### Author:  [@Dunken](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Dunken)
#### Post date: [10 October 2023 19:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/3 "2023-10-10T19:32:18Z")
No fixed rule. Just assume I would choose tabs with names x, y and z.
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [10 October 2023 20:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/4 "2023-10-10T20:19:06Z")
1. Export the flow
2. shut down node-red
3. start node-red using a new name
4. import the flow you exported
5. delete the tabs you don’t want
6. export that flow
7. stop and start node-red
Your original flow should now be running and in the node-red folder you should see the new flow without the tabs you got rid of.
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### Author:  [@Dunken](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Dunken)
#### Post date: [11 October 2023 05:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/5 "2023-10-11T05:20:20Z")
I tried this in the past and it works, however, as mentioned in the title, I would like to do this programmatically.
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### Author:  [@marcus-j-davies](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/marcus-j-davies)
#### Post date: [11 October 2023 07:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/6 "2023-10-11T07:01:57Z")
> [@Dunken](#):
>
> call GET /flow/:id for the flows needed in the new file and manually create a new file of the the results
I suggest this, it should be achievable with a series of requests using the `HTTP Request` node, finishing off with the `Write File` node - removing the need to do anything manual.
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### Author:  [@Dunken](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Dunken)
#### Post date: [11 October 2023 07:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/7 "2023-10-11T07:30:03Z")
Thanks @marcus-j-davies . JFYI: it's not requirement to do it from a flow itself, it's completely fine to do it from outside Node-RED. However, in case I can do it from Node-RED I will also be able to do it from the outside.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [10 December 2023 07:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/create-flows-json-programmatically/81934/8 "2023-12-10T07:30:30Z")
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