# Disable flow - why?
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044
**Category:** General
**Created:** [22 January 2022 09:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044 "2022-01-22T09:55:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Giamma](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Giamma)
#### Post date: [22 January 2022 09:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/1 "2022-01-22T09:55:28Z")
Hi,
I read some requests how to disable flow at startup or during a function ...
What's the benefit to disable one or more flow?
Thank you for the patience .... 😊
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [22 January 2022 10:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/2 "2022-01-22T10:14:32Z")
Can you give an example of what you mean?
Often the word disable is used when really what is meant is to block messages going into a flow so that the flow does not receive any messages till an appropriate time. A post recently where it was desired to block GPIO inputs for a few seconds after startup in order to let the hardware settle is an example of that.
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### Author:  [@Giamma](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Giamma)
#### Post date: [22 January 2022 10:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/3 "2022-01-22T10:36:46Z")
In fact, I don't understand these necessity ...
I can use a timer, I can use a variable, I can use a delay node, I think there are many possibility to block messages going into a flow rather than disable flow ...
I just thought disable one or more flow entailed maybe more speed with hardware not perform well .... (?)
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [22 January 2022 10:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/4 "2022-01-22T10:54:51Z")
> [@Giamma](#):
>
> I just thought disable one or more flow entailed maybe more speed in not perform well hardware
There is generally no difference between a disabled flow and one that does nothing because there are no messages going into it (unless it is something like an MQTT In node that receives data externally).
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### Author:  [@Giamma](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Giamma)
#### Post date: [22 January 2022 11:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/5 "2022-01-22T11:39:56Z")
Ok, thank you ....
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### Author:  [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)
#### Post date: [22 January 2022 14:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/6 "2022-01-22T14:19:15Z")
> [@Colin](#):
>
> There is generally no difference between a disabled flow
Does a disabled flow disable the nodes in the flow as well as the flow itself? I think it does. In that case, there can be quite a difference because a whole section of each disabled node will not be executed. At the very least, you will find less log messages going around and in some cases you may find a lot less memory being used.
So, for example, you may have some extra debugging flows on a separate tab but want to keep that tab disabled unless you have a problem.
On my dev instance of NR, I have some development and test nodes that tend to be very noisy in the logs so that I can see exactly what is going on. But in general use, I don't need all of that so the flows and nodes are disabled until I need them again.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [22 January 2022 21:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/7 "2022-01-22T21:35:13Z")
I don't think that is the context that @Giamma is talking about. I did ask him/her to provide examples of what he meant, but none was forthcoming.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [23 March 2022 21:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/disable-flow-why/57044/8 "2022-03-23T21:35:18Z")
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