# Downloading a file from dashboard only work if I have the Node-RED editor open in my browser too?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Tags:** dashboard-2\
**Created:** [10 February 2026 17:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354 "2026-02-10T17:19:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dudleyjosh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dudleyjosh/32/105799_2.png) [@dudleyjosh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dudleyjosh)\
**Post date:** [10 February 2026 17:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354/1 "2026-02-10T17:19:14Z")

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Can anyone help me understand why my FlowFuse Dashboard v2 app will only allow me to download a file if I have the Node-RED editor open in the same browser too. If I close the NR editor, nothing happens when I click my download button to download the selected file? Open the editor back up in another window and it works as expected?

I'm using the `@prescient-devices/node-red-contrib-downloadfile` node.

 ![Screenshot 2026-02-10 at 12.14.57 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/6/e/6ec461f6bbffa199df2376606ce93d3d9c33f5d7.png)

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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:** [10 February 2026 19:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354/2 "2026-02-10T19:06:23Z")

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because that download node is specifically for downloading from the node-red editor. Its JS code runs inside the Node-RED editor so when its closed, it doesnt work.

to download a file from dashboard, you need to set up a link that points to a served file.

So either put the CSV in a served location or serve it using http-in ~ load file ~ http-response

Here is a post that will get you partially there with the UI side: [Downloading Files with ui-template - #6 by Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-files-with-ui-template/88193/6)

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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:** [10 February 2026 20:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354/3 "2026-02-10T20:30:45Z")

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Can you describe in more detail exactly what you are trying to do?

The dashboard includes as standard the ui-file-input node which allows you to browse for a file in the machine running the dashboard browser and send it to the node-red server machine, but perhaps you are trying to do the opposite.

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**Author:** ![dudleyjosh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dudleyjosh/32/105799_2.png) [@dudleyjosh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dudleyjosh)\
**Post date:** [10 February 2026 20:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354/4 "2026-02-10T20:33:23Z")

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@Steve-Mcl Thanks for the explanation on the node behavior.

I basically ended up doing exactly what you suggested and got it working that way.

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**Author:** ![dudleyjosh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dudleyjosh/32/105799_2.png) [@dudleyjosh](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dudleyjosh)\
**Post date:** [10 February 2026 20:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354/5 "2026-02-10T20:35:28Z")

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@Colin Yeah, I was doing the opposite. I ended up using http nodes to serve the files up that way and make them accessible for downloading.

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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:** [12 March 2026 20:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/downloading-a-file-from-dashboard-only-work-if-i-have-the-node-red-editor-open-in-my-browser-too/100354/6 "2026-03-12T20:35:48Z")

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