# Help with "lost" message

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [28 July 2026 08:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545 "2026-07-28T08:26:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [28 July 2026 08:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/1 "2026-07-28T08:26:28Z")

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I'm confused.

I seem to be losing messages through this `change` node.

Global context _PROOF OF LIFE_ here.

 ![Screenshot from 2026-07-28 18-20-45](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/c/3/c305d3ed706378e96ceaca06f157379036a5d824.jpeg)

Used here.

 ![Screenshot from 2026-07-28 18-21-06](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/c/e/ce94a3078ccf42d985eb8659d28fcf75c10c8d78.png)

Message comes in.  
(Green) you can see the message.

`change` node as shown.  
Nothing coming out.  
(Red)

Confused.

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [28 July 2026 08:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/2 "2026-07-28T08:37:58Z")

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# Update,

Added some more nodes to see what's happening.

(Weird)  
It is going through.  
But the `debug` nodes weren't working.

Had to replace them and now seeing the message going through.

 ![Screenshot from 2026-07-28 18-37-15](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/f/3/f32fb12e4b414fb011d5160e0e8d6a76aed0615c.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![gregorius](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gregorius/32/73816_2.png) [@gregorius](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/gregorius)\
**Post date:** [28 July 2026 08:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/3 "2026-07-28T08:40:16Z")

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try using the message tracing of the [introspection](https://github.com/gorenje/node-red-contrib-introspection#message-tracing) package - then you'll see the true path of the message.

looking at your screenshot, it's probably something to do with this non-connected output:

![Screenshot 2026-07-28 at 10.39.45](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/7/d/7d3036fa40825298ab1dbfb4bb56664142947b14.png)

but that's all I can by looking at three screenshots ....

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [28 July 2026 08:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/4 "2026-07-28T08:44:32Z")

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Thanks.

But all I did between "then and now" is add a second `trigger` node to show the message leaving, added an extra `inject` node to inject a test message.

I pressed the `inject` node, and nothing was seen in the `debug` nodes.  
The two `trigger` nodes both triggered showing the message/s were leaving.

So I deleted the two _suspect_ `debug` nodes and replaced them.

Now all working.

Kinda worrying.

The non connected output of the `switch` node is just a _filter_ for the `msg.topic`  
That particular topic isn't tested.

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**Author:** ![mudwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@mudwalker](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mudwalker)\
**Post date:** [29 July 2026 07:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/5 "2026-07-29T07:58:56Z")

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I have _sometimes_ had Debug Nodes stop publishing messages after updating NR.

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**Author:** ![kuema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/kuema/32/6542_2.png) [@kuema](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kuema)\
**Post date:** [29 July 2026 08:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/6 "2026-07-29T08:20:05Z")

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It is possible that the state presented in the editor is getting inconsistent with the actual state in the runtime.  
That can happen when debug nodes get activated/deactivated and deployed from another editor session.

Simply disable -\> enable -\> deploy fixed it for me most of the time.

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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:** [29 July 2026 08:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/7 "2026-07-29T08:38:23Z")

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If it is that then a browser page refresh should sort it.

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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 July 2026 10:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/8 "2026-07-29T10:37:13Z")

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Related: [Debug node switch state can easily get out of step with runtime in multiplayer environments · Issue #5751 · node-red/node-red · GitHub](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/issues/5751)

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [29 July 2026 19:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/9 "2026-07-29T19:47:44Z")

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Thanks all.

_Alas_ the problem is now resolved.

That wasn't the ACTUAL problem. I only noticed it while looking for the REAL problem.

Since it isn't ....... resolvable ....... with information a hand and all that: I'll mark it as solved.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [29 July 2026 19:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/10 "2026-07-29T19:49:30Z")

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I think I tried that. No change.

I may be wrong. But there were a few redeploys happened as I was adding the new nodes for testing.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [1 August 2026 00:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/11 "2026-08-01T00:31:49Z")

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# HUGE UPDATE

(If anyone cares)

I just realised an important factor in why the `debug` nodes weren't showing their output.

(Want to guess?)  
(Shame I can't leave spoiler space here)

A few weeks back I was chasing something and had to go from my default `this flow` to `selected nodes`.

And never _reset_ it back to `this flow`.  
So only the selected nodes would appear in the `debug` window.

**TRAP FOR NEW PLAYERS!**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kuema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/kuema/32/6542_2.png) [@kuema](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kuema)\
**Post date:** [1 August 2026 12:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/12 "2026-08-01T12:44:48Z")

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No worries, happens to the best! 😂

I ran into that trap myself a few times.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gchambers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4bbf92/32.png) [@gchambers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/gchambers)\
**Post date:** [2 August 2026 21:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/13 "2026-08-02T21:05:05Z")

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oh man thats such a killer because you'd never think to check that setting when everything else looks normal. bet that was hours of staring at the change node wondering what broke

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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:** [16 August 2026 21:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/help-with-lost-message/101545/14 "2026-08-16T21:05:56Z")

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Closed on 16 August 2026 21:05 UTC

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