# How to find all nodes that are using a specific configuration node?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-find-all-nodes-that-are-using-a-specific-configuration-node/2919>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [6 September 2018 19:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-find-all-nodes-that-are-using-a-specific-configuration-node/2919 "2018-09-06T19:14:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [6 September 2018 19:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-find-all-nodes-that-are-using-a-specific-configuration-node/2919/1 "2018-09-06T19:14:01Z")

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In the configuration node tab of my node-RED editor I see that a certain configuration node is used by 4 nodes. **How can I quickly find back the 4 nodes that are using this configuration ?**

FYI in my case I have 3 mqtt configuration nodes and now I want to use only 1 mqtt configuration node. The problem is that I have almost 50 mqtt nodes spread across many flows of which only 4 needs to be updated ... so for the moment I see as only option that I need to go trough all these 50 mqtt nodes and check if they need to be updated or not. I was wondering if there is not a faster way of doing this.

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**Author:** ![shrickus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/shrickus/32/517_2.png) [@shrickus](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/shrickus)\
**Post date:** [6 September 2018 19:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-find-all-nodes-that-are-using-a-specific-configuration-node/2919/2 "2018-09-06T19:59:12Z")

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This is a good question -- would be nice if the displayed number of nodes (in your case 4) was a ui control that could be expanded to show the related nodes... or something.

In the meantime, the only way I've found is to open the Configuration tab, right-click on the config node, "Inspect" that dom element, and copy the tail of the id (e.g. `ec93534d-af15b`). Then hit `ctrl`-`f` to open the search panel, paste in the "id" but replace the dash "-" with a period "." -- now the search panel will find that config node itself, and all the nodes that refer to it. Ugly, but it works...

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**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [6 September 2018 20:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-find-all-nodes-that-are-using-a-specific-configuration-node/2919/3 "2018-09-06T20:17:04Z")

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Thanks a lot. I have tried it and I succeeded in finding all the relevant nodes this way.

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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:** [6 September 2018 20:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-find-all-nodes-that-are-using-a-specific-configuration-node/2919/4 "2018-09-06T20:47:38Z")

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One slight improvement... once you select the config node in the list - then you can click the i - info panel for it and the id will be shown in the correct format to cut/paste to the find... no need to inspect the dom.

![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/2X/4/412e2d3b9bfd62d6d5a98419395cc0c1643c7897.png)

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**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/janvda/32/234_2.png) [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)\
**Post date:** [6 September 2018 21:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-find-all-nodes-that-are-using-a-specific-configuration-node/2919/5 "2018-09-06T21:01:37Z")

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That is even better. I will do that next time if I need it. Thanks