# Importing Subflows - something not right with sequencing
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459
**Category:** General
**Created:** [7 June 2025 11:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459 "2025-06-07T11:20:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [7 June 2025 11:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/1 "2025-06-07T11:20:39Z")
Sorry but it is `subflows`.... my favourite. 😉
I get it that there is _MAGIC_ happening that keeps track of what's going on and so when you import a subflow that is different to the resident one: you get a question about what to do.
So you click the button, _examine_ the details and `overwrite` if it is newer.
But I'm getting those kind of requestors, but it isn't doing that now.
Pictures to give 1000's of words.
To export:
Copy to clipboard
The other machine
Import
The question
View nodes clicked
**USUALLY** this is what happens when you click the `view nodes` button
So what's happening here/now?
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### Author:  [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)
#### Post date: [7 June 2025 12:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/2 "2025-06-07T12:41:55Z")
First question: do both machines have the same version of NR?
Your penultimate image makes me think of a subflow definition replacement: the import code contains a very old logic that compares the imported subflow definition with all existing definitions. If a match is found, your imported instance node will be updated with the existing definition instead of the imported one.
Maybe the answer but I'm writing it from head (memory).
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [7 June 2025 20:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/3 "2025-06-07T20:41:16Z")
Alas No.
Out 4.0.9
In 3.0.2
It does _WORK_ with other subflows though.
As shown in the last picture.
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### Author:  [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)
#### Post date: [7 June 2025 21:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/4 "2025-06-07T21:15:38Z")
It's not very clear which image has which version of NR.
The conflict resolution box has received improvements (but I don't remember which version off the top of my head).
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [7 June 2025 21:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/5 "2025-06-07T21:19:00Z")
Yeah, the images aren't too helpful, and there are quite a few of them.
From memory NR2.x was not good at subflow imports.
V3.x onwards was great by comparison.
The pictures are there only to show what I was seeing rather than me trying to explain it all.
But I hope you can see that with the `machine health` was being imported: the requestor and options are very different to what happened when I tried the second one.
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### Author:  [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)
#### Post date: [7 June 2025 21:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/6 "2025-06-07T21:30:09Z")
The last image says that the subflow definition already exists. Do you want to import a copy or replace it? It also asks if you want to import the subflow instance node.
However, I have a doubt about the image above.
I think it's ask to import a copy of the definition and ask to import the subflow instance node.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [7 June 2025 21:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/7 "2025-06-07T21:32:22Z")
Good catch!
Yeah, that may be a big part of what I'm not understanding.
I'll try to remember this and dig deeper into it when I can.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [5 September 2025 21:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/importing-subflows-something-not-right-with-sequencing/97459/8 "2025-09-05T21:32:53Z")
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