# Keeping flows with hostname change?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/keeping-flows-with-hostname-change/32474>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [5 September 2020 13:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/keeping-flows-with-hostname-change/32474 "2020-09-05T13:51:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [5 September 2020 14:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/keeping-flows-with-hostname-change/32474/2 "2020-09-05T14:25:06Z")

</div>

If you specify the flow name in the command line it will always load that flow & therefore hostname is irrelevant.

```bash
>node-red --help
Node-RED v1.0.4
Usage: node-red [-v] [-?] [--settings settings.js] [--userDir DIR]
                [--port PORT] [--title TITLE] [--safe] [flows.json]

Options:
  -p, --port PORT port to listen on
  -s, --settings FILE use specified settings file
      --title TITLE process window title
  -u, --userDir DIR use specified user directory
  -v, --verbose enable verbose output
      --safe enable safe mode
  -?, --help show this help

Documentation can be found at http://nodered.org

```

e.g. start node-red and specify the flow file...  
`node-red myflow.json`

* * *

Alternatively...  
Edit the settings.js file...

```auto
    // The file containing the flows. If not set, it defaults to flows_<hostname>.json
    //flowFile: 'flows.json',

```

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/keeping-flows-with-hostname-change/32474)._