# Starting node red with empty flows

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [20 December 2022 18:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486 "2022-12-20T18:50:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![g.m.work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@g.m.work](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/g.m.work)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 18:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/1 "2022-12-20T18:50:37Z")

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when i start node-red, it opens up the last project i was working on. To start a new one clean, I have to delete all tabs and then manually delete nodes which is lot of hassle. I tried the "project" feature but it never worked well for me. Is there a way to setup node-red to start with empty flows?

Thanks in advance!

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**Author:** ![marcus-j-davies](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/marcus-j-davies/32/103435_2.png) [@marcus-j-davies](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/marcus-j-davies)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 19:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/2 "2022-12-20T19:08:09Z")

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Node RED is designed to start with a set of flows.  
If Node RED started blank each time, it will be quite a dyer product 😅

If your adamant, about having a fresh (1) tab each time, then you will need to potentially use the command line.

```auto
node-red /home/<user>/<some-new-flow-name.json>

```

Then to start this flow again later, repeat the above.

Unless I'm unaware of some feature, I'm not sure you can just start a fresh set of flows each time  
(at least under normal use)

Starting Node RED means your flows are running, if it started with a blank set of flows, then your pervious work is not running/doing its thing

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![g.m.work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@g.m.work](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/g.m.work)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 19:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/3 "2022-12-20T19:15:33Z")

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thanks for replying, tried this, not working. It still starts the last flow i was working on. almost all ide allows you option to start fresh new. Hoping node-red can do that too.

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**Author:** ![marcus-j-davies](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/marcus-j-davies/32/103435_2.png) [@marcus-j-davies](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/marcus-j-davies)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 19:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/4 "2022-12-20T19:17:34Z")

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are you running Node RED as a service?  
or running it on demand?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![g.m.work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@g.m.work](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/g.m.work)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 19:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/5 "2022-12-20T19:29:36Z")

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on demand!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marcus-j-davies](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/marcus-j-davies/32/103435_2.png) [@marcus-j-davies](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/marcus-j-davies)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 19:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/6 "2022-12-20T19:43:21Z")

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can you run...

`npm -g ls`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![g.m.work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@g.m.work](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/g.m.work)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 20:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/7 "2022-12-20T20:12:13Z")

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![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/1/7/1704fa044c2549249cc110f78e4f0ffecc337a33.png)

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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:** [20 December 2022 20:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/8 "2022-12-20T20:36:18Z")

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Rename the folder .node-red in your user folder to something else. That will be be re-created when you restart node-red, with empty flows file and no extra installed nodes. If you want to keep the installed nodes, but with empty flows file then look at the startup output when you start node-red and it will tell you where your flows file is. Delete or rename that to start again.

The above assumes that you are not using Docker.

If it doesn't work then post the terminal output when you start node-red. Copy/paste please, not screenshot.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![g.m.work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@g.m.work](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/g.m.work)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2022 20:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/9 "2022-12-20T20:38:41Z")

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@Colin ! I think you had a similar question a while ago! ha ha, I was just looking at that thread:

> [@Clear flows and dashboards](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/clear-flows-and-dashboards/28807/3):
>
> If you really want to go back to an empty system then you can just delete the flows file and restart node-red. It will create a new empty one for you. Make sure you have it backed up unless you are really sure you want to throw it s away. You can find the flows file by looking in the node-red startup log.

I will follow your directions. Thanks again!

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<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:** [20 December 2022 21:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/10 "2022-12-20T21:04:10Z")

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Enable project mode in the settings file then you can create new blank node-red projects on demand in the editor.

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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:** [18 February 2023 21:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/starting-node-red-with-empty-flows/72486/11 "2023-02-18T21:04:46Z")

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