Continue Node (No-Op)

Overview

The Continue node (also called No-Op, meaning “no operation”) is a pass-through node that performs no action. It simply continues execution to the next node. This is primarily used in conditional node default branches that don’t have any nodes to execute.

When to Use

Use a Continue node when you need to:

• Provide a default branch in a conditional that has no processing
• Create a path that skips processing and goes directly to the next step
• Act as a placeholder in workflow structure

Configuration

The Continue node has minimal configuration:

• Node ID: Unique identifier for the node
• Name: Descriptive name
• On Success: The next node to execute

No other configuration is required. The node simply passes through to the next node.

How It Works

1. Execution Reaches Node: Workflow arrives at the Continue node
2. Immediately Continues: No processing occurs
3. Moves to Next Node: Execution proceeds to onSuccess node

The Continue node adds no delay and performs no operations.

Examples

Example: Conditional Default Branch

Flow:

Conditional: checkStatus
├─ Choice 1: status = "pending" → processPending → saveResult
├─ Choice 2: status = "complete" → processComplete → saveResult
└─ Default → Continue
   └─ saveResult

If status is neither “pending” nor “complete”, the workflow continues without processing directly to saveResult.

Example: Skip Optional Processing

Flow:

Conditional: needsEnrichment
├─ Yes → enrichData → saveData
└─ No → Continue → saveData

When enrichment isn’t needed, the Continue node skips it and goes directly to saving.

Example: Default Path

Flow:

Conditional: checkPermissions
├─ Admin → adminProcessing → finalStep
├─ Manager → managerProcessing → finalStep
└─ Default → Continue → finalStep

Users without admin or manager permissions skip special processing and continue to the final step.

Best Practices

• Use for Default Branches: Primarily useful in conditional default paths
• Descriptive Names: Name the node to indicate what’s being skipped (e.g., “Skip Processing”, “No Action”)
• Avoid Overuse: Only use when you actually need a pass-through; often you can connect directly

Continue vs End

Use Continue when:

• You want to proceed to another node
• The workflow has more steps after this point

Use End when:

• The workflow should stop
• No further processing is needed

Example

With Continue:

Conditional: checkStatus
├─ Active → processActive → finalizeProcess
└─ Inactive → Continue → finalizeProcess

With End:

Conditional: checkStatus
├─ Active → processActive → finalizeProcess
└─ Inactive → End

Limitations

• No Operation: Cannot perform any processing or transformation
• No Output: Does not produce any output data
• No Side Effects: Cannot modify state, call APIs, or perform actions
• Pass-Through Only: Simply continues to the next node

Common Pattern

The most common use is in conditional nodes:

Conditional: needsAction
├─ Yes → performAction → nextStep
└─ No → Continue → nextStep

This provides a clean way to handle cases where no action is needed but the workflow must continue.