Failed to load existing workflow ${workflowId} to preserve n

Error message

Failed to load existing workflow ${workflowId} to preserve node positions: ${message}

What it means

Error "Failed to load existing workflow ${workflowId} to preserve node positions: ${message}" thrown in n8n-io/n8n.

Source

Thrown at packages/@n8n/instance-ai/src/tools/workflows/preserve-node-positions.ts:192

 * engine put it — scattering a canvas the user had arranged by hand. Reconciling by
 * name here keeps the user's layout authoritative, mirroring ensureWebhookIds.
 *
 * Nodes the build added are translated into the saved canvas's frame, keeping the
 * layout engine's relative arrangement, then nudged clear of anything they land on.
 */
export async function preserveExistingNodePositions(
	json: WorkflowJSON,
	workflowId: string | undefined,
	ctx: InstanceAiContext,
): Promise<void> {
	if (!workflowId) return;

	let existing: WorkflowJSON;
	try {
		existing = await ctx.workflowService.getAsWorkflowJSON(workflowId);
	} catch (error) {
		const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
		throw new Error(
			`Failed to load existing workflow ${workflowId} to preserve node positions: ${message}`,
			{ cause: error },
		);
	}

	const savedPositionsByName = new Map<string, Position>();
	for (const node of existing.nodes ?? []) {
		if (node.name && Array.isArray(node.position)) {
			savedPositionsByName.set(node.name, [node.position[0], node.position[1]]);
		}
	}
	if (savedPositionsByName.size === 0) return;

	const nodes = json.nodes ?? [];
	const survivors: Survivor[] = [];
	const added: NodeJSON[] = [];
	for (const node of nodes) {
		const saved = node.name ? savedPositionsByName.get(node.name) : undefined;

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ac6606e81)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/@n8n/instance-ai/src/tools/workflows/preserve-node-positions.ts:192 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of n8n-io/n8n@5ac6606e81 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d9acf79b312fbdc7. Report an issue: GitHub.