n8n-io/n8n · error · UserError

No published version found for workflow "${workflows[0].name

Error message

No published version found for workflow "${workflows[0].name}" (${workflows[0].id})

What it means

Thrown by `export:workflow` when `--published` and `--id` are set, the workflow exists, but `getWorkflowsToExport` returns empty — i.e. the workflow's `activeVersionId` has no matching row in WorkflowHistoryRepository (workflow.ts:215-228). The published/active version record is missing.

Source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/commands/export/workflow.ts:135

					return;
				}
			}
		}

		const workflows = await Container.get(WorkflowRepository).find({
			where: this.getWhereFilter(flags),
			relations: ['tags', 'shared', 'shared.project'],
		});

		if (workflows.length === 0) {
			throw new UserError('No workflows found with specified filters');
		}

		const workflowsToExport = await getWorkflowsToExport(workflows, flags);

		if (flags.published && workflowsToExport.length === 0) {
			if (flags.id)
				throw new UserError(
					`No published version found for workflow "${workflows[0].name}" (${workflows[0].id})`,
				);
			else throw new UserError('No workflows with published versions found.');
		}
		if (flags.version && flags.id && workflowsToExport.length === 0) {
			throw new UserError(
				`Version "${flags.version}" not found for workflow "${workflows[0].name}" (${workflows[0].id})`,
			);
		}
		if (workflowsToExport.length === 0) {
			throw new UserError('No workflows found with specified filters');
		}

		if (flags.separate) {
			let fileContents: string;
			let i: number;
			for (i = 0; i < workflowsToExport.length; i++) {
				fileContents = JSON.stringify(workflowsToExport[i], null, flags.pretty ? 2 : undefined);

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ac6606e81)

Solutions

Drop `--published` to export the current working version instead of the published one.
Activate/publish the workflow in the UI first so an activeVersionId is set and history is recorded.
Check `SELECT active_version_id FROM workflow_entity WHERE id=X` — if NULL, the workflow has no published version.
If history rows are missing, re-run with `--version=<some-version-id>` for a version that exists, or omit version flags entirely.

Example fix

// before
n8n export:workflow --id=X --published
// after — export current version instead
n8n export:workflow --id=X

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Confirm the workflow has a published (active) version before exporting
async function hasPublishedVersion(ds: DataSource, id: string): Promise<boolean> {
  const row = await ds.getRepository('workflow_entity').findOne({ where: { id }, select: ['activeVersionId'] });
  return Boolean(row?.activeVersionId);
}
if (!(await hasPublishedVersion(ds, id))) {
  console.error('No published version — falling back to current version');
  flags.published = false;
}

Try / catch

try {
  await execN8n(['export:workflow', '--id', id, '--published']);
} catch (e) {
  if (e.message.startsWith('No published version')) {
    // fall back to current version
    await execN8n(['export:workflow', '--id', id]);
  } else throw e;
}

Prevention

Activate workflows in the UI before exporting their published version.
Verify activeVersionId is set in the workflow_entity row before scripting --published exports.
Keep workflow history enabled so versions are recorded.

When it happens

Trigger: `n8n export:workflow --id=X --published` on a workflow that was never activated, was deactivated, or whose workflow_history rows were pruned/migrated away. `getTargetVersionId` returns `workflow.activeVersionId ?? null`; if null or absent from history, the workflow is filtered out at mergeHistoriesIntoWorkflows (workflow.ts:259).

Common situations: Exporting a draft workflow that has never been published; workflow history feature disabled or history table cleaned; upgrading from an n8n version that did not track activeVersionId; running against a workflow imported without its history.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of n8n-io/n8n@5ac6606e81 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/02eeeaccc2feb7dc. Report an issue: GitHub.