What causes "Failed to create draft version" in twentyhq/twenty?

Inspect the createDraftFromWorkflowVersion response (data + errors) in DevTools.

twentyhq/twenty · error · Error

Failed to create draft version

Error message

Failed to create draft version

What it means

Thrown in useGetUpdatableWorkflowVersionOrThrow when the workflow's current version is not already a DRAFT, so it tries to create a draft copy via createDraftFromWorkflowVersion, but the returned draftVersionId is undefined. Editing a published workflow requires a draft; without one the edit flow cannot proceed.

Source

Thrown at packages/twenty-front/src/modules/workflow/hooks/useGetUpdatableWorkflowVersionOrThrow.ts:31

  );
  const workflow = useWorkflowWithCurrentVersion(workflowVisualizerWorkflowId);

  const getUpdatableWorkflowVersion = async (): Promise<string> => {
    if (!isDefined(workflowVisualizerWorkflowId) || !isDefined(workflow)) {
      throw new Error('Failed to get updatable workflow version');
    }

    if (workflow.currentVersion.status === 'DRAFT') {
      return workflow.currentVersion.id;
    }

    const draftVersionId = await createDraftFromWorkflowVersion({
      workflowId: workflowVisualizerWorkflowId,
      workflowVersionIdToCopy: workflow.currentVersion.id,
    });

    if (!isDefined(draftVersionId)) {
      throw new Error('Failed to create draft version');
    }

    return draftVersionId;
  };

  return { getUpdatableWorkflowVersion };
};

View on GitHub (pinned to 1f5dd2bbd2)

Solutions

Inspect the createDraftFromWorkflowVersion response (data + errors) in DevTools.
Confirm the user has edit permission on the workflow and the workflow is not locked by another editor.
Reload the workflow to refresh currentVersion.status; if a DRAFT already exists it should be returned directly.

Example fix

// before: if (!isDefined(draftVersionId)) { throw new Error('Failed to create draft version'); }
// after:  if (!isDefined(draftVersionId)) {
//           const err = draftErrors?.[0]?.message;
//           throw new Error(err ?? 'Failed to create draft version');
//         }

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

const canEditWorkflow = (workflow: { currentVersion: { status: string } } | null): boolean =>
  isDefined(workflow) && (workflow.currentVersion.status === 'DRAFT' || true); // creation attempted if not draft

Type guard

const isDraftVersion = (status: string): boolean => status === 'DRAFT';

Try / catch

try {
  await getUpdatableWorkflowVersion();
} catch (e) {
  if (/Failed to create draft version/.test((e as Error).message)) {
    notifyUser('You may not have edit rights, or the workflow is locked by another editor.');
  }
}

Prevention

Refresh the workflow before editing to obtain an up-to-date currentVersion.status.
Confirm edit permission and that no other session holds the draft.
Have createDraftFromWorkflowVersion surface its mutation errors so this throw carries a real reason.

When it happens

Trigger: createDraftFromWorkflowVersion mutation fails or returns no id (permission denied, backend error, version already being edited elsewhere). The mutation resolved with errors but no id.

Common situations: User lacks edit permission on the workflow. Another user/session already holds the draft. Backend error during the copy. Network partial response.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of twentyhq/twenty@1f5dd2bbd2 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c891817a503497fb. Report an issue: GitHub.