Skip to main content
A dry run runs your pipeline end to end without triggering real side effects. Output nodes (callback and email) produce a preview instead of sending an actual request or email, while every other node executes normally. Use a dry run to inspect the exact payload an output node would produce before you send it for real. The run mode is chosen per run, not stored on the pipeline. Each run is either a Dry run or a Live run.

​
Choosing the run mode

You pick the run mode from the Run control in the pipeline editor toolbar. The dropdown next to the run button offers:
  • Dry run: output nodes preview instead of sending.
  • Live run: output nodes send real requests and emails.
The default follows the pipeline’s environment: a Development pipeline defaults to a Dry run, and a Production pipeline defaults to a Live run. You can override the mode for your current session; the choice is never written back to the pipeline, so it resets when you reload.
When you choose Live run and start the run, a confirmation dialog titled “Run with live outputs” asks “Output nodes will send real requests and emails. Continue?” This safeguard prevents accidental production deliveries. A dry run starts immediately with no confirmation.

​
What a dry run does

  • All trigger, action, and processing nodes run normally. Extraction, parsing, transformation, validation, routing, merging, and review steps execute exactly as they would live.
  • Callback nodes resolve the URL, method, headers, and body but do not send the HTTP request. They return a preview of what would have been sent.
  • Email output nodes render the email but do not send it. They return a preview showing the recipients, subject, rendered body, and attachment names.
The HTTP action node is not affected by the run mode. It always sends real requests. Use caution with pipelines that include HTTP action nodes pointed at production endpoints.

​
Dry run preview

When a dry run completes, output steps show a preview instead of raw output. The preview includes a blue “Dry run preview, not sent” banner and a structured breakdown of what would have been sent.

​
Callback preview

  • HTTP method and resolved URL
  • Request headers (if configured)
  • Request body (formatted as JSON or HTML)
The rendered request body appears in a read-only JSON editor, pretty-printed for easy inspection. Because no delivery is recorded for a dry-run step, this prepared-request preview also appears in the run-detail Callback Delivery History panel in place of an actual delivery record.

​
Email preview

  • Recipients (displayed as badges)
  • Subject line
  • Rendered email body (with HTML preview)
  • Attachment file names (if configured)
You can switch between a Preview tab (structured view) and a Raw tab (full JSON output) to inspect the dry-run payload.

​
Credit usage

Dry runs consume credits for AI-powered nodes (extract, parse, AI validation, AI-based routing) because those steps execute fully. Output nodes (callback, email) do not consume credits regardless of run mode.

​
Spotting dry runs later

Runs started as a dry run carry a Dry run badge on the runs list and the run detail header, so you can tell a preview run apart from a live one at a glance.

Build your first pipeline

Step-by-step guide to building and testing a pipeline

Callback node

Configure webhook delivery for pipeline results

Email output node

Configure email delivery for pipeline results

Monitoring runs

Find the Dry run badge and inspect step previews