Scenario Debugging: "Run this module only" with real data
Jess Olsen
When developing new scenarios it's a pain to deal with testing/dev data.
Fx. I get a webhook as a trigger for the scanerio and I have a bunch of modules in the scenario, that all use data from the webhook. Why can't I use the data from the webhook when running a single module? Faking data can often cause production error, because the data wasn't real.
If I have already run a module and need the output in following module, why can't I use the output from that first module, when running the second module only?
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SEE ALSO:
- Incomplete executions: https://support.integromat.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001988854-Incomplete-executions
- Enable "Choose Where To Start" for instant triggers / webhooks: https://integromat.canny.io/feature-requests/p/enable-choose-where-to-start-for-instant-triggers-webhooks
- Ability to "re-run" historical instances: https://integromat.canny.io/feature-requests/p/ability-to-re-run-historical-instances
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Daniel Gonzalez
Any news on this? This feature is really needed. 1 year! And right now I'm in pain building some complex scenarios because of this
Benjamin Abitan
Yes, absolutely. At the very least, if the scenario has already been run before, the values from the previous run should be available by default (as they are partly in the variable selector).
Entrepositive.com
Hey Jess Olsen
We use variables, JSON and Data Store modules to house testing data during dev. Is it possible one of those could solve your pain point? Fx testing webhook data, we pull into a Data Store once, then for duration of dev we use that data store for running...might not be what you're looking for though.
EP
Kim Lloyd
I spent all day creating a complex scenario, migrating from Zapier, but this is a show stopper for me. I love Integromat, but this is a big blocker for me from making the switch.
Andrew Forte
Very very much struggling with this.
Tomer Almog
Needed
Sergio Fandila
For me it would be great to be able to reuse hisoric data to test either the entire or parts of the scenario. The data is available anyway. I am using up a lot of quota both in integromat as well as in Jotform (my trigger) and it is super tiring to always have to refill the form with the same data just to see if the scenario now works as expected.
Rez
Sergio Fandila: it's really unbelievable and absurd they don't offer this, so much time spend filling forms, had to upgrade both Integromat and jotform and finally gave up on integromat. It feels like it's stuck in 1999.
Sergio Fandila Garcia
Rez: I have found a workaround that helps a bit. I clone the modules I am currently testing, hook them up with a parse JSON module in the beginning and insert the output from Jotform (or any other source) in JSON format into that first trigger. Then redo the mapping inside the cloned modules (For faster remapping use DevTool, although it doesn't work 100% reliably) and set the parse module as trigger. Like this you can test each specific part with the same data without having to trigger a webhook externally.
K-Eye BV
What we like to see is run multiple scenarios on the same trigger/webhooks.
- Copy production scenario (v1), rename the copy to v2 and start testing
This way you get the same live data as production does.
- Once done, activate v2 and then deactivate v1.
- No interruption of production and you can always roll back (to any version you want that you kept)
Rule number one in development:
- Do not test in production ! (100% sure the developers of integromat understand this)
Integromat is a tool that runs production scenario's.......
Sergio Fandila Garcia
Goossens:As far as I understand this will not be possible to do with Make as it only allows using a Webhook in one scenario. Please correct me if I am mistaken.
Michal Máša
Please, let me know if this would help: Add "Choose where to start" item to instant trigger's context menu (analogically to the scheduled triggers) that would show the content of the webhook's queue including a limited number of already processed webhooks (let's say 10).
Jess Olsen
Michal Máša: I think it makes sense, but it's not entirely clear how it works. My real problem is that when I come back to a scenario another time, the scenario does not have data for me to test with. I need any given module to run again with real historic data.
Michal Máša
Jess Olsen: It would work the same way as "Choose where to start" works for scheduled triggers. If you choose the "Choose where to start" from a scheduled trigger's context menu, you can choose "Select the first message" (in general "Select the first item") and a list of historic items appears. This enables you to test your scenario with real historic data. But this is not currently supported by the _instant_ triggers (those with the lightning bolt icon), only by _scheduled_ triggers (those with the clock icon) :)
Jess Olsen
Michal Máša: Okay but is that for the whole scenario. Most often I need to test individual modules, but hate that I have to "fake" data for testing. I would like to the entire flow to have more "memory", so I can test a module with real data.
Michal Máša
Jess Olsen: OK, another proposal then:
- You would open the scenario editor.
- You would execute the scenario to get some real data.
- You would right-click a module and choose "Run this module only" from the module's context menu.
- A list of INPUTs processed by each module's operation during the aforementioned scenario execution would shown to choose from.
Once chosen, the values from the selected INPUT would populate the empty fields.
Would that help? :)
Jess Olsen
Michal Máša: I think that would work, but I would like to have access to historic data the next time I have to edit the scenario. When you work with large scenarios like I do, it would be nice to debug using data from previous executions.
Michal Máša
Jess Olsen: I see, so basically some sort of a combination of my two previous suggestions would do the job, right? :)
Jess Olsen
Michal Máša: I think so :)
Michal Máša
Jess Olsen: :)
Specialty Toys
I often run into the same issue as Jess Olsen, I have very large workflows and I need to test a single module or branch of my workflow using real data. In order to not run the whole workflow and potentially mess up data in other locations, I will often break connections so that only the part of the workflow that I want to test will run.
I see two issues here, both of which would be very helpful:
1) Being able to use historical data to test a workflow, rather than having to run the workflow again in the present time to get new data.
2) Being able to test a single module or branch of a workflow, using whatever data is currently loaded in to the workflow (either data from a manual run, or by loading historical data)
Daniel Fascia
Specialty Toys: Being able to cache an inbound request and "replay its flow" through a scenario would be amazing.
I would also like to see this available as a "free" feature on paid plans i.e. no operation penalty is debited for using "replay cache" data.
Right now debugging inbound data through a scenario is very challenging and I've mentioned it before but I can literally use 10-20% of my monthly quota just debugging and building a scenario before I even go live with it.
Ankur Pansari
I would also like to request this
Andrew Forte
Michal Máša: Did this ever roll out?
Sergio Fandila Garcia
Jess Olsen: You could use the parse JSON module, copy the output of your source module and paste it in there. Then clone all the modules you want to test (you can multi select modules with shift+drag), hook them up with the parse JSON Trigger and remap them. You can use DevTool for remapping fast (although for me it is not working 100% reliably). But with this workaround at least you can use historic data as often as you want while testing only what you really want to test.