Debug Runbook Flow

The Debug Runbook Flow dialog provides a visual representation of your runbookClosed An automated workflow that executes a series of steps or tasks in response to a triggered event, such as the detection of anomalous behavior generating an incident, a lifecycle event, or a manually executed runbook.'s execution, showing which nodesClosed Individual components that make up a runbook automation, each performing a specific function such as data queries, transformations, logic, integrations, or visualizations. executed, which branches were taken, and any errors encountered. This feature is essential for understanding runbook behavior during development and troubleshooting.

Accessing Debug Runbook Flow

You can access the Debug Runbook Flow dialog on all pages where a runbook appears, including during test runs. To open it:

  1. Open the ... menu on the page where the runbook appears.

  2. Select Debug Runbook Flow.

Quick access to debug info

When runbook output includes debug data, a stethoscope (debug) icon appears next to that output. Click the icon to open the node details dialog without opening the ... menu. You do not need to load the full Debug Runbook Flow visualization to review debug information for nodes that had debug enabled. The dialog is the same as when you click a node in the Debug Runbook Flow; see Viewing Node Details, below.

Understanding the Execution Flow

The Debug Runbook Flow dialog helps you:

  • Identify which branches executed or skipped: See which decision branch paths were taken and which were not executed.

  • See which nodes succeeded or failed: Visually identify nodes that executed successfully versus those that failed or were skipped.

  • View execution order: Understand the sequence in which nodes executed during the runbook's execution.

The Debug Runbook Flow dialog displays all nodes in the runbook. Nodes that executed are highlighted, while nodes that did not execute are grayed out, making it easy to see the execution path at a glance.

Viewing Node Details

Open the node details dialog in either of these ways:

  • Click a node in the Debug Runbook Flow dialog.

  • Click the stethoscope (debug) icon next to runbook output when debug data is present (see Quick access to debug info).

The dialog is the same in both cases. Use the Node dropdown to choose which node's information to view. The list includes only nodes that have debug enabled, in runtime start order. Each entry shows the node type icon, status, and execution delay, using the same presentation as the node chooser in the INSPECT tab of a Subflow node. When you have many nodes, you can search the list by node name to find a specific node.

The dialog includes the following tabs:

  • CONFIG tab: Shows the exact configuration that was used for the selected node during execution, including any variable substitutions. This helps you verify that the node received the expected inputs and was configured correctly.

  • Error tab: Displays any errors encountered when running the node. This tab is only visible if errors occurred during node execution. Review error information to understand why a node failed and what needs to be fixed.

  • INSPECT tab: Shows formatted, structured debug outputClosed A document containing data sets generated by the execution of a runbook, including output of queries and reports from point products, as well as output of analysis or other runbook nodes. that presents information in an organized, easy-to-read format. This tab is only visible when debug is enabled for the node. The INSPECT tab is the default view when you are reviewing debug data and provides the most user-friendly presentation. Transform and HTTP nodes provide specialized Inspect views with organized sections for input/output data, errors, and validation information. For details about these specialized views, see Debug Inspect Tab by Node Type.

  • DEBUG tab: Shows raw debug output. This tab is only visible when debug is enabled for the node. The DEBUG tab offers a Tree view and a Text (JSON) view of the same data. Tree view is the default. Use the control in the tab to switch between Tree view and Text view.

How Debug Information is Stored

When a runbook activates, IQ Ops automatically stores information about:

  • Which nodes executed

  • The execution path taken through the runbook

  • Any errors encountered during execution

  • Debug information from nodes that have debug enabled

This information is available immediately after execution and remains accessible until the runbook execution data is cleared.

Using Debug Runbook Flow for Troubleshooting

The Debug Runbook Flow dialog is particularly useful for:

  • Verifying logic flow: Confirm that decision branches are evaluating conditions correctly and routing execution along the expected paths.

  • Identifying skipped nodes: Understand why certain nodes did not execute, which helps identify configuration issues or logic problems.

  • Debugging failures: Quickly locate failed nodes and review error information to understand what went wrong.

  • Validating node configuration: Verify that nodes received the correct inputs and were configured as expected during execution.

For more information about debugging runbooks, see How to Debug with IQ.