Control Flow

Loop and Batch Processing Documentation

Iterate over lists of files or data rows to perform high-volume document automation.

Updated 2 min read

Quick Answer: What is the Loop Node?

[!NOTE] The Loop Node (and its batch variants) allow you to repeat a sequence of actions for every item in a list. If you have 100 PDFs to convert, the Loop Node ensures the workflow runs 100 times—once for each file—automating what would otherwise be a tedious manual task.

Core Capabilities

1. Mass Conversion

Upload a folder of 50 images to a File Input Node. Connect a Loop Node followed by an Image Convert Node. The workflow will walk through each image and convert it, producing a final list of 50 converted files.

2. Record-by-Record Automation

Use a Spreadsheet Node to pull customer data. The Loop Node will iterate through each row, generate a personalized letter via Document Generation, and email it to the customer.

3. Nested Workflows (Advanced)

A loop can trigger a Sub-Workflow for each item, allowing you to build extremely complex modular architectures where each loop iteration is itself a multi-step process.

Configuration Guide

FieldSettingImpact
Input SourceThe Array to LoopDetermines what data to iterate over (e.g., {{excel_1.rows}}).
ConcurrencySerial vs. ParallelSerial is safer for API limits; Parallel is 10x faster for CPU tasks.
Max IterationsSafety LimitPrevents infinite loops or excessive credit consumption.

Best Practices

  • Keep it Lean: Only put the nodes that need to repeat inside the loop. Triggers and aggregators should stay outside the loop boundaries.
  • Aggregation: Use a Wait or Merge Node after the loop if you need to zip all the loop's output files into a single download.

[!TIP] Processing millions of rows? Split your data into smaller spreadsheet chunks (e.g., 500 rows each) to ensure the browser's memory remains stable during the loop.