Passthrough (data)
Forwarding data from a prior step to a later step without modification. In n8n, the "Keep Only Set" option controls which fields are passed through and which are discarded keeping workflows clean and preventing unexpected data bleed between steps.
Expert insight
Passthrough data (fields carried through a workflow unchanged, just to be available at a later step) needs to be deliberately included in whatever data structure moves between steps, it's a common bug for a field to be present at step 2 but silently dropped by step 4 because an intermediate transformation only kept the fields it was actively using.
In a real workflow
A step passes the original order data through unchanged so later steps can still use it.
Common mistakes
- Overwriting data needed later.
- Passing large payloads unnecessarily.
Complexity level
Anyone can understand this no technical background needed.
See it in action
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