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What This Node Does

The Input node is the starting point of every workflow. It connects your data sources—tables, connectors, uploaded files, or other workflows—to your workflow canvas, making data available for transformation and analysis. Visual Representation: [SCREENSHOT: Input node on canvas showing data source name and row count]

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When to Use This Node

Use the Input node when you need to:
  • Start a new workflow - Every workflow begins with at least one Input node
  • Combine multiple data sources - Add multiple Input nodes to merge or join datasets
  • Reference cleaned data - Use tables created by other workflows as starting points
  • Access external data - Pull live data from connected connectors

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Step-by-Step Usage Guide

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Adding Your First Input Node

1

Drag Input node to canvas

2

Open configuration panel

3

Select data source type

In the Data Source dropdown, choose a table from any type (Database connections, Uploads, Spreadsheets, Sync connectors, or Workflow Virtual Tables)[SCREENSHOT: Data source type dropdown expanded showing all options]
4

Save & Close

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Tips and Best Practices

Name Your Input Nodes: Click the node title to rename it (e.g., “Sales Data”, “Customer Table”). This makes complex workflows easier to understand.
Preview Before Building: Always check the Data Preview tab before adding more nodes. Verify column names and data quality early.
Filter at the Source: For large datasets (1M+ rows), add a Filter node immediately after Input to reduce data volume early in the workflow.
Multiple Inputs for Joins: To join data from multiple sources, add multiple Input nodes to your canvas and connect them to a Join node.
Use Virtual Tables for Intermediate Results: For complex multi-step analysis, break work into multiple workflows. Workflow A cleans data → outputs to Virtual Table → Workflow B uses that Virtual Table as input for analysis.
Cache for Development: When building workflows with large datasets, use “Cache for 1 hour” to speed up repeated test runs during development. Switch back to “On Workflow Run” for production.