# Truquence for n8n: 8 Acceptance Check Mistakes

> Truquence mistakes that let a wrong n8n run through: copying the answer from the run, a partial export, treating UNKNOWN as fine and reusing old contracts.

Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/truquence-n8n-check-mistakes · Updated 2026-10-21 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com)

Quick answer

The biggest Truquence mistake is copying the expected output from the run you are checking. If the contract says Total should be 12.0 because the run said 12.0, a wrong run passes and the check is worthless. Work each expected value out yourself from the source, such as the timesheet. The other common mistakes are a partial n8n export, treating **UNKNOWN** as fine and reusing an old contract after changing the workflow. Each one is covered in the free [Truquence n8n lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/truquence-n8n-acceptance).

Last updated October 21, 2026

[Take the free module →](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/n8n-jump-start/22)Module 22 of the free [n8n Jump Start](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/n8n-jump-start) course, about 11 minutes. No account needed.

By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 21, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 · 5 min read

Truquence · n8n · Testing · Troubleshooting

The example is made up. Priya Nair runs Cedar Row Accounting, and her [n8n workflow](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/workflow) builds about 40 client [invoices](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/invoice) a month. Last month one run said **status: success** while the **Total** node output 12.0 instead of 120.0. Truquence is a free, open-source command-line tool with no app screens, so the lesson is a plain terminal with the exact commands and output excerpts from Truquence's README and docs/workflows.md, read on 20 October 2026.

## What are the most common Truquence mistakes?

| # | Mistake | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Copying expected output from the run under review | Work it out from the source, such as the timesheet |
| 2 | Trusting n8n's green success | Check every node's output against a contract |
| 3 | Exporting only the workflow, or part of the run | Export the full execution as **execution.json** |
| 4 | Leaving an expectation as **null** | Replace every **null** with the items that node should output |
| 5 | Treating **UNKNOWN** as a pass | Only **PASS** (exit 0) lets the work go on |
| 6 | Reusing the old contract after changing the workflow | Run **truquence init** again and re-enter your expected items |
| 7 | Installing outside a virtual environment | Activate **.venv** and install there |
| 8 | Expecting Truquence to approve the business result | A person still signs off |

## Why must I write the answer key myself?

**1. Copying from the run.** The contract is your answer key: for each node, how many times it runs and exactly what it outputs. Truquence's docs are firm that you write the expected output yourself and never copy it from the run you are checking. In the lesson, 8 hours at $15 is 120.0, worked out from the timesheet. Copy 12.0 from the run, and the wrong invoice passes.

**2. Trusting green.** In n8n, success means every node finished without an error. It does not know what the right answer was. A wrong total, a missing row or a swapped name all look green. That is why Priya was spot-checking about 40 invoices by hand at 4 minutes each, over 2.5 hours a month (example numbers).

## Why does Truquence return UNKNOWN?

**3. The wrong export.** Truquence needs two files. **workflow.json** is the exported workflow, one workflow object, not a list. **execution.json** is the full execution export: one [JSON](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/json) object with **finished**, the **workflowData** snapshot and every node's output under **data.resultData.runData**. A workflow-only export, a copy of the console or a partial export comes back UNKNOWN. The docs' [local n8n walkthrough](https://github.com/cplj/truquence-public/blob/main/docs/local-n8n.md) shows one way to export a full run.

**4. A null left behind.** **truquence init --workflow workflow.json --out contract.json** adds one check for every enabled node, each starting as **x-expect_items: null**, meaning not decided yet. A null stays UNKNOWN. Replace each one. If a node should output nothing, write an empty list **[]**. Run counts, item counts, values and order must match exactly.

An unfinished run or a missing snapshot also returns UNKNOWN. So do workflows outside what the n8n adapter covers: it handles JSON-only, single-branch nodes, and untaken branches or binary items need a person to review.

## Try it free, step by step

**Truquence: Catch an n8n Run That Says Success but Gets It Wrong**. A business case for a small firm whose n8n invoice run said success while the total was wrong: write down what each node should output, check the exported run with Truquence offline, and read PASS… You do every step yourself in a practice copy of Truquence, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts.

[Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/truquence-n8n-acceptance)

[Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/truquence-n8n-workflow-success-but-wrong-output)

## Why should UNKNOWN stop the invoice?

**5. Reading UNKNOWN as "didn't fail".** Truquence has three answers. **PASS** is exit code 0. **FAIL** is exit code 1, as in the lesson, where two checks passed and **Total** failed because the "Exact JSON output items differ from expected." **UNKNOWN** is exit code 2: not enough to decide. FAIL and UNKNOWN both block acceptance. Treating UNKNOWN as fine is how a half-checked invoice gets sent. If you script the check, let only exit code 0 move the work on.

## What changes when I fix the workflow?

**6. Reusing the old contract.** Fix the Total node in n8n, run the workflow again and export the new execution. If you changed the workflow itself, its fingerprint, the **x-workflow_sha256** line, changes too, so a changed workflow cannot pass against an old contract. Run **truquence init** again and re-enter your expected items. Never just paste in the new fingerprint. With the right total, the check returns **PASS**.

Also give each check a new report name. Truquence writes **run.json** and **run.md** and never overwrites an earlier report, so use **--out run-2** the second time.

## What setup and scope mistakes should I avoid?

**7. Installing in the wrong place.** The README asks for Git, Python 3.10 or newer with venv and pip, and a POSIX shell. Install with **python3 -m venv .venv && . .venv/bin/activate && python3 -m pip install .** If you see *externally-managed-environment* or *command not found*, activate **.venv** and run the install again there.

**8. Expecting a sign-off.** Truquence does not run, fix or approve your workflow. The report's **business_acceptance** is always UNKNOWN: Truquence checks the run against your contract, and a person still signs off. That is [human in the loop](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/human-in-the-loop) at the last step.

## Key takeaways

- Write each expected output from the source, never from the run you are checking.
- Export the full execution, and replace every **null** in the contract.
- Only **PASS** lets the work go on; **UNKNOWN** blocks it like **FAIL**.
- Make a new contract after changing the workflow, and a new report name each run.
- Truquence checks the run; a person still approves the result.

## Frequently asked questions

**Does Truquence need an account or internet access?**

No. It is open source under Apache-2.0 at [github.com/cplj/truquence-public](https://github.com/cplj/truquence-public), runs on your own computer with no account, and reads the files offline.

**Will a FAIL tell me which node is wrong?**

Yes. In the lesson the FAIL line names **Total** and gives the reason.

**Can I just paste the new fingerprint into my contract?**

No. Truquence's docs say a changed workflow needs a newly reviewed contract, so run init again and re-enter your expected items.

**What is a good first workflow to check?**

The one your business would least like to get wrong, with a result you can work out by hand, such as an invoice total. See the [n8n execution](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/n8n-execution) entry for what one run contains.

**Where can I read more answers?**

See the [Truquence n8n check FAQ](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/truquence-n8n-check-faq), [how to test an n8n workflow](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/how-to-test-an-n8n-workflow) and the [lesson guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/truquence-n8n-workflow-success-but-wrong-output).

## Free lessons in this post

- [Truquence: Catch an n8n Run That Says Success but Gets It Wrong](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/truquence-n8n-workflow-success-but-wrong-output): A business case for a small firm whose n8n invoice run said success while the total was wrong: write down what each node should output, check the exported run with…

## Watch it in a free lesson: Find and Use n8n Templates

### Find and Use n8n Templates: video walkthrough

Full walkthrough · 3:32 · with captions

Skip the blank canvas. Find a ready-made workflow in the n8n template gallery, import it into your workspace, connect Google Sheets and Gmail, test it with a real form entry and publish it. The whole lesson narrated step by step, recorded in Stepthrough’s simulated practice environment.

[Watch it with chapters and the full transcript](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/find-and-use-n8n-templates#watch)

From the free lesson [Find and Use n8n Templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/find-and-use-n8n-templates)

## Related terms

Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson.

[Workflow](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/workflow) · [Invoice](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/invoice) · [JSON](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/json) · [Acceptance testing](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/acceptance-testing) · [Golden dataset](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/golden-dataset) · [Edge case](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/edge-case) · [LLM observability](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/llm-observability) · [Regression testing](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/regression-testing)

[The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary)

## Keep reading

- [Truquence for n8n FAQ: Contracts, PASS, FAIL, UNKNOWN](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/truquence-n8n-check-faq): Plain answers about Truquence for n8n: why a green run can be wrong, what a contract is, which files to export and what PASS, FAIL and UNKNOWN mean.
- [n8n Showing Feedback Agent: 9 Mistakes to Avoid](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-showing-feedback-agent-mistakes): Mistakes that hurt an n8n showing feedback agent for listing agents, from price advice and buyers' names to mismatched columns and missing memory.
- [n8n Law Firm Time Entry Agent: 9 Mistakes to Avoid](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/n8n-law-time-entry-agent-mistakes): Mistakes that spoil an n8n time entry agent for lawyers, from letting it round hours to unclear matters, pasted identifiers and the wrong Sheets setup.

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