> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dify.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Handle Errors
[LLM](/en/use-dify/nodes/llm), [HTTP](/en/use-dify/nodes/http-request), [Code](/en/use-dify/nodes/code), and [Tool](/en/use-dify/nodes/tools)
nodes support error handling out-of-box. When a node fails, it can take one of the three behaviors below:
The default behavior. When a node fails, the whole workflow stops. You get the original error message.
Use this when:
* You're testing and want to see what broke
* The workflow can't continue without this step
When a node fails, use a backup value instead. The workflow keeps running.
**Requirements**
* The default value must match the node's output type -- if it outputs a string, your default must be a string.
**Example**
Your LLM node normally returns analysis, but sometimes it fails due to rate limits. Set a default value like:
```
"Sorry, I'm temporarily unavailable. Please try again in a few minutes."
```
Now users get a helpful message instead of a broken workflow.
When a node fails, trigger a separate flow to handle the error.
The fail branch is highlighted in orange. You can:
* Send error notifications
* Try a different approach
* Log the error for debugging
* Use a backup service
**Example**
Your main API fails, so the fail branch calls a backup API instead. Users never know there was a problem.
## Error in Loop/Iteration Nodes
When child nodes fail inside loops and iterations, these control flow nodes have their own error behaviors.
**Loop nodes** always stop immediately when any child node fails. The entire loop terminates and returns the error, preventing any further iterations from running.
**Iteration nodes** let you choose how to handle child node failures through the error handling mode setting:
* `terminated` - Stops processing immediately when any item fails (default)
* `continue-on-error` - Skips the failed item and continues with the next one
* `remove-abnormal-output` - Continues processing but filters out failed items from the final output
When you set an iteration to `continue-on-error`, failed items return `null` in the output array. When you use `remove-abnormal-output`, the output array only contains successful results, making it shorter than the input array.
## Error variables
When using default value or fail branch, you get two special variables:
* `error_type` - What kind of error happened (see [Error Types](/en/use-dify/debug/error-type))
* `error_message` - The actual error details
Use these to:
* Show users helpful messages
* Send alerts to your team
* Choose different recovery strategies
* Log errors for debugging
**Example**
```
{% if error_type == "rate_limit" %}
Too many requests. Please wait a moment and try again.
{% else %}
Something went wrong. Our team has been notified.
{% endif %}
```