Handling Errors and Failures in Video Generation Workflows (n8n)

I've seen various workflows built around Video Generation.

In general, these workflows follow a linear, step-by-step process until the final output is produced.

Unfortunately, based on my tests, some of the processes often fail due to provider-side issues (e.g., API timeouts, service overloads, etc.). However, I haven't seen many of these workflows addressing such cases, analyzing the errors, or handling them properly to eliminate or retry failed steps.

Ideally, I believe the best approach would be to split the workflow into multiple stages, and at the end of each stage, update a database or Excel file with the current status.

Then, based on that status, other workflows (triggered via cron jobs) could continue with step 2, 3, etc., if applicable.

However, implementing this kind of staged logic is quite complex and not always practical.

The solution I personally find more realistic and reliable is to introduce conditional logic after every critical step that may fail.

For example:

After submitting a job, instead of just using a simple WAIT, I check the status of the task (e.g., via API call).

If the status is not "completed", I wait and retry until it is.

Given that image/video generators are often overloaded, a task can take several minutes, not just a few seconds.

To avoid infinite loops, I would also include a maximum retry limit (e.g., check status up to X times before failing the task).

I’ve also attached a sample of how I imagine this workflow structure, and I’d love to hear any feedback, suggestions, or criticisms from the community—both pros and cons are welcome!

Workflow (free): https://lvalics.gumroad.com/l/piapi

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