# Run nodes and see what will happen first

> Run selected nodes in Nodespell, preview which nodes reuse, update or generate, check the credit estimate, generate several takes, and stop a run.

Source: https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/run-nodes/ · Last updated: 2026-11-10

Running nodes in Nodespell executes the selected part of your graph and everything it needs upstream. Before anything starts, Nodespell prepares a run plan that says which nodes reuse their existing [takes](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/takes/), which update for free, and which generate new results, so you only spend [credits](https://docs.nodespell.com/account/plans-and-credits/) where you choose to.

## Run the selected nodes

1. In **Graph**, select one or more nodes.
2. Look at the run control that appears in the graph toolbar next to the selection count. Its label tells you what will happen (see the table below).
3. Hover the run control to preview the plan on the canvas, then click it, or press `Cmd+Shift+R` on macOS or `Ctrl+Shift+R` on Windows and Linux.

The same control appears at the top of the menu when you right-click a node, and **Run Selected Tasks** is available in the command palette (`Cmd/Ctrl+K`).

| Label on the run control                   | What it does                                                                                                                     |
| ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Run**                                    | Uses the takes you already have. Nothing is charged.                                                                             |
| **Generate** or **Generate** with a number | Makes new takes for the selected AI nodes with the current settings, even if nothing changed. Other paid nodes keep their takes. |
| **Generate** a number **& run**            | Some upstream nodes have no take yet. This generates them, then runs.                                                            |
| **Up to date**                             | Everything selected is up to date, so clicking does nothing.                                                                     |

When the run control says **Generate**, its credit estimate sits beside the label. A run that uses no credits shows no price.

## What runs, what is reused and what regenerates?

Nodespell reuses paid AI results until you explicitly ask for new ones. Selecting a downstream node and choosing **Run** does not regenerate an upstream image or video that already has a take; it uses the take that node currently uses. Non-AI nodes such as compositing or text nodes recalculate when their inputs change, and that work is free.

Each node in the plan gets one of these outcomes:

| Outcome                         | Meaning                                           |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Generate**                    | Makes a new take and spends credits.              |
| **Generate first take**         | The node has no take yet, so the run creates one. |
| **Reuse**                       | Uses the node's existing take.                    |
| **Keep selected take**          | Uses the take you chose to keep for this node.    |
| **Update · free**               | Recalculates a non-AI node at no cost.            |
| **Up to date** / **Not needed** | Nothing to do for this node.                      |
| **Needs a take** / **Blocked**  | The run cannot continue past this node yet.       |

## Preview the run plan on hover

Hover or keyboard-focus the run control, or any item in its menu, and the canvas shows the plan: each node in the plan is tinted and labelled with its outcome. Spending is shown in the accent color, free updates in green, reuse in a neutral tint, and blockers in amber with a dashed outline.

The tooltip repeats the plan as counts under **What happens to each node** and tells you how many planned nodes are off-screen or inside another [Level](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/levels-and-folders/), so nothing hidden runs without you knowing.

## Choose exactly which nodes generate

1. Click the chevron on the run control (**Run options**) and choose **Plan this run…**.
2. Review **Nodes in this run**. For each AI node you can switch between **Reuse** and **Generate**. **Reuse** is unavailable for a node that has no take yet.
3. Click the button at the bottom. Its label and price update to match your choices.

Your choices apply to this run only. When the main action would generate, **Run options** also offers **Run with existing takes**, with its own estimate: it runs with the takes you already have and never generates anything.

## Generate several takes at once

Use **Run multiple times…** to run one AI node several times with the same settings, for example to get a choice of images from one prompt.

1. Select a single AI model node.
2. Open **Run options** and choose **Run multiple times…**.
3. Pick the number of runs with the tiles **1** to **8** or the stepper. The dialog shows the **Estimated total** and the price per run.
4. Click **Run** with the count, for example **Run 4 times**.

Each run is submitted separately and becomes its own take; some may wait for available capacity. A fixed seed stays unchanged across the runs. All runs reuse the same upstream takes, so if an upstream node has no take yet, prepare it with a single run first. After you submit, the tiles show each run as **Queued**, **Running**, **Complete**, **Failed** or **Cancelled**.

## Check the cost before you run

The estimate beside **Generate**, in **Plan this run**, and in **Run multiple times** is shown in credits. It can read as an exact number, a number with **+** when only a minimum is known, **Free**, or **Price unknown**. Live credit estimates are shown on paid plans; on other plans you can still run. If your balance cannot cover the run, the plan says **Not enough credits for this run.** and does not start.

> **Note:** Estimates come from the current settings and model. The final charge for each take is shown in its details in the [Takes window](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/takes/).

## Stop a run

While work is in progress, a **running** indicator with a count appears in the graph toolbar. Click it to open **Task queue**, which lists each run with its status, progress and current steps. Click **Stop** to cancel a run. A run that is waiting for this browser shows **Resume**.

If a plan is still being prepared, click **Cancel waiting** in the plan dialog. For a batch that could not be confirmed, **Skip the rest…** stops any runs that were not accepted; runs already accepted keep going. See [Tasks panel](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/tasks/) for history and failures.

## Why is the run control disabled or not running?

- **Up to date**: there is nothing to run for the selection.
- A run is already starting from this control. Wait for it to finish submitting.
- The plan has a blocker, such as **N nodes need a take first**, a take that cannot load, or not enough credits. Clicking opens the plan so you can see why.
- The plan could not be prepared. The control changes to **Retry loading plan**, and its tooltip gives the reason, for example a missing media reference in a prompt or an input that is still uploading.
- The selection is a Folder. **Folders cannot be run directly.**
- You are viewing the project rather than editing it. See [Saving and recovery](https://docs.nodespell.com/projects/saving-and-recovery/).

Before running, Nodespell may also show **Check input connections** if an input receives a different media type than it expects. Fix the connection, or choose **Run anyway**.

## Running in projects without takes

Takes are turned on per project, and new projects start with them. In a project without takes, the run control is a green **Run** button with a credit estimate, and its chevron (**Task options**) offers **Run multiple times…**, **Restore results** and **Discard results**. Results there are kept as result history rather than numbered takes, and **Lock Result** in the node's **Flags** menu keeps a result for downstream runs. `Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R` runs the selection in both kinds of project.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does running a downstream node regenerate my images?

No. A downstream run reuses the take each upstream AI node currently uses. Choose **Generate** on that node, or switch it to **Generate** in **Plan this run…**, when you want a new result.

### What is the keyboard shortcut to run selected nodes?

Press `Cmd+Shift+R` on macOS or `Ctrl+Shift+R` on Windows and Linux. It does the same thing as clicking the run control.

### How many takes can I generate at once?

**Run multiple times…** lets you choose from 1 to 8 runs of one AI node. Each run becomes a separate take.

### Why do I not see a credit estimate?

Live credit estimates before each run are a paid-plan feature. You can still run nodes on other plans.

### Can I stop a generation after it starts?

Yes. Open the **running** indicator in the graph toolbar and click **Stop** on the run. The cancelled take stays in the node's history marked **Cancelled**, with its charge status in its details.

## Related

- [Takes](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/takes/): choose which result the graph uses
- [Tasks panel](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/tasks/): history, failures and credit usage
- [Shortcuts](https://docs.nodespell.com/reference/shortcuts/): every keyboard shortcut
- [Plans and credits](https://docs.nodespell.com/account/plans-and-credits/): how credits work
- [Troubleshooting](https://docs.nodespell.com/reference/troubleshooting/): fixes for runs that will not start