n8n VS Make.com - Filtering solution with MERGE @n8n-io Tutorial

Make.com vs n8n: Handling Missing Data in Automation Workflows

Today I marked the key difference between make.com and n8n when handling data that doesn't match your filter criteria.

The Problem

When you have 500 items in your input and only 2 match your filter criteria, what happens to the other 498?

Make.com Approach

In make.com, you get all five bundles returned, even when items don't match your criteria.

For example, if you run a workflow with 5 items and only 2 match:

Bundle 1 (matched): Contains data

Bundle 2 (not matched): Empty bundle

Bundle 3 (not matched): Empty bundle

Bundle 4 (not matched): Empty bundle

Bundle 5 (matched): Contains data

This lets you create an IF/ELSE route:

IF it finds data → do something

IF it doesn't find data → do something else (like add a row)

n8n Approach

In n8n, you only get the matching items returned. The non-matching items never make it through the workflow.

When I expected 5 bundles output from Google Sheets, I only got 2 (the ones that matched).

Even with "Always output data" enabled in Google Sheets, it still only returns the matching items.

The Solution in n8n: Using Merge

Here's how to handle this in n8n:

Set up your workflow with the original data source returning all 5 items

Connect to Google Sheets which matches only 2 items

Use the Merge node to combine both sets

Configure the Merge node:

Combine by matching fields

Map your fields (e.g., "short_code" in one system to "url" in another)

Enable "Keep non-matches"

This compares all items from both sources and keeps only the ones that DON'T match.

FAQ

Q: What does "Keep non-matches" do in the Merge node?

A: It compares items from both inputs and only keeps items that don't appear in both sources. For example, if you have 100 items in input 1 and 2 items in input 2, it will remove those 2 items from the 100 and return the remaining 98.

Q: Can I rename fields during the merge process?

A: Yes, you can map fields with different names. For example, if your original data uses "short_code" but your Google Sheet uses "url", you can map them together.

Q: Is make.com more intuitive than n8n for this task?

A: Currently, make.com handles this scenario more intuitively, but n8n offers more flexibility since it's JavaScript-based. The learning curve is worth it as you improve your programming skills.