n8n published [email protected] on October 5, 2026, with a fix that keeps the task runner running after an unhandled promise rejection. This release also lets global members grant variable scopes to API keys and adds Gateway credits promotions to the editor. GitHub marks it as a regular release, not a prerelease.
The full release notes and downloads are on the GitHub release page.
Task runner continuity after a promise rejection ¶
The core fix addresses runner survival when an unhandled promise rejection occurs. The release links this change to #40091. For operators using n8n in data processing workflows, this is the most consequential item because it concerns the process executing tasks.
The stated result is narrow: the runner keeps running. The notes do not promise that the task which triggered the rejection succeeds, retries automatically, or preserves partial output. Treat runner availability and task outcome as separate observations when evaluating this fix. A live process alone does not establish that a workflow completed correctly.
A useful staging check would reproduce a known rejection case, inspect the affected execution, then submit another task to the same runner. That checks the behavior named in the release while also showing whether subsequent work can proceed. These are suggested operator checks, not test results supplied by the project.
The notes do not identify the rejection source or describe the implementation. They also provide no throughput figures. The reason to assess this patch is the documented failure handling change; there is no basis here for a broader performance claim.
Global members can grant variable scopes ¶
The API fix lets global members grant variable scopes to API keys, as recorded in #40150. This matters for teams whose automation uses API keys to work with n8n variables. It changes what a global member can grant during key configuration.
Keep the role and resource in view when checking the change. The release specifically names global members and variable scopes. It does not describe a general expansion of all API key permissions, and it does not list the exact scope identifiers or affected endpoints.
For a deployment that encountered this restriction, a focused acceptance check would use a global member account to grant the required variable scopes. Then exercise the variable operation that the consuming automation needs. Checking both grant creation and the resulting API request gives a more useful result than checking only whether the configuration was saved.
The notes provide no instructions to recreate existing keys. They also do not say that previously issued keys acquire additional scopes automatically. Any local rollout procedure should distinguish the newly permitted grant operation from the permissions already attached to an existing key.
Gateway promotions appear on community nodes ¶
The editor feature shows Gateway credits promotions on community nodes, linked as #40108. Its documented scope is promotional content in the editor. The notes describe no associated change to node execution or data processing behavior.
For platform teams, this item is mainly useful when explaining an editor difference after the update. Give the runner and API fixes priority in release validation. The supplied notes list no breaking changes or migration steps for this tag.