Queue finishes quickly but no new file appears: check cache and output location

Symptoms and scope

A fast completion can involve cached execution, a preview-only endpoint, temporary storage or a client misreading events. It is not automatically a failed generation.

Error fragments for search; IDs, values and filenames may vary:

execution_cached
execution_success
Prompt executed

Source-supported context

Official messages report execution_cached at the start, execution_success after all prompt nodes execute successfully, and executed only when a node returns a UI update. None of those messages alone proves that a new file was saved. VideoHelperSuite's save_output affects where results are stored. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Cases to distinguish

1. Unchanged inputs reused cache rather than initiating new sampling.

2. The result is a preview or was written to temp/another configured directory.

3. A client ignored execution_error or mistook progress/start messages for success.

Diagnostic sequence

The sequence below is an editorial procedure based on the cited context, not a diagnosis already confirmed for your environment.

Step 1. Record the prompt_id; match execution_success, execution_error or execution_interrupted for that ID, then inspect /history/{prompt_id}. A queue counter reaching zero is not a file receipt.

Step 2. Inspect the history entry and workflow for an actual save/output node. If history contains an output artifact, use its returned filename, subfolder and type to locate the result; VideoHelperSuite save_output selects output versus temp.23

Step 3. For a controlled test, change one legitimate input and record the seed. Do not randomly modify every setting just to avoid cache.

Step 4. If a history artifact exists but is not shown, inspect its /view request and frontend errors. If only a preview exists, check whether the terminal node is intended to save a file.

Completion check

A single request can be matched to its terminal status, returned result and real storage location.

Limitations and cautions

Deleting output directories or every cache is not a default repair. Cache reuse can be correct behavior for unchanged inputs.

Original sources

• ComfyUI execution messages — rechecked 2026-09-26.
• ComfyUI Server API routes — rechecked 2026-09-26.
• VideoHelperSuite README — rechecked 2026-09-26.

Source and language review: 2026-09-26. No site-run queue execution, file save, video encode, GPU or minimum-memory test is claimed.

Related troubleshooting and guides

• Prompt has no outputs: provide an actual execution endpoint
• WebSocket connects but no result arrives: track prompt-specific terminal states
• Video export fails or plays incorrectly: check frames, encoding and audio separately