diff --git a/broker.go b/broker.go
index 9b0b497..4a0a80c 100644
--- a/broker.go
+++ b/broker.go
@@ -284,9 +284,6 @@ func (b *Broker) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 				c.Close()
 			}()
 
-			// Optionally set connection timeouts to prevent idle connections
-			c.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute))
-
 			for {
 				// Attempt to read the message
 				err := b.readMessage(ctx, c)
diff --git a/dag/dag.go b/dag/dag.go
index 0e7a863..031841f 100644
--- a/dag/dag.go
+++ b/dag/dag.go
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ type DAG struct {
 	opts          []mq.Option
 	mu            sync.RWMutex
 	paused        bool
+	Error         error
+	report        string
 }
 
 func (tm *DAG) SetKey(key string) {
@@ -283,32 +285,47 @@ func (tm *DAG) AddCondition(fromNode FromNode, conditions map[When]Then) *DAG {
 }
 
 func (tm *DAG) AddIterator(label, from string, targets ...string) *DAG {
-	tm.addEdge(Iterator, label, from, targets...)
+	tm.Error = tm.addEdge(Iterator, label, from, targets...)
 	return tm
 }
 
 func (tm *DAG) AddEdge(label, from string, targets ...string) *DAG {
-	tm.addEdge(Simple, label, from, targets...)
+	tm.Error = tm.addEdge(Simple, label, from, targets...)
 	return tm
 }
 
-func (tm *DAG) addEdge(edgeType EdgeType, label, from string, targets ...string) {
+func (tm *DAG) addEdge(edgeType EdgeType, label, from string, targets ...string) error {
 	tm.mu.Lock()
 	defer tm.mu.Unlock()
 	fromNode, ok := tm.nodes[from]
 	if !ok {
-		return
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error: 'from' node %s does not exist\n", from)
 	}
 	var nodes []*Node
 	for _, target := range targets {
 		toNode, ok := tm.nodes[target]
 		if !ok {
-			return
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error: 'from' node %s does not exist\n", target)
 		}
 		nodes = append(nodes, toNode)
 	}
 	edge := Edge{From: fromNode, To: nodes, Type: edgeType, Label: label}
 	fromNode.Edges = append(fromNode.Edges, edge)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (tm *DAG) Validate() error {
+	report, hasCycle, err := tm.ClassifyEdges()
+	if hasCycle || err != nil {
+		tm.Error = err
+		return err
+	}
+	tm.report = report
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (tm *DAG) GetReport() string {
+	return tm.report
 }
 
 func (tm *DAG) ProcessTask(ctx context.Context, task *mq.Task) mq.Result {
diff --git a/dag/task_manager.go b/dag/task_manager.go
index 1af2296..dbdc601 100644
--- a/dag/task_manager.go
+++ b/dag/task_manager.go
@@ -98,8 +98,10 @@ func (tm *TaskManager) handleCallback(ctx context.Context, result mq.Result) mq.
 	}
 	edges := tm.getConditionalEdges(node, result)
 	if len(edges) == 0 {
-		tm.appendFinalResult(result)
+		tm.appendResult(result, true)
 		return result
+	} else {
+		tm.appendResult(result, false)
 	}
 	for _, edge := range edges {
 		switch edge.Type {
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ func (tm *TaskManager) handleCallback(ctx context.Context, result mq.Result) mq.
 			var items []json.RawMessage
 			err := json.Unmarshal(result.Payload, &items)
 			if err != nil {
-				tm.appendFinalResult(mq.Result{TaskID: tm.taskID, Topic: node.Key, Error: err})
+				tm.appendResult(mq.Result{TaskID: tm.taskID, Topic: node.Key, Error: err}, false)
 				return result
 			}
 			for _, target := range edge.To {
@@ -170,10 +172,12 @@ func (tm *TaskManager) handleResult(ctx context.Context, results any) mq.Result
 	return rs
 }
 
-func (tm *TaskManager) appendFinalResult(result mq.Result) {
+func (tm *TaskManager) appendResult(result mq.Result, final bool) {
 	tm.mutex.Lock()
 	tm.updateTS(&result)
-	tm.results = append(tm.results, result)
+	if final {
+		tm.results = append(tm.results, result)
+	}
 	tm.nodeResults[result.Topic] = result
 	tm.mutex.Unlock()
 }
@@ -199,7 +203,7 @@ func (tm *TaskManager) processNode(ctx context.Context, node *Node, payload json
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():
 		result = mq.Result{TaskID: tm.taskID, Topic: node.Key, Error: ctx.Err(), Ctx: ctx}
-		tm.appendFinalResult(result)
+		tm.appendResult(result, false)
 		return
 	default:
 		ctx = mq.SetHeaders(ctx, map[string]string{consts.QueueKey: node.Key})
@@ -210,14 +214,14 @@ func (tm *TaskManager) processNode(ctx context.Context, node *Node, payload json
 				result.TaskID = tm.taskID
 			}
 			if result.Error != nil {
-				tm.appendFinalResult(result)
+				tm.appendResult(result, false)
 				return
 			}
 			return
 		}
 		err := tm.dag.server.Publish(ctx, mq.NewTask(tm.taskID, payload, node.Key), node.Key)
 		if err != nil {
-			tm.appendFinalResult(mq.Result{Error: err})
+			tm.appendResult(mq.Result{Error: err}, false)
 			return
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/dag/ui.go b/dag/ui.go
index 118b0f3..0758635 100644
--- a/dag/ui.go
+++ b/dag/ui.go
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ func (tm *DAG) PrintGraph() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (tm *DAG) ClassifyEdges(startNodes ...string) {
+func (tm *DAG) ClassifyEdges(startNodes ...string) (string, bool, error) {
+	builder := &strings.Builder{}
 	startNode := tm.GetStartNode()
 	tm.mu.RLock()
 	defer tm.mu.RUnlock()
@@ -43,57 +44,78 @@ func (tm *DAG) ClassifyEdges(startNodes ...string) {
 	discoveryTime := make(map[string]int)
 	finishedTime := make(map[string]int)
 	timeVal := 0
+	inRecursionStack := make(map[string]bool) // track nodes in the recursion stack for cycle detection
 	if startNode == "" {
 		firstNode := tm.findStartNode()
 		if firstNode != nil {
 			startNode = firstNode.Key
 		}
 	}
-	if startNode != "" {
-		tm.dfs(startNode, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, &timeVal)
+	if startNode == "" {
+		return "", false, fmt.Errorf("no start node found")
 	}
+	hasCycle, cycleErr := tm.dfs(startNode, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, &timeVal, inRecursionStack, builder)
+	if cycleErr != nil {
+		return builder.String(), hasCycle, cycleErr
+	}
+	return builder.String(), hasCycle, nil
 }
 
-func (tm *DAG) dfs(v string, visited map[string]bool, discoveryTime, finishedTime map[string]int, timeVal *int) {
+func (tm *DAG) dfs(v string, visited map[string]bool, discoveryTime, finishedTime map[string]int, timeVal *int, inRecursionStack map[string]bool, builder *strings.Builder) (bool, error) {
 	visited[v] = true
+	inRecursionStack[v] = true // mark node as part of recursion stack
 	*timeVal++
 	discoveryTime[v] = *timeVal
 	node := tm.nodes[v]
+	hasCycle := false
+	var err error
 	for _, edge := range node.Edges {
 		for _, adj := range edge.To {
-			switch edge.Type {
-			case Simple:
-				if !visited[adj.Key] {
-					fmt.Printf("Simple Edge: %s -> %s\n", v, adj.Key)
-					tm.dfs(adj.Key, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, timeVal)
+			if !visited[adj.Key] {
+				builder.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("Traversing Edge: %s -> %s\n", v, adj.Key))
+				hasCycle, err := tm.dfs(adj.Key, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, timeVal, inRecursionStack, builder)
+				if err != nil {
+					return true, err
 				}
-			case Iterator:
-				if !visited[adj.Key] {
-					fmt.Printf("Iterator Edge: %s -> %s\n", v, adj.Key)
-					tm.dfs(adj.Key, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, timeVal)
+				if hasCycle {
+					return true, nil
 				}
+			} else if inRecursionStack[adj.Key] {
+				cycleMsg := fmt.Sprintf("Cycle detected: %s -> %s\n", v, adj.Key)
+				return true, fmt.Errorf(cycleMsg)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	tm.handleConditionalEdges(v, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, timeVal)
+	hasCycle, err = tm.handleConditionalEdges(v, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, timeVal, inRecursionStack, builder)
+	if err != nil {
+		return true, err
+	}
 	*timeVal++
 	finishedTime[v] = *timeVal
+	inRecursionStack[v] = false // remove from recursion stack after finishing processing
+	return hasCycle, nil
 }
 
-func (tm *DAG) handleConditionalEdges(v string, visited map[string]bool, discoveryTime, finishedTime map[string]int, time *int) {
+func (tm *DAG) handleConditionalEdges(v string, visited map[string]bool, discoveryTime, finishedTime map[string]int, time *int, inRecursionStack map[string]bool, builder *strings.Builder) (bool, error) {
 	node := tm.nodes[v]
 	for when, then := range tm.conditions[FromNode(node.Key)] {
-		if targetNodeKey, ok := tm.nodes[string(then)]; ok {
-			if !visited[targetNodeKey.Key] {
-				fmt.Printf("Conditional Edge [%s]: %s -> %s\n", when, v, targetNodeKey.Key)
-				tm.dfs(targetNodeKey.Key, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, time)
-			} else {
-				if discoveryTime[v] > discoveryTime[targetNodeKey.Key] {
-					fmt.Printf("Conditional Loop Edge [%s]: %s -> %s\n", when, v, targetNodeKey.Key)
+		if targetNode, ok := tm.nodes[string(then)]; ok {
+			if !visited[targetNode.Key] {
+				builder.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("Traversing Conditional Edge [%s]: %s -> %s\n", when, v, targetNode.Key))
+				hasCycle, err := tm.dfs(targetNode.Key, visited, discoveryTime, finishedTime, time, inRecursionStack, builder)
+				if err != nil {
+					return true, err
 				}
+				if hasCycle {
+					return true, nil
+				}
+			} else if inRecursionStack[targetNode.Key] {
+				cycleMsg := fmt.Sprintf("Cycle detected in Conditional Edge [%s]: %s -> %s\n", when, v, targetNode.Key)
+				return true, fmt.Errorf(cycleMsg)
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	return false, nil
 }
 
 func (tm *DAG) SaveDOTFile(filename string) error {
diff --git a/examples/dag.go b/examples/dag.go
index 7583c69..30acbf8 100644
--- a/examples/dag.go
+++ b/examples/dag.go
@@ -52,7 +52,12 @@ func Sync() {
 func aSync() {
 	f := dag.NewDAG("Sample DAG", "sample-dag", mq.WithCleanTaskOnComplete(), mq.WithNotifyResponse(tasks.NotifyResponse))
 	setup(f)
-	err := f.Start(context.TODO(), ":8083")
+	err := f.Validate()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	err = f.Start(context.TODO(), ":8083")
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
diff --git a/examples/tasks/operations.go b/examples/tasks/operations.go
index be5158f..df44834 100644
--- a/examples/tasks/operations.go
+++ b/examples/tasks/operations.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/oarkflow/json"
 
-	"github.com/oarkflow/dipper"
-
 	"github.com/oarkflow/mq"
 	"github.com/oarkflow/mq/services"
 )
@@ -109,38 +107,3 @@ func (e *InAppNotification) ProcessTask(ctx context.Context, task *mq.Task) mq.R
 	}
 	return mq.Result{Payload: task.Payload, Ctx: ctx}
 }
-
-type DataBranchHandler struct{ services.Operation }
-
-func (v *DataBranchHandler) ProcessTask(ctx context.Context, task *mq.Task) mq.Result {
-	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "extra_params", map[string]any{"iphone": true})
-	var row map[string]any
-	var result mq.Result
-	result.Payload = task.Payload
-	err := json.Unmarshal(result.Payload, &row)
-	if err != nil {
-		result.Error = err
-		return result
-	}
-	b := make(map[string]any)
-	switch branches := row["data_branch"].(type) {
-	case map[string]any:
-		for field, handler := range branches {
-			data, err := dipper.Get(row, field)
-			if err != nil {
-				break
-			}
-			b[handler.(string)] = data
-		}
-		break
-	}
-	br, err := json.Marshal(b)
-	if err != nil {
-		result.Error = err
-		return result
-	}
-	result.Status = "branches"
-	result.Payload = br
-	result.Ctx = ctx
-	return result
-}