A method for operating a tubular bag machine for the continuous production of tubular bags, which are filled with a mixture of liquid and solid filling components (29, 30), the tubular bag machine having a) a biaxially driven transverse sealing device, the transverse sealing jaws (13, 14) of the transverse sealing device sealing a film web after forming a film tube having a bottom seal and a top seal, b) a compressing device which is disposed above the transverse sealing device, the compressing device comprising at least two compressing elements (21, 22), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube and are displaced horizontally between a closed position and an open position, and the compressing elements (21, 22) compressing the film tube in a liquidproof manner in the closed position, c) a wiper device, which is disposed below the transverse sealing device, the wiper device comprising at least two wiper elements, which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube and are displaced horizontally between a wiping position and an open position, the wiper elements in the wiping position wiping solid filling components downward, which are in the sealing zone on the inner side of the film tube, a formatting device, by means of which the bag shape of the tubular bag open at the top seal is formatted, being disposed below the wiper device, the formatting device comprising at least two formatting elements, which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube and are displaced between an open position and a formatting position, and the horizontal distance between the formatting elements being larger in the open position than in the formatting position, and the formatting elements being moved to the open position before and/or while filling the tubular bag with filling material (29, 30), and the formatting elements being moved to the formatting position while and/or after filling the tubular bag with filling material (29, 30) and before producing the top seam to remove air from the air bubble in the top area of the tubular bag via filling material components (29, 30) characterized in that the compressing device forms two retaining zones (24, 25) in the closed position, the film tube being compressed in a liquid-tight manner in the lower retaining zone, and the film tube being compressed so tightly in the upper retaining zone while maintaining a liquid-permeable residual gap that solid filling components cannot pass through the residual gap. a) a biaxially driven transverse sealing device, the transverse sealing jaws (13, 14) of the transverse sealing device sealing a film web after forming a film tube having a bottom seal and a top seal, b) a compressing device which is disposed above the transverse sealing device, the compressing device comprising at least two compressing elements (21, 22), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube and are displaced horizontally between a closed position and an open position, and the compressing elements (21, 22) compressing the film tube in a liquidproof manner in the closed position, c) a wiper device, which is disposed below the transverse sealing device, the wiper device comprising at least two wiper elements, which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube and are displaced horizontally between a wiping position and an open position, the wiper elements in the wiping position wiping solid filling components downward, which are in the sealing zone on the inner side of the film tube, a formatting device, by means of which the bag shape of the tubular bag open at the top seal is formatted, being disposed below the wiper device, the formatting device comprising at least two formatting elements, which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube and are displaced between an open position and a formatting position, and the horizontal distance between the formatting elements being larger in the open position than in the formatting position, and the formatting elements being moved to the open position before and/or while filling the tubular bag with filling material (29, 30), and the formatting elements being moved to the formatting position while and/or after filling the tubular bag with filling material (29, 30) and before producing the top seam to remove air from the air bubble in the top area of the tubular bag via filling material components (29, 30) characterized in that the compressing device forms two retaining zones (24, 25) in the closed position, the film tube being compressed in a liquid-tight manner in the lower retaining zone, and the film tube being compressed so tightly in the upper retaining zone while maintaining a liquid-permeable residual gap that solid filling components cannot pass through the residual gap.