# n8n Visual Configuration Guide 📸
## 🎯 The Exact Setup You Need
---
## Screenshot 1: Your Current Setup (AI Agent - Causing Issues)
**What you have now:**
```
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ AI Agent Node │
│ ├─ Credential: Simplicate │
│ ├─ Prompt: "Show me..." │
│ └─ ❌ Schema Error │
└─────────────────────────────┘
```
**The Problem:** AI Agent doesn't understand the exact tool format!
---
## Screenshot 2: What You SHOULD Use (Direct MCP)
**What you need:**
```
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ MCP Node │
│ ├─ Credential: Simplicate │
│ ├─ Operation: Execute Tool │
│ ├─ Tool Name: get_absences │
│ └─ Parameters: │
│ { │
│ "limit": 50, │
│ "offset": 0 │
│ } │
└─────────────────────────────┘
```
---
## 🔧 Exact Field Values
### Field 1: Credential
```
Value: Simplicate (or whatever you named your MCP connection)
```
### Field 2: Operation
```
Value: Execute Tool
(NOT "List Tools", NOT "Get Tool Info")
```
### Field 3: Tool Name
```
Value: get_absences
(exact text, no quotes, no extra spaces)
```
### Field 4: Tool Parameters (JSON)
```json
{
"limit": 50,
"offset": 0
}
```
---
## 📋 Copy-Paste Values for Different Queries
### Query 1: Get Absences
```
Tool Name: get_absences
Parameters: {"limit": 50, "offset": 0}
```
### Query 2: Get All Employees
```
Tool Name: get_employees
Parameters: {"limit": 100, "offset": 0}
```
### Query 3: Get Dwayne's Employee Info
```
Tool Name: get_employee
Parameters: {"employee_id": "employee:3b70f4dd49fafb356d44e34a3f0f8c3d"}
```
### Query 4: Get All Hours
```
Tool Name: get_hours
Parameters: {"limit": 100, "offset": 0}
```
### Query 5: Get All Projects
```
Tool Name: get_projects
Parameters: {"limit": 50, "offset": 0}
```
### Query 6: Get Leave Entries
```
Tool Name: get_leave
Parameters: {"limit": 50, "offset": 0}
```
### Query 7: Get Timetable/Schedule
```
Tool Name: get_calendar_events
Parameters: {"limit": 50, "offset": 0}
```
---
## 🎯 Complete Working Workflow
### Workflow: "Check Dwayne's Availability"
```
Step 1: Manual Trigger
├─ When: Manually or on schedule
└─ Output: Trigger signal
Step 2: Get Leave Entries
├─ Node Type: MCP
├─ Tool: get_leave
├─ Params: {"limit": 100, "offset": 0}
└─ Output: All leave entries
Step 3: Filter for Dwayne
├─ Node Type: Code
├─ Code:
│ const leaves = $input.all();
│ return leaves.filter(item =>
│ item.json.employee?.name?.toLowerCase().includes('dwayne')
│ );
└─ Output: Only Dwayne's leave
Step 4: Get Absences
├─ Node Type: MCP
├─ Tool: get_absences
├─ Params: {"limit": 100, "offset": 0}
└─ Output: All absences
Step 5: Filter for Dwayne
├─ Node Type: Code
├─ Code: (same as step 3)
└─ Output: Only Dwayne's absences
Step 6: Get Hours
├─ Node Type: MCP
├─ Tool: get_hours
├─ Params: {"limit": 100, "offset": 0}
└─ Output: All hours
Step 7: Filter for Dwayne This Week
├─ Node Type: Code
├─ Code:
│ const hours = $input.all();
│ const today = new Date();
│ const weekStart = new Date(today);
│ weekStart.setDate(today.getDate() - 7);
│
│ return hours.filter(item => {
│ const name = item.json.employee?.name?.toLowerCase() || '';
│ const date = new Date(item.json.start_date);
│ return (name.includes('dwayne') || name.includes('paisley'))
│ && date >= weekStart;
│ });
└─ Output: Dwayne's hours this week
Step 8: Merge Data
├─ Node Type: Merge
└─ Output: Combined availability report
Step 9: Send to Slack/Email
├─ Node Type: Slack/Email/etc
└─ Message: "Dwayne's availability report..."
```
---
## 🧪 Quick Test - 30 Seconds
1. **Delete your AI Agent node**
2. **Add new MCP node**
3. **Set these exact values:**
- Credential: `Simplicate`
- Operation: `Execute Tool`
- Tool Name: `get_employees`
- Parameters: `{"limit": 10, "offset": 0}`
4. **Click "Execute node"**
5. **See results!** ✅
---
## 💡 Why This Works
| Approach | Result |
|----------|--------|
| AI Agent + "Show me absences" | ❌ Schema error |
| AI Agent + Natural language | ❌ Misinterprets |
| **MCP Node + Exact tool name** | **✅ Works!** |
| **MCP Node + JSON params** | **✅ Works!** |
---
## 🚨 Common Mistakes
### Mistake 1: Using AI Agent
```
❌ AI Agent → "Show me absences"
✅ MCP Node → Tool: get_absences
```
### Mistake 2: Wrong operation
```
❌ Operation: List Tools
✅ Operation: Execute Tool
```
### Mistake 3: Adding quotes to tool name
```
❌ Tool Name: "get_absences"
✅ Tool Name: get_absences
```
### Mistake 4: Missing parameters
```
❌ No parameters
✅ Parameters: {"limit": 50, "offset": 0}
```
---
## 📞 Need Help?
If you're still getting errors:
1. **Check your MCP server is running**
```bash
cd /Users/dwayne/Documents/Playground/Simplicate
npm start
```
2. **Check your .env file exists**
```bash
cat .env
```
3. **Test the API directly**
```bash
npm run test:all
```
4. **Check n8n can see the tools**
- Use "List Tools" operation first
- Verify "get_absences" is in the list
- Then switch to "Execute Tool"
---
## ✅ Success Checklist
- [ ] Using **MCP Node** (not AI Agent)
- [ ] Operation set to **"Execute Tool"**
- [ ] Tool name is **exact** (e.g., `get_absences`)
- [ ] Parameters are **valid JSON**
- [ ] MCP server is **running**
- [ ] Credentials are **configured in n8n**
---
**Once all checkboxes are ticked, it WILL work!** 🎉
