n8n-workflow-tester-safe
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<img src="assets/banner.svg" alt="n8n-workflow-tester-safe" width="100%"/>
</p>
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<a href="https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-E8784A.svg" alt="License: MIT"/></a>
<a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-Compatible-D4A574.svg" alt="MCP Compatible"/></a>
<a href="https://www.typescriptlang.org"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/TypeScript-5.7-blue.svg" alt="TypeScript"/></a>
<a href="https://n8n.io"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/n8n-2.12+-FF6D5A.svg" alt="n8n"/></a>
</p>
<p align="center">
<strong>Safe MCP server + CLI for testing, scoring, and inspecting n8n workflows</strong><br/>
<em>Config-driven test suites with tiered scoring, execution traces, and a built-in node catalog.</em>
</p>
<a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/Souzix76/n8n-workflow-tester-safe">
<img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/Souzix76/n8n-workflow-tester-safe/badge" alt="n8n-workflow-tester-safe MCP server" />
</a>
---
## Why?
Most n8n MCP integrations give you **full admin access** — credentials, destructive operations, auto-fix loops. That's fine for development, but risky for CI, shared environments, or autonomous agents.
`n8n-workflow-tester-safe` takes a different approach:
| Feature | This MCP | Full admin MCPs |
|---------|----------|-----------------|
| Test workflows with scoring | Yes | No |
| Execution traces (lightweight) | Yes | No |
| Node catalog with suggestions | Yes | No |
| Credential management | **Excluded** | Yes |
| Secret lifecycle | **Excluded** | Yes |
| Auto-fix loops | **Excluded** | Some |
**Result:** A focused tool that does testing and inspection really well, without the risk surface of a full admin wrapper.
---
## Quick Start
### 1. Install
```bash
git clone https://github.com/souzix76/n8n-workflow-tester-safe.git
cd n8n-workflow-tester-safe
npm install && npm run build
```
### 2. Configure
```bash
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your n8n URL and API key
```
```env
N8N_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:5678
N8N_API_KEY=your_n8n_api_key_here
DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS=30000
```
### 3. Run
**As MCP server** (for Claude, OpenClaw, or any MCP client):
```bash
node dist/index.js
```
**As CLI** (for scripts and CI):
```bash
node dist/cli.js --config ./workflows/example.json
```
---
## MCP Client Configuration
### Claude Code (`~/.claude.json`)
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-workflow-tester": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/n8n-workflow-tester-safe/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"N8N_BASE_URL": "http://localhost:5678",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
}
}
}
}
```
### OpenClaw / Any MCP client
The server uses **stdio transport** — compatible with any MCP client that supports stdio.
---
## How It Works
### Test Config
Define your tests in a JSON file:
```json
{
"workflowId": "abc123",
"workflowName": "my-webhook-handler",
"triggerMode": "webhook",
"webhookPath": "/webhook/my-handler",
"timeoutMs": 15000,
"qualityThreshold": 85,
"testPayloads": [
{
"name": "happy-path",
"data": { "message": "Hello", "userId": "user_001" }
},
{
"name": "empty-input",
"data": { "message": "" }
},
{
"name": "large-payload",
"data": { "items": ["a","b","c","d","e","f","g","h","i","j"] }
}
],
"tier3Checks": [
{
"name": "has-response",
"field": "output",
"check": "not_empty",
"severity": "error"
},
{
"name": "response-length",
"field": "output.message",
"check": "min_length",
"value": 5,
"severity": "warning",
"message": "Response too short"
}
]
}
```
### Scoring System
Every test run produces a **two-tier score**:
```
Final Score = (Tier 1 x 70%) + (Tier 3 x 30%)
```
| Tier | Weight | What it checks |
|------|--------|----------------|
| **Tier 1** (Infrastructure) | 70% | HTTP success, timeout compliance, non-empty output |
| **Tier 3** (Quality) | 30% | Custom field checks: contains, equals, min/max length, not_empty |
A test **passes** when:
- Tier 1 score = 100 (all infrastructure checks pass)
- Final score >= quality threshold (default 85)
- No issues with severity `error`
### Example Output
```json
{
"passed": true,
"score": 93,
"tier1Score": 100,
"tier3Score": 80,
"issues": [
{
"tier": "tier3",
"severity": "warning",
"check": "response-length",
"message": "Response too short"
}
]
}
```
---
## Tools Reference
### Testing (3 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `test_workflow` | Run a single payload test from a config file |
| `evaluate_workflow_result` | Run a test and return evaluation score + issues |
| `run_workflow_suite` | Run all payloads in a config, return per-payload scores |
### Workflow Operations (5 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `create_workflow` | Create a new workflow from JSON |
| `update_workflow` | Replace an existing workflow by ID |
| `delete_workflow` | Delete a workflow by ID |
| `add_node_to_workflow` | Append a node to an existing workflow |
| `connect_nodes` | Create a connection between two nodes |
### Introspection (5 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `get_workflow_summary` | Compact summary: node count, names, types, disabled status |
| `list_node_types` | List all available node types from the n8n instance |
| `get_node_type` | Full schema/metadata for a specific node type |
| `list_executions` | Recent executions, filterable by workflow and status |
| `get_execution` | Full execution data by ID |
| `get_execution_trace` | **Lightweight per-node trace** — timing, errors, item counts |
### Catalog (5 tools)
| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `get_catalog_stats` | Node/trigger/credential counts from imported catalog |
| `search_nodes` | Fuzzy search by name, optional trigger-only filter |
| `list_triggers` | All trigger nodes from the catalog |
| `validate_node_type` | Check if a node type exists, get close matches |
| `suggest_nodes_for_task` | Natural-language task in, relevant nodes out |
---
## Example Configs
The `workflows/` directory includes ready-to-use test configs:
| File | Trigger Mode | Payloads | Description |
|------|-------------|----------|-------------|
| `example.json` | webhook | 2 | Basic webhook echo test |
| `telegram-bot.json` | webhook | 3 | Telegram bot command handler |
| `api-pipeline.json` | execute | 3 | Multi-step API data pipeline |
---
## Architecture
```
src/
index.ts MCP server (stdio) + tool registration
cli.ts CLI runner for config-driven tests
n8n-client.ts REST client for n8n API v1
evaluator.ts Two-tier scoring engine
catalog.ts Node catalog parser + fuzzy search
config.ts JSON config reader + Zod validation
types.ts TypeScript interfaces
catalog/ Imported n8n node catalog (436 nodes, 389 credentials)
workflows/ Example test suite configs
```
### Design Constraints
- **stdio-only transport** — no HTTP server, no auth to manage
- **Explicit tool surface** — 19 tools, each with a clear purpose
- **Small dependency footprint** — only `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` and `zod`
- **No credential lifecycle** — won't read, create, or delete credentials
- **No agentic auto-repair** — reports issues, doesn't auto-fix them
---
## Safety Posture
### Included
- Workflow test execution (webhook + API)
- Output evaluation with tiered scoring
- Workflow CRUD (create, read, update, delete)
- Graph editing (add nodes, connect)
- Execution inspection and tracing
- Node catalog lookup and validation
### Deliberately Excluded
- Credentials management
- Secrets lifecycle
- Destructive restore flows
- Autonomous LLM auto-fix loops
- Production deployment operations
---
## Roadmap
- [ ] Read-only mode flag (disable all mutation tools)
- [ ] Workflow diff summaries (before/after comparison)
- [ ] Reusable evaluation presets for common patterns
- [ ] Richer trace visualization
- [ ] Fixture libraries for test payloads
- [ ] npm package for `npx` usage
---
## Contributing
1. Fork the repo
2. Create a feature branch (`git checkout -b feat/my-feature`)
3. Commit changes (`git commit -m 'feat: add my feature'`)
4. Push to branch (`git push origin feat/my-feature`)
5. Open a Pull Request
---
## License
[MIT](LICENSE)
---
<p align="center">
Originally created by James (<a href="https://openclaw.org">OpenClaw</a>). Enhanced and maintained by <a href="https://github.com/Souzix76">Souzix76</a>.<br/>
Built for <a href="https://n8n.io">n8n</a> operators who want testing without the risk surface.<br/>
Compatible with <a href="https://claude.ai">Claude</a>, <a href="https://openclaw.org">OpenClaw</a>, and any MCP client.
</p>TDQS
Scored across 19 tools
Most tools have clear distinct purposes (e.g., list_* vs get_* vs create_*), but some overlap exists: list_triggers and list_node_types both list node-like entities; get_execution and get_execution_trace both fetch execution data though with different levels of detail; evaluate_workflow_result and test_workflow are similar, with the former adding evaluation. This could cause occasional misselection.
The naming follows a consistent pattern of verb_noun (e.g., list_triggers, connect_nodes, get_workflow_summary, create_workflow), with almost all using snake_case and standard CRUD verbs. The only minor deviation is the presence of both 'list_triggers' and 'list_node_types' which are similar but still follow the pattern, and 'connect_nodes' is descriptive. Overall, very consistent.
The server has 19 tools, which is at the upper edge of the 'well-scoped' range (3-15) but not excessive given the breadth of workflow management, catalog exploration, testing, and execution retrieval functionality. It feels slightly heavy but each tool addresses a specific need in the workflow lifecycle.
The tool set covers major workflow lifecycle operations (create, read, update, delete) along with comprehensive testing and execution analysis, and catalog exploration. Minor gaps exist: there is no explicit tool for 'disconnect_nodes' or 'remove_node', and no tool for listing all workflows (only get by ID), which could be a dead end for agents needing overview. But the core domain is well-covered.