N8N MCP Server

Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for managing n8n workflows. This allows Claude and other MCP-compatible tools to create, read, update, and delete workflows in your n8n instance.

Features

• 📋 List all workflows

• 📖 Get workflow details

• ✏️ Create new workflows

• 🔄 Update existing workflows

• 🗑️ Delete workflows

• ▶️ Execute workflows

• 📊 View execution history

• 🔄 Activate/deactivate workflows

Related MCP server: n8n Workflow Builder MCP Server

Setup

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/chinmaybhatk/n8n-mcp-server.git
   cd n8n-mcp-server

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Create environment file:

   cp .env.example .env

4. Edit .env with your n8n credentials:

   N8N_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com
   N8N_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

5. Build the project:

   npm run build

Getting n8n API Key

1. In your n8n instance, go to Settings > API

2. Create a new API key with the following permissions:

   • workflow:create

   • workflow:read

   • workflow:update

   • workflow:delete

   • workflow:execute

   • execution:read

Usage

With Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/n8n-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_URL": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Development

Run in development mode:

npm run dev

Available Tools

• list_workflows - List all workflows with optional active filter

• get_workflow - Get detailed workflow information by ID

• create_workflow - Create a new workflow with nodes and connections

• update_workflow - Update an existing workflow

• delete_workflow - Delete a workflow by ID

• activate_workflow - Activate or deactivate a workflow

• execute_workflow - Manually execute a workflow

• get_executions - Get workflow execution history

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

400 Bad Request when creating workflows:

• The server now automatically generates node IDs if not provided

• Default positions are set for nodes without positions

• Default typeVersion is set to 1 if not specified

• Ensure node names and types are provided

Authentication Errors:

• Verify your N8N_API_KEY is correct and has proper permissions

• Ensure your N8N_URL is accessible and includes the protocol (https://)

• Check that the API key hasn't expired

Network Timeouts:

• The server includes a 30-second timeout for API requests

• For large workflows, consider breaking them into smaller parts

405 Method Not Allowed:

• The server includes fallback methods for activation and execution

• For activation, it will try updating the entire workflow if PATCH fails

Debug Mode

Enable debug mode by setting DEBUG=true in your .env file:

DEBUG=true

This will log request/response data for troubleshooting.

Testing API Connection

You can test your n8n API connection manually:

curl -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: your_api_key" https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows

Recent Updates (v1.0.2)

• ✅ Auto-generate node IDs when not provided

• ✅ Set intelligent default positions for nodes

• ✅ Auto-set typeVersion to 1 if not specified

• ✅ Enhanced workflow settings with proper defaults

• ✅ Improved activation endpoint with fallback method

• ✅ Added debug mode for request/response logging

• ✅ Better error messages with full response data

Recent Updates (v1.0.1)

• ✅ Fixed workflow creation payload structure

• ✅ Added comprehensive error handling and logging

• ✅ Improved node validation before creation

• ✅ Added fallback endpoints for different n8n versions

• ✅ Better error messages for troubleshooting

• ✅ Preserved existing workflow data during updates

• ✅ Increased API timeout to 30 seconds

Example Usage

Once configured, you can interact with Claude like this:

You: "Create a workflow that monitors a webhook, processes the data with a Code node to extract email addresses, and sends notifications via Slack."

Claude will:

1. Design the workflow structure

2. Create the appropriate nodes (Webhook, Code, Slack)

3. Configure the connections

4. Use the MCP server to create it in your n8n instance

Note: You don't need to specify node IDs or positions - the server handles these automatically!

Security

• Never commit your .env file

• Store API keys securely

• Use environment variables for sensitive configuration

• Ensure your n8n instance is properly secured

Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Make your changes

4. Add tests if applicable

5. Submit a pull request

License

ISC