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n8n MCP Server

n8n MCP Server

by illuminaresolutions
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n8n MCP Server

An MCP server that provides access to n8n workflows, executions, credentials, and more through the Model Context Protocol. This allows Large Language Models (LLMs) to interact with n8n instances in a secure and standardized way.

Installation

Get your n8n API Key

  1. Log into your n8n instance

  2. Click your user icon in the bottom left

  3. Go to Settings

  4. Select API

  5. Click "Create API Key"

  6. Copy your API key (you won't be able to see it again)

Install the MCP Server

Option 1: Install from npm (Recommended)

npm install -g @illuminaresolutions/n8n-mcp-server

Option 2: Install from Source

  1. Clone the repository:

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

  2. Install dependencies and build:

    npm install
npm run build

  3. Start the server in the background:

    nohup npm start > n8n-mcp.log 2>&1 &

    To stop the server:

    pkill -f "node build/index.js"

Note: When installing from npm, the server will be available as n8n-mcp-server in your PATH.

Related MCP server: MCP Server for n8n Integration

Configuration

Claude Desktop

  1. Open your Claude Desktop configuration:

    ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

  2. Add the n8n configuration:

    {
  "mcpServers": {
     "n8n": {
      "command": "n8n-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "N8N_HOST": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cline (VS Code)

  1. Install the server (follow Installation steps above)

  2. Open VS Code

  3. Open the Cline extension from the left sidebar

  4. Click the 'MCP Servers' icon at the top of the pane

  5. Scroll to bottom and click 'Configure MCP Servers'

  6. Add to the opened settings file:

    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "n8n-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "N8N_HOST": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

  7. Save the file

  8. Ensure the MCP toggle is enabled (green) and the status indicator is green

  9. Start using MCP commands in Cline

Sage

Coming soon! The n8n MCP server will be available through:

  • Smithery.ai marketplace

  • Import from Claude Desktop

For now, please use Claude Desktop or Cline.

Validation

After configuration:

  1. Restart your LLM application

  2. Ask: "List my n8n workflows"

  3. You should see your workflows listed

If you get an error:

  • Check that your n8n instance is running

  • Verify your API key has correct permissions

  • Ensure N8N_HOST has no trailing slash

Features

Core Features

  • List and manage workflows

  • View workflow details

  • Execute workflows

  • Manage credentials

  • Handle tags and executions

  • Generate security audits

  • Manage workflow tags

Enterprise Features

These features require an n8n Enterprise license:

  • Project management

  • Variable management

  • Advanced user management

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. "Client not initialized"

    • Check N8N_HOST and N8N_API_KEY are set correctly

    • Ensure n8n instance is accessible

    • Verify API key permissions

  2. "License required"

    • You're trying to use an Enterprise feature

    • Either upgrade to n8n Enterprise or use core features only

  3. Connection Issues

    • Verify n8n instance is running

    • Check URL protocol (http/https)

    • Remove trailing slash from N8N_HOST

Security Best Practices

  1. API Key Management

    • Use minimal permissions necessary

    • Rotate keys regularly

    • Never commit keys to version control

  2. Instance Access

    • Use HTTPS for production

    • Enable n8n authentication

    • Keep n8n updated

Support

License

MIT License

Available Tools

33 tools
activate-workflowC

Activate a workflow by ID. This will enable the workflow to run. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

create-credentialB

Create a credential that can be used by nodes of the specified type. The credential type name can be found in the n8n UI when creating credentials (e.g., 'cloudflareApi', 'githubApi', 'slackOAuth2Api'). Use get-credential-schema first to see what fields are required for the credential type you want to create.

Inputs: clientId (required), name (required), type (required), data (required).

create-projectA

Create a new project in n8n. NOTE: Requires n8n Enterprise license with project management features enabled. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), name (required).

create-tagC

Create a new tag in your instance.

Inputs: clientId (required), name (required).

create-usersC

Create one or more users in your instance.

Inputs: clientId (required), users (required).

create-variableA

Create a new variable in n8n. NOTE: Requires n8n Enterprise license with variable management features enabled. Variables can be used across workflows to store and share data. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), key (required), value (required).

create-workflowB

Create a new workflow in n8n. Use to set up a new workflow with optional nodes and connections. IMPORTANT: 1) Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines. 2) Must provide full workflow structure including nodes and connections arrays, even if empty. The 'active' property should not be included as it is read-only.

Inputs: clientId (required), name (required), nodes, connections.

deactivate-workflowC

Deactivate a workflow by ID. This will prevent the workflow from running. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

delete-credentialB

Delete a credential by ID. You must be the owner of the credentials.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

delete-executionC

Delete a specific execution by ID.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

delete-projectA

Delete a project by ID. NOTE: Requires n8n Enterprise license with project management features enabled. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), projectId (required).

delete-tagC

Delete a tag by ID.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

delete-userC

Delete a user from your instance.

Inputs: clientId (required), idOrEmail (required).

delete-variableA

Delete a variable by ID. NOTE: Requires n8n Enterprise license with variable management features enabled. Use after list-variables to get the ID of the variable to delete. This action cannot be undone. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

delete-workflowA

Delete a workflow by ID. This action cannot be undone. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

generate-auditC

Generate a security audit for your n8n instance.

Inputs: clientId (required), daysAbandonedWorkflow, categories.

get-credential-schemaA

Show credential data schema for a specific credential type. The credential type name can be found in the n8n UI when creating credentials (e.g., 'cloudflareApi', 'githubApi', 'slackOAuth2Api'). This will show you what fields are required for creating credentials of this type.

Inputs: clientId (required), credentialTypeName (required).

get-executionC

Retrieve a specific execution by ID.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required), includeData.

get-tagC

Retrieve a specific tag by ID.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

get-userC

Get user by ID or email address.

Inputs: clientId (required), idOrEmail (required).

get-workflowB

Retrieve a workflow by ID. Use after list-workflows to get detailed information about a specific workflow. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required).

get-workflow-tagsC

Get tags associated with a workflow.

Inputs: clientId (required), workflowId (required).

init-n8nA

Initialize connection to n8n instance. Use this tool whenever an n8n URL and API key are shared to establish the connection. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: url (required), apiKey (required).

list-executionsC

Retrieve all executions from your instance with optional filtering.

Inputs: clientId (required), includeData, status, workflowId, +1 more.

list-projectsA

List all projects from n8n. NOTE: Requires n8n Enterprise license with project management features enabled. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required).

list-tagsC

Retrieve all tags from your instance.

Inputs: clientId (required), limit.

list-usersB

Retrieve all users from your instance. Only available for the instance owner.

Inputs: clientId (required).

list-variablesA

List all variables from n8n. NOTE: Requires n8n Enterprise license with variable management features enabled. Use after init-n8n to see available variables. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required).

list-workflowsB

List all workflows from n8n. Use after init-n8n to see available workflows. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required).

update-projectB

Update a project's name. NOTE: Requires n8n Enterprise license with project management features enabled. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), projectId (required), name (required).

update-tagC

Update a tag's name.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required), name (required).

update-workflowC

Update an existing workflow in n8n. Use after get-workflow to modify a workflow's properties, nodes, or connections. IMPORTANT: Arguments must be provided as compact, single-line JSON without whitespace or newlines.

Inputs: clientId (required), id (required), workflow (required).

update-workflow-tagsC

Update tags associated with a workflow.

Inputs: clientId (required), workflowId (required), tagIds (required).

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Loading tool schema changelog…

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    TDQS

    B3.3/5.0

    Scored across 33 tools

    Disambiguation4/5

    Most tools have distinct purposes targeting specific resources like workflows, credentials, projects, tags, users, variables, and executions. However, some tools like 'create-users' and 'delete-user' (singular vs plural) could cause minor confusion, and 'get-workflow-tags' vs 'update-workflow-tags' are closely related but still distinguishable.

    Naming Consistency5/5

    Tool names follow a highly consistent verb-noun pattern with hyphens (e.g., create-workflow, list-executions, delete-credential). All tools adhere to this convention, making them predictable and easy to parse, with no mixing of styles like camelCase or snake_case.

    Tool Count3/5

    With 33 tools, the count is borderline high for an MCP server, as it may feel heavy and overwhelming for agents. While n8n is a complex automation platform, the tool set could potentially be streamlined or grouped to reduce cognitive load, though it does cover a broad domain.

    Completeness5/5

    The tool set provides comprehensive CRUD/lifecycle coverage for all key n8n resources: workflows (activate, deactivate, create, get, update, delete, list), credentials (create, delete, get-schema), projects (create, delete, list, update), tags (create, delete, get, list, update), users (create, delete, get, list), variables (create, delete, list), and executions (delete, get, list). There are no obvious gaps, and tools like init-n8n and generate-audit add useful functionality.

    Maintenance

    ActivityNo data
    ResponsivenessOutdated data

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