n8n MCP Server

Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for n8n workflow automation platform. This server provides AI models with comprehensive access to n8n workflows through a standardized MCP interface.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• n8n instance running (local or remote)

• n8n API key (how to get API key)

• Node.js 22.10.0 or higher

Installation

Install and run directly using npx (no local clone required):

npx @r_masseater/n8n-mcp-server --n8n-url "http://localhost:5678" --api-key "your-api-key"

Using with Claude Desktop

Add this configuration to your Claude Desktop config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@r_masseater/n8n-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_URL": "http://localhost:5678",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

After saving, restart Claude Desktop. You can now ask Claude to manage your n8n workflows!

Example prompts:

• "List all my n8n workflows"

• "Create a new workflow called 'Email Automation'"

• "Show me the details of workflow ID abc123"

• "Update workflow xyz456 to add a new node"

Features

• Complete Workflow Management: Create, read, update, and delete n8n workflows

• Optimized Responses: Context-efficient data structures for AI model consumption

• Flexible Authentication: API key-based authentication

• Dual Transport Support: stdio and HTTP transports

• Comprehensive Error Handling: Structured error responses with meaningful messages

Configuration

CLI Options

# Basic usage (uses environment variables)
npx @r_masseater/n8n-mcp-server

# With CLI options
npx @r_masseater/n8n-mcp-server --n8n-url http://localhost:5678 --api-key your-key --log-level debug

# HTTP transport (for development/testing)
npx @r_masseater/n8n-mcp-server --transport http --port 3000

Environment Variables

Alternatively, you can use environment variables:

# Required
export N8N_URL="http://localhost:5678"          # n8n instance URL
export N8N_API_KEY="your-api-key"              # n8n API key

# Optional
export LOG_LEVEL="info"                         # Log level (error|warn|info|debug)

Development

If you want to develop or contribute to this project:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/masseater/n8n-mcp-server.git
cd n8n-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Build the project
pnpm run build

# Run in development mode with auto-reload
pnpm run dev

# Run tests
pnpm test

Available MCP Tools

1. list_workflows

List n8n workflows with optional filtering.

Parameters:

• active (boolean, optional): Filter by active status

• tags (array of strings, optional): Filter by tags

• limit (number, optional): Maximum number of workflows to return (1-100)

• offset (number, optional): Number of workflows to skip

Example:

{
  "name": "list_workflows",
  "arguments": {
    "active": true,
    "tags": ["automation", "production"],
    "limit": 10
  }
}

2. get_workflow

Get detailed information about a specific workflow.

Parameters:

• id (string, required): Workflow ID

Example:

{
  "name": "get_workflow",
  "arguments": {
    "id": "workflow-123"
  }
}

3. create_workflow

Create a new workflow.

Parameters:

• name (string, required): Workflow name

• nodes (array, optional): Workflow nodes

• connections (object, optional): Node connections

• active (boolean, optional): Whether workflow is active

• tags (array of strings, optional): Workflow tags

Example:

{
  "name": "create_workflow",
  "arguments": {
    "name": "My New Workflow",
    "nodes": [
      {
        "id": "node1",
        "type": "n8n-nodes-base.start",
        "position": [100, 100]
      }
    ],
    "connections": {},
    "active": false,
    "tags": ["automation"]
  }
}

4. update_workflow

Update an existing workflow.

Parameters:

• id (string, required): Workflow ID

• name (string, optional): New workflow name

• nodes (array, optional): Updated workflow nodes

• connections (object, optional): Updated node connections

• active (boolean, optional): Updated active status

• tags (array of strings, optional): Updated workflow tags

Example:

{
  "name": "update_workflow",
  "arguments": {
    "id": "workflow-123",
    "name": "Updated Workflow Name",
    "active": true,
    "tags": ["updated", "production"]
  }
}

5. delete_workflow

Delete a workflow.

Parameters:

• id (string, required): Workflow ID

Example:

{
  "name": "delete_workflow",
  "arguments": {
    "id": "workflow-123"
  }
}

Usage Examples

Using with Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/n8n-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_URL": "http://localhost:5678",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using with other MCP clients

The server supports both stdio and HTTP transports:

# stdio transport (default)
pnpm start

# HTTP transport
pnpm start --transport http --port 3000

Development

Project Structure

src/
├── clients/           # n8n API client implementations
├── config/           # Configuration management
├── interfaces/       # TypeScript interfaces
├── optimizers/      # Response optimization
├── server/          # MCP server implementation
├── types/           # Type definitions
└── index.ts         # Main entry point

Scripts

# Development
pnpm run dev          # Start in development mode
pnpm run build        # Build the project
pnpm run type-check   # TypeScript type checking

# Production
pnpm start            # Start the server
pnpm start:stdio      # Start with stdio transport
pnpm start:http      # Start with HTTP transport

Testing

# Run type checking
pnpm run type-check

# Build and test
pnpm run build

Error Handling

The server provides structured error responses:

{
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "Error: Failed to authenticate with n8n API"
    }
  ],
  "isError": true
}

Common error scenarios:

• Authentication failures: Invalid API key or n8n instance unreachable

• Workflow not found: Invalid workflow ID

• Validation errors: Invalid parameters or workflow structure

• Network errors: Connection timeouts or API unavailability

Response Optimization

The server optimizes responses for AI model consumption:

• Minimized context: Removes unnecessary fields and metadata

• Essential information: Preserves critical workflow data

• Pagination support: Handles large datasets efficiently

• Structured format: Consistent JSON responses

Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Make your changes

4. Run type checking and build

5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.