create

Instructions

Implementation Reference

• src/workflows/manager.ts:86-193 (handler)

  Core implementation of the 'create' tool: handles file creation, validation, auto-fixing, documentation updates, and returns success message.

  async createWorkflow(name: string, workflow: any, project?: string): Promise<any> {
    try {
      // Enforce dash naming convention
      if (name.includes('_')) {
        name = name.replace(/_/g, '-');
        console.log(`📝 Converting underscores to dashes in filename: ${name}`);
      }
      
      // Initialize workflows structure if needed (first time)
      const wasInitialized = await this.initializer.initialize();
      
      let targetPath: string;
      let relativePath: string;
  
      // Determine where to create the workflow based on structure
      if (this.structure.type === 'simple' || !project) {
        // Simple structure: use ./flows/ (workflowsPath already points to workflows dir)
        targetPath = path.join(this.workflowsPath, 'flows');
        relativePath = `flows/${name}.json`;
      } else if (this.structure.type === 'multi-project' && project) {
        // Multi-project structure with project specified
        targetPath = path.join(this.workflowsPath, project, 'workflows');
        relativePath = `${project}/workflows/${name}.json`;
      } else {
        // Unknown structure: default to simple with flows
        targetPath = path.join(this.workflowsPath, 'flows');
        relativePath = `flows/${name}.json`;
      }
  
      // Create directory if it doesn't exist
      await fs.mkdir(targetPath, { recursive: true });
      
      // Generate a succinct, unique name
      const finalName = await this.generateUniqueName(name, targetPath);
      
      // Update the workflow's internal name to match
      if (workflow.name) {
        workflow.name = finalName;
      }
      
      // Write temporary file for validation in /tmp
      const tempPath = `/tmp/mcflow_validate_${Date.now()}_${finalName}.json`;
      await fs.writeFile(tempPath, stringifyWorkflowFile(workflow));
  
      // Validate and auto-fix if needed
      const validationResult = await this.validator.validateWorkflow(tempPath);
      if (!validationResult.valid) {
        // Try to auto-fix
        const fixResult = await this.validator.autoFixWorkflow(tempPath);
        if (fixResult.fixed) {
          // Re-read the fixed workflow
          const fixedContent = await fs.readFile(tempPath, 'utf-8');
          workflow = JSON.parse(fixedContent);
        }
      }
  
      // Write the final workflow file with proper formatting
      const filePath = path.join(targetPath, `${finalName}.json`);
      await fs.writeFile(filePath, stringifyWorkflowFile(workflow));
      
      // Remove temp file
      try {
        await fs.unlink(tempPath);
      } catch {}
      
      // Update the relative path with the final name
      if (this.structure.type === 'simple' || !project) {
        relativePath = `workflows/flows/${finalName}.json`;
      } else if (project) {
        relativePath = `${project}/workflows/${finalName}.json`;
      }
      
      // Update documentation
      try {
        const customInstructions = await this.documenter.getCustomInstructions();
        await this.documenter.updateWorkflowDocumentation(finalName, workflow, 'create', customInstructions);
        
        // Extract and update credentials
        const credentials = this.initializer.extractCredentialsFromWorkflow(workflow);
        if (credentials.size > 0) {
          await this.initializer.updateEnvExample(credentials);
        }
        
        // Update README with workflow list
        const allWorkflows = await this.getWorkflowList();
        await this.initializer.updateReadmeWorkflowList(allWorkflows);
      } catch (docError) {
        console.error('Failed to update documentation:', docError);
        // Don't fail the workflow creation if documentation fails
      }
      
      return {
        content: [
          {
            type: 'text',
            text: `✅ Workflow Created Successfully!\n\n` +
                  `📁 File: ${relativePath}\n` +
                  `📝 Name: ${finalName}\n` +
                  `${project ? `📂 Project: ${project}\n` : ''}` +
                  `\n` +
                  `The workflow has been saved and documented.`,
          },
        ],
      };
    } catch (error) {
      throw new Error(`Failed to create workflow: ${error}`);
    }
  }

• src/tools/registry.ts:33-54 (schema)

  Input schema and description for the MCP 'create' tool.

  {
    name: 'create',
    description: 'Create a new n8n workflow with REAL nodes only (no mock/placeholder nodes allowed). IMPORTANT: Use dashes in filenames, not underscores (e.g., "my-workflow" not "my_workflow")',
    inputSchema: {
      type: 'object',
      properties: {
        name: {
          type: 'string',
          description: 'Workflow name (use dashes, not underscores)',
        },
        workflow: {
          type: 'object',
          description: 'The workflow JSON object',
        },
        project: {
          type: 'string',
          description: 'Optional project name (only for multi-project repos)',
        },
      },
      required: ['name', 'workflow'],
    },
  },

• src/server/mcflow.ts:76-85 (registration)

  Registers the MCP tools (including 'create') by providing tool definitions and handling tool calls via ToolHandler.

  this.server.setRequestHandler(ListToolsRequestSchema, async () => ({
    tools: getToolDefinitions(),
  }));
  
  this.server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request) => {
    return await this.toolHandler.handleTool(
      request.params.name,
      request.params.arguments
    );
  });

• src/tools/handler.ts:35-40 (handler)

  ToolHandler switch case that routes 'create' tool calls to WorkflowManager.createWorkflow.

  case 'create':
    return await this.workflowManager.createWorkflow(
      args?.name as string,
      args?.workflow as any,
      args?.project as string
    );