n8n Workflow Builder MCP Server

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The ultimate AI assistant integration for n8n workflow automation - Connect Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, and other AI assistants directly to your n8n instance for seamless workflow management, creation, and execution through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

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A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to manage n8n workflows seamlessly. Connect your AI tools directly to n8n for automated workflow creation, execution, and management.

📚 Table of Contents

• What is this?
• Key Features
• Requirements
• Installation & Usage
• Configuration
• MCP Client Setup
• Available Tools
• Usage Examples
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ
• Contributing
• License
• Useful Links

📖 Additional Documentation

• 🚀 Getting Started Guide - Quick setup in under 5 minutes
• 💼 Real-World Use Cases - E-commerce, data processing, API integrations, and more
• 🔍 Comparison with Alternatives - vs Zapier, Make.com, n8n Web UI, and CLI
• 🔧 Comprehensive Troubleshooting - Solutions for common issues and problems

🎯 What is this?

The n8n Workflow Builder MCP Server bridges the gap between AI assistants (like Claude Desktop, Cline, or any MCP-compatible client) and your n8n automation platform. It provides a comprehensive set of tools that allow AI assistants to:

• List and browse your existing n8n workflows
• Create new workflows with complex node configurations
• Execute workflows on demand
• Manage workflow lifecycle (activate, deactivate, update, delete)
• Monitor workflow status and retrieve detailed information

Perfect for teams using n8n who want to leverage AI assistants for workflow automation and management.

✨ Key Features

• 🔧 Complete Workflow Management - Full CRUD operations for n8n workflows
• 🤖 AI-First Design - Built specifically for AI assistant integration
• 🚀 Zero Configuration - Works out of the box with NPX
• 🔒 Secure - Uses n8n's official API with proper authentication
• 📦 Modern Architecture - Built with TypeScript and latest MCP SDK
• ⚡ High Performance - Optimized for fast response times

📋 Requirements

• Node.js v18.0.0 or higher
• n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud)
• n8n API key with appropriate permissions

🚀 Installation & Usage

Method 1: Smithery.ai (Hosted - Recommended)

Use the hosted version on Smithery.ai - no installation required:

1. Visit: smithery.ai
2. Search: "n8n-workflow-builder"
3. Connect: Configure with your n8n host and API key
4. Use: Access from any MCP-compatible AI assistant

Benefits: No local setup, automatic updates, professional hosting, tool playground.

Method 2: NPX (Local)

Run locally with NPX:

npx @makafeli/n8n-workflow-builder

Method 2: Manual Installation

For development or customization:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/makafeli/n8n-workflow-builder.git
cd n8n-workflow-builder

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Start the server
npm start

⚙️ Configuration

Environment Variables

Configure the following environment variables to connect to your n8n instance:

| Variable | Description | Example | |----------|-------------|---------| | N8N_HOST | Your n8n instance URL | http://localhost:5678 or https://your-n8n.com/api/v1 | | N8N_API_KEY | Your n8n API key | n8n_api_1234567890abcdef... |

Getting Your n8n API Key

1. Open your n8n instance
2. Go to Settings → API Keys
3. Click Create API Key
4. Copy the generated key

Setting Environment Variables

# For local testing
export N8N_HOST="http://localhost:5678"
export N8N_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

# Then run the server
npx @makafeli/n8n-workflow-builder

🔧 MCP Client Setup

Claude Desktop

Add this configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-workflow-builder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@makafeli/n8n-workflow-builder"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_HOST": "http://localhost:5678",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cline (VS Code Extension)

Add this to your Cline MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-workflow-builder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@makafeli/n8n-workflow-builder"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_HOST": "http://localhost:5678",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Other MCP Clients

The server works with any MCP-compatible client. Use the same configuration pattern with your client's specific setup method.

🛠️ Available Tools

The MCP server provides 15 comprehensive tools for complete n8n workflow and execution management:

Core Workflow Operations

| Tool | Description | Parameters | |------|-------------|------------| | list_workflows | List all workflows from your n8n instance | None | | get_workflow | Retrieve detailed information about a specific workflow | id: Workflow ID (string) | | create_workflow | Create a new workflow with nodes and connections | workflow: Workflow object | | execute_workflow | Manually execute a workflow | id: Workflow ID (string) |

Workflow Lifecycle Management

| Tool | Description | Parameters | |------|-------------|------------| | update_workflow | Update an existing workflow's configuration | id: Workflow ID, workflow: Updated workflow object | | activate_workflow | Activate a workflow to enable automatic execution | id: Workflow ID (string) | | deactivate_workflow | Deactivate a workflow to stop automatic execution | id: Workflow ID (string) | | delete_workflow | Permanently delete a workflow | id: Workflow ID (string) |

Advanced Operations

| Tool | Description | Parameters | |------|-------------|------------| | create_workflow_and_activate | Create a new workflow and immediately activate it | workflow: Workflow object |

Execution Management ⭐ NEW

| Tool | Description | Parameters | |------|-------------|------------| | list_executions | List workflow executions with filtering and pagination | includeData, status, workflowId, projectId, limit, cursor | | get_execution | Get detailed information about a specific execution | id: Execution ID, includeData: Include detailed data | | delete_execution | Delete a workflow execution record | id: Execution ID |

Tag Management ⭐ NEW

| Tool | Description | Parameters | |------|-------------|------------| | list_tags | List all workflow tags with pagination | limit, cursor | | create_tag | Create a new workflow tag for organization | name: Tag name |

Security & Compliance ⭐ NEW

| Tool | Description | Parameters | |------|-------------|------------| | generate_audit | Generate comprehensive security audit report | additionalOptions: Audit configuration |

💡 Usage Examples

Basic Operations

// List all workflows
await callTool("list_workflows", {});

// Get detailed information about a workflow
await callTool("get_workflow", { id: "workflow-123" });

// Execute a workflow manually
await callTool("execute_workflow", { id: "workflow-123" });

Creating Workflows

// Create a simple workflow
await callTool("create_workflow", {
  workflow: {
    name: "My Automation Workflow",
    nodes: [
      {
        id: "trigger",
        name: "Schedule Trigger",
        type: "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
        typeVersion: 1,
        position: [240, 300],
        parameters: {
          interval: [{ field: "unit", value: "hours" }]
        }
      },
      {
        id: "action",
        name: "HTTP Request",
        type: "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
        typeVersion: 4,
        position: [460, 300],
        parameters: {
          url: "https://api.example.com/webhook",
          method: "POST"
        }
      }
    ],
    connections: {
      "Schedule Trigger": {
        "main": [[{ "node": "HTTP Request", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]]
      }
    }
  }
});