n8n Workflow Builder
🪄 MCP server for programmatic creation and management of n8n workflows. Enables AI assistants to build, modify, and manage workflows without direct user intervention through a comprehensive set of tools and resources for interacting with n8n's REST A
What is n8n Workflow Builder?
n8n Workflow Builder is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to 🪄 mcp server for programmatic creation and management of n8n workflows. enables ai assistants to build, modify, and manage workflows without direct user intervention through a comprehensive set of to...
🪄 MCP server for programmatic creation and management of n8n workflows. Enables AI assistants to build, modify, and manage workflows without direct user intervention through a comprehensive set of tools and resources for interacting with n8n's REST A
This server falls under the Business Applications category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- 🪄 MCP server for programmatic creation and management of n8n
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx mcp-n8n-builderConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use n8n Workflow Builder
The mcp-n8n-builder MCP server lets AI assistants programmatically create, read, update, delete, and activate n8n workflows through n8n's REST API, without any direct user interaction with the n8n UI. You can ask Claude to build a workflow that sends a Slack message when a new GitHub issue is opened, list all inactive workflows, or check the execution history of a specific workflow — and the server translates those intents into precise n8n API calls. It is designed for teams that want to manage n8n workflow automation through conversational AI rather than manual drag-and-drop interface work.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later installed (for npx execution)
- A running n8n instance (self-hosted or n8n Cloud) with API access enabled
- An n8n API key generated from your n8n instance (Settings > API)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf
Get your n8n API key and host URL
Log into your n8n instance, go to Settings > n8n API, and generate an API key. Note your n8n host URL — for self-hosted instances it is typically http://localhost:5678/api/v1, and for n8n Cloud it follows the pattern https://your-instance.app.n8n.cloud/api/v1.
Add the server to your MCP client config
Open your MCP client configuration file and add the mcp-n8n-builder entry with your n8n host URL and API key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-workflow-builder": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-n8n-builder"],
"env": {
"N8N_HOST": "http://localhost:5678/api/v1",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your-n8n-api-key-here",
"OUTPUT_VERBOSITY": "concise"
}
}
}
}Set OUTPUT_VERBOSITY to concise
n8n workflow JSON can be very large and consume thousands of tokens. Setting OUTPUT_VERBOSITY to 'concise' returns summarized responses for workflow lists and operations, keeping your context window manageable. Use 'full' only when you need the complete workflow JSON.
Restart your MCP client
Save the configuration file and restart your MCP client. The workflow management tools for creating, listing, updating, activating, and deleting n8n workflows will become available.
Test by listing your workflows
Ask Claude to list all workflows in your n8n instance. This confirms the connection is working and gives you an overview of what already exists.
n8n Workflow Builder Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration connecting to a self-hosted n8n instance with concise output to minimize token usage.
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-workflow-builder": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-n8n-builder"],
"env": {
"N8N_HOST": "http://localhost:5678/api/v1",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your-n8n-api-key-here",
"OUTPUT_VERBOSITY": "concise",
"CACHE_ENABLED": "true",
"CACHE_TTL": "60"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts that create and manage n8n workflows through Claude.
- "List all active workflows in my n8n instance"
- "Create a workflow that triggers on a webhook and sends a Slack notification with the payload data"
- "Show the execution history for the workflow named 'Daily Report' and tell me if any runs failed"
- "Deactivate all workflows that haven't run successfully in the last 30 days"
- "Create a workflow that polls a REST API every hour and inserts new records into a Postgres database"
- "Duplicate the 'Customer Sync' workflow and rename the copy to 'Customer Sync - Test'"Troubleshooting n8n Workflow Builder
401 Unauthorized errors when calling n8n API
Verify N8N_API_KEY is correct and that the API is enabled in your n8n instance (Settings > n8n API > Enable API). For n8n Cloud, the API key is different from your login password.
N8N_HOST URL is not reachable
Make sure your n8n instance is running and the URL includes the /api/v1 path. For self-hosted: http://localhost:5678/api/v1. For n8n Cloud: https://your-instance.app.n8n.cloud/api/v1. Test with curl: curl -H 'X-N8N-API-KEY: your-key' http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows.
Workflow JSON responses are too large and hit context limits
Set OUTPUT_VERBOSITY to 'concise' in your env config. Avoid fetching full workflow details for all workflows at once — first list workflows to get their IDs, then request details for specific ones.
Frequently Asked Questions about n8n Workflow Builder
What is n8n Workflow Builder?
n8n Workflow Builder is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that 🪄 mcp server for programmatic creation and management of n8n workflows. enables ai assistants to build, modify, and manage workflows without direct user intervention through a comprehensive set of tools and resources for interacting with n8n's rest a It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install n8n Workflow Builder?
Follow the installation instructions on the n8n Workflow Builder GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with n8n Workflow Builder?
n8n Workflow Builder works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is n8n Workflow Builder free to use?
Yes, n8n Workflow Builder is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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