n8n
A comprehensive MCP server that provides full control over n8n automation workflows through natural language. It offers 43 tools for managing workflows, executions, credentials, and data tables, with safety features like write-mode protection and dou
What is n8n?
n8n is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to comprehensive mcp server that provides full control over n8n automation workflows through natural language. it offers 43 tools for managing workflows, executions, credentials, and data tables, with sa...
A comprehensive MCP server that provides full control over n8n automation workflows through natural language. It offers 43 tools for managing workflows, executions, credentials, and data tables, with safety features like write-mode protection and dou
This server falls under the Business Applications category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- init-n8n
- list-workflows
- get-workflow
- create-workflow
- update-workflow
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y @illuminaresolutions/n8n-mcp-serverManual Installation
npx -y @illuminaresolutions/n8n-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use n8n
The n8n MCP server is a comprehensive Python-based server that gives AI clients like Claude full control over an n8n automation instance through 43 tools, 8 prompt templates, and 6 browsable resources. It covers the entire n8n REST API surface — workflows, executions, credentials, tags, variables, and data tables — with write-mode protection enabled by default so read operations are always safe. Developers and teams use it to build, debug, and manage complex integration workflows through natural language without touching the n8n UI directly.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or higher installed
- A running n8n instance (local via Docker or cloud-hosted)
- An n8n API key generated from n8n Settings > n8n API
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code CLI
- Git installed to clone the repository
Clone and install the server
Clone the repository, create a Python virtual environment, and install the package in editable mode.
git clone https://github.com/Siddharth0903/n8n-mcp.git
cd n8n-mcp
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .Start n8n (if not already running)
If you do not have an n8n instance running, launch one locally using the included Docker Compose file. This starts n8n with a PostgreSQL backend at http://localhost:5678.
docker compose up -dGenerate an n8n API key
Open http://localhost:5678 in your browser, complete the initial setup, then go to Settings (gear icon) > n8n API and click 'Create an API key'. Copy the key for the next step.
Configure environment variables
Copy the example environment file and edit it with your n8n URL, API key, and write-mode preference. Set N8N_MCP_WRITE_MODE=true only when you want to allow create, update, and delete operations.
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your values:
# N8N_MCP_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5678
# N8N_MCP_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
# N8N_MCP_WRITE_MODE=falseAdd to your MCP client configuration
Register the server with Claude Desktop by editing the config file. Use the absolute path to the n8n-mcp binary inside your virtualenv. On macOS the config lives at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json.
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n": {
"command": "/absolute/path/to/.venv/bin/n8n-mcp",
"env": {
"N8N_MCP_BASE_URL": "http://localhost:5678",
"N8N_MCP_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
"N8N_MCP_WRITE_MODE": "true"
}
}
}
}Verify the connection
Restart Claude Desktop and ask it to list your n8n workflows. If the server is configured correctly you will see a list of workflows returned from your n8n instance.
n8n Examples
Client configuration
Full Claude Desktop config block for the n8n MCP server using the installed virtualenv binary.
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n": {
"command": "/Users/yourname/n8n-mcp/.venv/bin/n8n-mcp",
"env": {
"N8N_MCP_BASE_URL": "http://localhost:5678",
"N8N_MCP_API_KEY": "n8n_api_abc123",
"N8N_MCP_WRITE_MODE": "true",
"N8N_MCP_TIMEOUT": "30",
"N8N_MCP_MAX_ITEMS": "100"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example natural language prompts that exercise the 43 tools and 8 prompt templates the server exposes.
- "List all my n8n workflows and show which ones are active"
- "Run a security audit on my n8n instance and summarize the findings"
- "Create a new workflow that sends a Slack message when a new row is added to my Postgres table"
- "Show me the last 10 executions of the 'Daily Report' workflow and highlight any failures"
- "Debug why my 'Email Sync' workflow keeps failing at the HTTP Request node"Troubleshooting n8n
Tools are available but create/update/delete operations return 'Write mode disabled'
Set N8N_MCP_WRITE_MODE=true in your environment configuration. By design all mutating operations are blocked until you explicitly opt in.
Server fails to start with 'N8N_MCP_API_KEY is required'
Make sure the N8N_MCP_API_KEY variable is set either in the .env file in the project directory or in the env block of your MCP client config. Generate a key from n8n Settings > n8n API if you have not done so yet.
Claude Desktop cannot find the n8n-mcp binary
The command path must be the absolute path to the binary inside your virtualenv, for example /home/user/n8n-mcp/.venv/bin/n8n-mcp. Relative paths and the bare command name will not work from the MCP client launcher.
Frequently Asked Questions about n8n
What is n8n?
n8n is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that comprehensive mcp server that provides full control over n8n automation workflows through natural language. it offers 43 tools for managing workflows, executions, credentials, and data tables, with safety features like write-mode protection and dou It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install n8n?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y @illuminaresolutions/n8n-mcp-server. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with n8n?
n8n works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is n8n free to use?
Yes, n8n 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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