---

🎯 What is This?

n8n Workflow Builder MCP Server transforms workflow automation by enabling you to create and manage n8n workflows through conversational AI. No more manual JSON editing or complex UI navigation—just describe what you need in natural language, and let AI build it for you.

The Problem It Solves

❌ Manual workflow building is time-consuming and error-prone
❌ Complex JSON editing requires deep technical knowledge
❌ Switching between IDE and n8n UI breaks your development flow
❌ Managing multiple n8n environments (dev, staging, prod) is tedious

The Solution

✅ Build workflows conversationally using Claude AI or Cursor IDE
✅ Natural language interface - describe workflows in plain English
✅ Multi-instance support - manage dev, staging, and production from one place
✅ 17 powerful tools - complete workflow lifecycle management
✅ Stay in your IDE - no context switching required

---

✨ Key Features

🤖 AI-Powered Workflow Creation

Create complex n8n workflows by simply describing what you need. Claude AI and Cursor IDE understand your intent and generate production-ready workflows.

🌍 Multi-Instance Management

Seamlessly manage multiple n8n environments (production, staging, development) from a single MCP server with intelligent instance routing.

🛠️ 17 Comprehensive Tools

Complete workflow lifecycle coverage:

8 Workflow Tools - Create, update, delete, activate, execute
4 Execution Tools - Monitor, retry, analyze runs
5 Tag Tools - Organize and categorize workflows
6 Credential Tools (Epic 2) - Secure credential management

💬 Natural Language Interface

No JSON editing required. Build workflows like this:

"Create a webhook workflow that validates customer emails, sends a Slack notification, and stores data in PostgreSQL"

🔒 Secure by Design

Built-in credential protection
API key encryption
Secure multi-instance configuration
Never exposes sensitive data in logs

📚 Comprehensive Documentation

38+ documentation pages with guides and tutorials
Interactive examples and workflow patterns
Troubleshooting guides and FAQs
API reference with complete tool documentation

---

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Node.js v14+ (v18+ recommended)
npm v7+
n8n instance with API access (tested with n8n v1.82.3+)
Claude Desktop or Cursor IDE

Installation

bash

# Install globally via npm
npm install -g @kernel.salacoste/n8n-workflow-builder

# Verify installation
npx @kernel.salacoste/n8n-workflow-builder --version

Configuration

Option 1: Multi-Instance (Recommended)

Create .config.json in your project root:

json

{
  "environments": {
    "production": {
      "n8n_host": "https://n8n.example.com",
      "n8n_api_key": "your_production_api_key"
    },
    "staging": {
      "n8n_host": "https://staging.n8n.example.com",
      "n8n_api_key": "your_staging_api_key"
    },
    "development": {
      "n8n_host": "http://localhost:5678",
      "n8n_api_key": "your_dev_api_key"
    }
  },
  "defaultEnv": "development"
}

Option 2: Single Instance (Backward Compatible)

Create .env file:

bash

N8N_HOST=https://your-n8n-instance.com
N8N_API_KEY=your_api_key

Claude Desktop Integration

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-workflow-builder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@kernel.salacoste/n8n-workflow-builder"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop and you're ready to go! 🎉

Cursor IDE Integration

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your workspace:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-workflow-builder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@kernel.salacoste/n8n-workflow-builder"]
    }
  }
}

---

📖 Complete Documentation

Explore our comprehensive documentation site:

🌐 **Full Documentation**

Quick Links

Section	Description
🚀 Quick Start Tutorial	Build your first workflow in 5 minutes
📦 Installation Guide	Detailed setup instructions
🔧 Configuration	Multi-instance and environment setup
🛠️ API Reference	Complete tool documentation
🏗️ Multi-Instance Setup	Manage multiple n8n environments
💡 Usage Patterns	Best practices and conversation patterns
🐛 Troubleshooting	Common issues and solutions

---

🎨 Examples

Example 1: Create a Webhook Workflow

You:

Create a webhook workflow in staging that:
- Receives POST requests at /customer-signup
- Validates email and name fields
- Sends welcome email via Gmail
- Stores customer in PostgreSQL

Claude: ✅ Creates complete workflow with validation, email, and database nodes

Example 2: Multi-Instance Workflow Management

You:

List all active workflows in production that haven't run in the last 7 days

Claude: 📊 Analyzes production environment and identifies stale workflows

Example 3: Debug Failed Executions

You:

Debug workflow 456 in production - it's been failing with errors

Claude: 🔍 Retrieves execution history, identifies root cause, and suggests fixes

Example 4: Credential Management

You:

Show me the schema for OAuth2 credentials, then help me create credentials for Google Sheets API

Claude: 🔐 Retrieves credential schema and guides you through secure credential creation

---

🛠️ MCP Tools Reference

Workflow Management (8 tools)

Tool	Description	Example Use Case
`list_workflows`	List all workflows with filtering	"Show me active workflows in production"
`get_workflow`	Retrieve complete workflow details	"Get workflow 123 from staging"
`create_workflow`	Build new workflows from scratch	"Create a daily report workflow"
`update_workflow`	Modify existing workflows	"Add error handling to workflow 456"
`delete_workflow`	Remove workflows	"Delete workflow 789"
`activate_workflow`	Enable workflow execution	"Activate workflow 123"
`deactivate_workflow`	Disable workflow execution	"Deactivate workflow 456"
`execute_workflow`	Manually trigger workflow runs	"Execute workflow 789 with test data"

Execution Management (4 tools)

Tool	Description	Example Use Case
`list_executions`	View execution history with filters	"Show failed executions from today"
`get_execution`	Detailed execution information	"Get execution 9876 details"
`delete_execution`	Remove execution records	"Delete old test executions"
`retry_execution`	Retry failed workflow runs	"Retry execution 9876"

Tag Management (5 tools)

Tool	Description	Example Use Case
`list_tags` / `get_tags`	Retrieve all workflow tags	"Show all workflow tags"
`get_tag`	Get specific tag information	"Get tag details for 'email-automation'"
`create_tag`	Create workflow organization tags	"Create tag 'customer-workflows'"
`update_tag`	Modify tag information	"Rename tag to 'legacy-workflows'"
`delete_tag`	Remove workflow tags	"Delete tag 'deprecated'"

Credential Management (6 tools - Epic 2)

Tool	Description	Example Use Case
`get_credential_schema`	Get credential type JSON schema	"Show schema for httpBasicAuth"
`list_credentials`	Security guidance (blocked by n8n API)	"List credentials guidance"
`get_credential`	Security guidance (blocked by n8n API)	"Get credential guidance"
`create_credential`	Create credentials with schema validation	"Create Gmail OAuth2 credentials"
`update_credential`	Immutability guidance (DELETE + CREATE)	"Update credential guidance"
`delete_credential`	Permanently remove credentials	"Delete credential 123"

---

🏗️ Multi-Instance Architecture

Manage multiple n8n environments with intelligent routing:

code

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   MCP Server (Single Instance)     │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                     │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐       │
│  │ ConfigLoader│ EnvironmentMgr   │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘       │
│         │            │             │
│         ▼            ▼             │
│  ┌─────────────────────────┐      │
│  │   Instance Routing      │      │
│  └─────────────────────────┘      │
│         │                          │
└─────────┼──────────────────────────┘
          │
    ┌─────┴─────┬─────────────┬──────────────┐
    │           │             │              │
    ▼           ▼             ▼              ▼
┌────────┐  ┌────────┐   ┌────────┐    ┌────────┐
│  Dev   │  │Staging │   │  Prod  │    │Custom  │
│ n8n    │  │  n8n   │   │  n8n   │    │  n8n   │
└────────┘  └────────┘   └────────┘    └────────┘

Benefits:

✅ Single MCP server manages all environments
✅ Automatic instance routing based on context
✅ Separate API keys per environment
✅ Easy environment switching in conversations

---

🎯 Use Cases

🚀 Development Workflow

1. Build in Development: Create and test workflows locally

2. Deploy to Staging: Validate in QA environment

3. Promote to Production: Deploy with confidence

📊 Operations & Monitoring

Monitor execution status across environments
Debug failed workflows with detailed analysis
Track workflow performance and reliability

🔄 Workflow Migration

Export workflows from one instance
Import to another with automatic adaptation
Bulk operations across environments

📝 Documentation & Learning

Generate workflow documentation automatically
Learn n8n patterns through AI guidance
Explore workflow examples and templates

---

🔒 Security & Best Practices

Credential Protection

✅ .config.json automatically excluded from git via .gitignore
✅ API keys never logged (only first 20 characters shown)
✅ Credentials encrypted by n8n API
✅ No sensitive data in npm packages

Multi-Instance Security

✅ Separate API keys per environment
✅ Production keys isolated from development
✅ Instance validation before API calls

Safe Operations

code

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Be careful with destructive operations!

- Always test in development first
- Use get_workflow to backup before modifications
- Review workflow details before deletion
- Enable debug mode for troubleshooting

---

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

MCP Server Connection Fails

Symptoms: Claude/Cursor can't find n8n tools

Solutions:

1. Restart Claude Desktop / Cursor IDE

2. Check claude_desktop_config.json / .cursor/mcp.json syntax

3. Verify n8n instance is accessible

4. Enable debug mode: DEBUG=true in environment

Full Debug Guide

404 Errors When Calling n8n API

Symptoms: "Request failed with status code 404"

Solutions:

1. Verify n8n_host uses base URL (e.g., https://n8n.example.com)

2. Do NOT include /api/v1 suffix (server adds it automatically)

3. Check n8n API key has correct permissions

4. Test connectivity: curl https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows

Configuration Guide

Workflow Activation Fails

Symptoms: "Workflow cannot be activated without valid trigger"

Solutions:

1. Ensure workflow has at least one trigger node (webhook, schedule, etc.)

2. manualTrigger is NOT recognized by n8n API v1.82.3

3. Server automatically adds valid triggers if missing

Error Reference

Get Help

---

📊 What's New

Version 0.9.3 (Latest) - Security & Documentation

🔒 Security Fix: Prevented log files from being published to npm
📦 Package Optimization: Reduced size to 653KB (from 699KB)
📚 Documentation Enhancement: Added badges and improved npm metadata
✅ API Key Rotation: Updated security practices

Version 0.9.0 - MCP Protocol Compliance

✅ Full MCP notification handler support
✅ Fixed "Method 'notifications/initialized' not found" error
📦 Package size optimization: 1.3MB → 278KB
🏗️ Multi-instance architecture with intelligent routing
🔐 Enhanced credential management with schema validation

Epic 2 Complete (13/13 Stories) - Advanced API Implementation

✅ 17 MCP Tools implemented (8 workflows + 4 executions + 5 tags + 6 credentials)
✅ 100% test success rate across all implementations
✅ 12,000+ lines of documentation with comprehensive examples
✅ Production-ready quality with zero bugs

View Full Changelog

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🗺️ Roadmap

✅ Completed

[x] Core workflow CRUD operations
[x] Execution management and monitoring
[x] Tag-based workflow organization
[x] Multi-instance architecture
[x] Credential lifecycle management
[x] Comprehensive documentation site (38+ pages)
[x] GitHub Pages deployment with CI/CD

🚧 In Progress

[ ] Workflow templates library
[ ] Enhanced error recovery patterns
[ ] Performance optimization for large workflows
[ ] Advanced filtering and search capabilities

🔮 Planned

[ ] Visual workflow editor integration
[ ] Workflow version control and rollback
[ ] Collaborative workflow development
[ ] Advanced analytics and insights
[ ] Workflow marketplace and sharing

Suggest a Feature

---

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

Ways to Contribute

🐛 Report Bugs: Create an issue
💡 Suggest Features: Open a discussion
📖 Improve Documentation: Submit documentation improvements
🔧 Submit Pull Requests: Fix bugs or add features

Development Setup

bash

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

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build project
npm run build

# Run tests
npm test

# Start development server
npm run dev

Code Standards

✅ TypeScript for type safety
✅ ESLint for code quality
✅ Prettier for formatting
✅ Jest for testing
✅ Conventional commits

Contributing Guide

---

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

What This Means

✅ Commercial use allowed
✅ Modification allowed
✅ Distribution allowed
✅ Private use allowed
⚠️ No warranty provided
⚠️ No liability assumed

Full License Details

---

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built with:

🤖 **Claude AI** - AI-powered development assistance
🔧 **n8n** - Workflow automation platform
🔌 **Model Context Protocol** - AI integration standard
📝 **TypeScript** - Type-safe development
📚 **MkDocs Material** - Documentation framework

Special thanks to:

The n8n team for building an amazing automation platform
The Anthropic team for Claude AI and MCP
All contributors and users providing feedback

---

📞 Get in Touch

🌐 Documentation: https://salacoste.github.io/mcp-n8n-workflow-builder/
📦 npm Package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@kernel.salacoste/n8n-workflow-builder
💻 GitHub: https://github.com/salacoste/mcp-n8n-workflow-builder
🐛 Issues: https://github.com/salacoste/mcp-n8n-workflow-builder/issues
💬 Discussions: https://github.com/salacoste/mcp-n8n-workflow-builder/discussions

---

Mcp N8n Workflow Builder

Documentation

🎯 What is This?

The Problem It Solves

The Solution

✨ Key Features

🤖 AI-Powered Workflow Creation

🌍 Multi-Instance Management

🛠️ 17 Comprehensive Tools

💬 Natural Language Interface

🔒 Secure by Design

📚 Comprehensive Documentation

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Installation

Configuration

Option 1: Multi-Instance (Recommended)

Option 2: Single Instance (Backward Compatible)

Claude Desktop Integration

Cursor IDE Integration

📖 Complete Documentation

Quick Links

🎨 Examples

Example 1: Create a Webhook Workflow

Example 2: Multi-Instance Workflow Management

Example 3: Debug Failed Executions

Example 4: Credential Management

🛠️ MCP Tools Reference

Workflow Management (8 tools)

Execution Management (4 tools)

Tag Management (5 tools)

Credential Management (6 tools - Epic 2)

🏗️ Multi-Instance Architecture

🎯 Use Cases

🚀 Development Workflow

📊 Operations & Monitoring

🔄 Workflow Migration

📝 Documentation & Learning

🔒 Security & Best Practices

Credential Protection

Multi-Instance Security

Safe Operations

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Get Help

📊 What's New

Version 0.9.3 (Latest) - Security & Documentation

Version 0.9.0 - MCP Protocol Compliance

Epic 2 Complete (13/13 Stories) - Advanced API Implementation

🗺️ Roadmap

✅ Completed

🚧 In Progress

🔮 Planned

🤝 Contributing

Ways to Contribute

Development Setup

Code Standards

📄 License

What This Means

🙏 Acknowledgments

📞 Get in Touch

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