imthebreezy247/n8n-mcp-server

N8N MCP Server

Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for n8n workflow automation. This server allows AI assistants like Claude to create, manage, and execute n8n workflows programmatically.

Features

• Create workflows with nodes and connections
• List all workflows
• Get workflow details
• Activate/deactivate workflows
• Execute workflows manually
• View execution history
• Update existing workflows
• Delete workflows

Installation

npm install
npm run build

Configuration

The server requires two environment variables:

• N8N_URL - Your n8n instance URL (e.g., https://yourdomain.app.n8n.cloud)
• N8N_API_KEY - Your n8n API key

Getting Your N8N API Key

1. Log into your n8n instance
2. Go to Settings → API
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy the JWT token

Usage

Method 1: Direct Execution

Create a .env file:

N8N_URL=https://cshannahan.app.n8n.cloud
N8N_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Run the server:

node build/index.js

Method 2: Claude Desktop Integration

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["c:\\Coding-projects\\n8n-mcp-server\\build\\index.js"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_URL": "https://cshannahan.app.n8n.cloud",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJkNjljMjhhYi1iNTI2LTQ3NTItYjk5My00ZWJlOGE0MDgyNzEiLCJpc3MiOiJuOG4iLCJhdWQiOiJwdWJsaWMtYXBpIiwiaWF0IjoxNzYyNjM4ODIzLCJleHAiOjE3NzAzNTQwMDB9.HArBOezj-BCNPH1dHtM-At2TE5wAdLnDbV3gpnXmK3k"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace your_api_key_here with your actual n8n API key.

Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized Error

If you get 401 unauthorized errors when using the MCP:

1. Check API Key: Ensure your API key is correct and hasn't expired
2. Check Environment Variables: Make sure N8N_API_KEY is set in the MCP configuration
3. Test Connection: Run the direct API test:

   node test-connection.js
   

4. Check URL: Ensure N8N_URL doesn't have a trailing slash

Common Issues

• Empty API Key: If the environment variable isn't set, the server will use an empty string and fail authentication
• Wrong URL Format: The URL should be just the base URL without /api/v1 (the server adds this automatically)
• Expired API Key: n8n API keys can expire - generate a new one if needed

Available Tools

create_workflow

Create a new n8n workflow with nodes and connections.

Parameters:

• name (string): Workflow name
• nodes (array): Array of node configurations
• connections (object): Node connections

list_workflows

List all workflows in your n8n instance.

Parameters:

• active (boolean, optional): Filter by active status

get_workflow

Get detailed information about a specific workflow.

Parameters:

• workflow_id (string): The workflow ID

activate_workflow

Activate or deactivate a workflow.

Parameters:

• workflow_id (string): The workflow ID
• active (boolean): True to activate, false to deactivate

execute_workflow

Manually trigger a workflow execution.

Parameters:

• workflow_id (string): The workflow ID
• data (object, optional): Input data for the workflow

get_executions

Get execution history for workflows.

Parameters:

• workflow_id (string, optional): Filter by workflow ID
• limit (number): Number of executions to return (default: 10)

update_workflow

Update an existing workflow's configuration.

Parameters:

• workflow_id (string): The workflow ID to update
• name (string, optional): New workflow name
• nodes (array, optional): Updated node configurations
• connections (object, optional): Updated connections

delete_workflow

Delete a workflow permanently.

Parameters:

• workflow_id (string): The workflow ID to delete

Example: Viral Movie Clips Automation

A complete workflow has been created at: Workflow ID: UmlJ5iLjZrXdEMH6

URL: https://cshannahan.app.n8n.cloud/workflow/UmlJ5iLjZrXdEMH6

This workflow:

• Runs every 4 hours
• Fetches trending movies from Reddit and TMDB
• Calculates viral potential scores
• Generates clip ideas with hashtags
• Ranks content by priority (high/medium/low)

Development

Edit src/index.ts and rebuild:

npm run build

For development with auto-rebuild:

npm run dev

License

MIT