Caipher MCP
Caipher MCP - AI-powered n8n workflow automation through Model Context Protocol. A comprehensive MCP server that provides AI assistants with deep access to n8n node documentation, properties, and operations. Deploy in minutes to give Claude and other AI assistants expert knowledge about n8n's 1,084 workflow automation nodes (537 core + 547 community).
Overview
Caipher MCP serves as an intelligent bridge between n8n's workflow automation platform and AI models, enabling them to understand and work with n8n nodes effectively. It provides structured access to:
- 📚 1,084 n8n nodes - 537 core nodes + 547 community nodes (301 verified)
- 🔧 Node properties - 99% coverage with detailed schemas
- ⚡ Node operations - 63.6% coverage of available actions
- 📄 Documentation - 87% coverage from official n8n docs (including AI nodes)
- 🤖 AI tools - 265 AI-capable tool variants detected with full documentation
- 💡 Real-world examples - 2,646 pre-extracted configurations from popular templates
- 🎯 Template library - 2,709 workflow templates with 100% metadata coverage
- 🌐 Community nodes - Search 547 community nodes (301 verified) with
sourcefilter- Use
source: "verified"to search only verified community nodes - Results include:
isCommunity,isVerified,authorName,npmDownloads - Example:
search_nodes({query: "pdf", source: "verified"})
- Use
- 🤖 AI-powered documentation - 537/537 community nodes have AI-generated summaries
- Automatically generated using local LLM integration
- Enable with
N8N_MCP_LLM_BASE_URLandN8N_MCP_LLM_MODELenv vars
⚠️ Important Safety Warning
NEVER edit your production workflows directly with AI! Always:
- 🔄 Make a copy of your workflow before using AI tools
- 🧪 Test in development environment first
- 💾 Export backups of important workflows
- ⚡ Validate changes before deploying to production
AI results can be unpredictable. Protect your work!
🚀 Quick Start
Option 1: Hosted Service (Easiest - No Setup!) ☁️
The fastest way to try Caipher MCP - no installation, no configuration:
- ✅ Free tier: 100 tool calls/day
- ✅ Instant access: Start building workflows immediately
- ✅ Always up-to-date: Latest n8n nodes and templates
- ✅ No infrastructure: We handle everything
Just sign up, get your API key, and connect your MCP client.
🏠 Self-Hosting Options
Prefer to run n8n-MCP yourself? Choose your deployment method:
Option A: npx (Quick Local Setup) 🚀
Get n8n-MCP running in minutes:
Prerequisites: Node.js installed on your system
# Run directly with npx (no installation needed!)
npx n8n-mcp
Add to Claude Desktop config:
⚠️ Important: The
MCP_MODE: "stdio"environment variable is required for Claude Desktop. Without it, you will see JSON parsing errors like"Unexpected token..."in the UI. This variable ensures that only JSON-RPC messages are sent to stdout, preventing debug logs from interfering with the protocol.
Basic configuration (documentation tools only):
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["n8n-mcp"],
"env": {
"MCP_MODE": "stdio",
"LOG_LEVEL": "error",
"DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true"
}
}
}
}
Full configuration (with n8n management tools):
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["n8n-mcp"],
"env": {
"MCP_MODE": "stdio",
"LOG_LEVEL": "error",
"DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true",
"N8N_API_URL": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
}
}
}
}
Note: npx will download and run the latest version automatically. The package includes a pre-built database with all n8n node information.
Configuration file locations:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json - Linux:
~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Restart Claude Desktop after updating configuration - That's it! 🎉
Option B: Docker (Isolated & Reproducible) 🐳
Prerequisites: Docker installed on your system
📦 Install Docker (click to expand)
macOS:
# Using Homebrew
brew install --cask docker
# Or download from https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/
Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):
# Update package index
sudo apt-get update
# Install Docker
sudo apt-get install docker.io
# Start Docker service
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker
# Add your user to docker group (optional, to run without sudo)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in for this to take effect
Windows:
# Option 1: Using winget (Windows Package Manager)
winget install Docker.DockerDesktop
# Option 2: Using Chocolatey
choco install docker-desktop
# Option 3: Download installer from https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/
Verify installation:
docker --version
# Pull the Docker image (~280MB, no n8n dependencies!)
docker pull ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest
⚡ Ultra-optimized: Our Docker image is 82% smaller than typical n8n images because it contains NO n8n dependencies - just the runtime MCP server with a pre-built database!
Add to Claude Desktop config:
Basic configuration (documentation tools only):
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"--init",
"-e", "MCP_MODE=stdio",
"-e", "LOG_LEVEL=error",
"-e", "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true",
"ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
]
}
}
}
Full configuration (with n8n management tools):
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"--init",
"-e", "MCP_MODE=stdio",
"-e", "LOG_LEVEL=error",
"-e", "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true",
"-e", "N8N_API_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com",
"-e", "N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key",
"ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
]
}
}
}
💡 Tip: If you're running n8n locally on the same machine (e.g., via Docker), use http://host.docker.internal:5678 as the N8N_API_URL.
Note: The n8n API credentials are optional. Without them, you'll have access to all documentation and validation tools. With them, you'll additionally get workflow management capabilities (create, update, execute workflows).
🏠 Local n8n Instance Configuration
If you're running n8n locally (e.g., http://localhost:5678 or Docker), you need to allow localhost webhooks:
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run", "-i", "--rm", "--init",
"-e", "MCP_MODE=stdio",
"-e", "LOG_LEVEL=error",
"-e", "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true",
"-e", "N8N_API_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5678",
"-e", "N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key",
"-e", "WEBHOOK_SECURITY_MODE=moderate",
"ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
]
}
}
}
⚠️ Important: Set
WEBHOOK_SECURITY_MODE=moderateto allow webhooks to your local n8n instance. This is safe for local development while still blocking private networks and cloud metadata.
Important: The -i flag is required for MCP stdio communication.
🔧 If you encounter any issues with Docker, check our Docker Troubleshooting Guide.
Configuration file locations:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json - Linux:
~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Restart Claude Desktop after updating configuration - That's it! 🎉
🔐 Privacy & Telemetry
n8n-mcp collects anonymous usage statistics to improve the tool. View our privacy policy.
Opting Out
For npx users:
npx n8n-mcp telemetry disable
For Docker users: Add the following environment variable to your Docker configuration:
"-e", "N8N_MCP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=true"
Example in Claude Desktop config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"--init",
"-e", "MCP_MODE=stdio",
"-e", "LOG_LEVEL=error",
"-e", "N8N_MCP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=true",
"ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
]
}
}
}
For docker-compose users: Set in your environment file or docker-compose.yml:
environment:
N8N_MCP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED: "true"
⚙️ Database & Memory Configuration
Database Adapters
n8n-mcp uses SQLite for storing node documentation. Two adapters are available:
-
better-sqlite3 (Default in Docker)
- Native C++ bindings for best performance
- Direct disk writes (no memory overhead)
- Now enabled by default in Docker images (v2.20.2+)
- Memory usage: ~100-120 MB stable
-
sql.js (Fallback)
- Pure JavaScript implementation
- In-memory database with periodic saves
- Used when better-sqlite3 compilation fails
- Memory usage: ~150-200 MB stable
Memory Optimization (sql.js)
If using sql.js fallback, you can configure the save interval to balance between data safety and memory efficiency:
Environment Variable:
SQLJS_SAVE_INTERVAL_MS=5000 # Default: 5000ms (5 seconds)
Usage:
- Controls how long to wait after database changes before saving to disk
- Lower values = more frequent saves = higher memory churn
- Higher values = less frequent saves = lower memory usage
- Minimum: 100ms
- Recommended: 5000-10000ms for production
Docker Configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"--init",
"-e", "SQLJS_SAVE_INTERVAL_MS=10000",
"ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
]
}
}
}
docker-compose:
environment:
SQLJS_SAVE_INTERVAL_MS: "10000"
💖 Support This Project
n8n-mcp started as a personal tool but now helps tens of thousands of developers automate their workflows efficiently. Maintaining and developing this project competes with my paid work.
Your sponsorship helps me:
- 🚀 Dedicate focused time to new features
- 🐛 Respond quickly to issues
- 📚 Keep documentation up-to-date
- 🔄 Ensure compatibility with latest n8n releases
Every sponsorship directly translates to hours invested in making n8n-mcp better for everyone. Become a sponsor →
Option C: Local Installation (For Development)
Prerequisites: Node.js installed on your system
# 1. Clone and setup
git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp.git
cd n8n-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm run rebuild
# 2. Test it works
npm start
Add to Claude Desktop config:
Basic configuration (documentation tools only):
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/n8n-mcp/dist/mcp/index.js"],
"env": {
"MCP_MODE": "stdio",
"LOG_LEVEL": "error",
"DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true"
}
}
}
}
Full configuration (with n8n management tools):
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n-mcp": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/n8n-mcp/dist/mcp/index.js"],
"env": {
"MCP_MODE": "stdio",
"LOG_LEVEL": "error",
"DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true",
"N8N_API_URL": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
}
}
}
}
Note: The n8n API credentials can be configured either in a
.envfile (create from.env.example) or directly in the Claude config as shown above.
💡 Tip: If you’re running n8n locally on the same machine (e.g., via Docker), use http://host.docker.internal:5678 as the N8N_API_URL.
Option D: Railway Cloud Deployment (One-Click Deploy) ☁️
Prerequisites: Railway account (free tier available)
Deploy n8n-MCP to Railway's cloud platform with zero configuration:
Benefits:
- ☁️ Instant cloud hosting - No server setup required
- 🔒 Secure by default - HTTPS included, auth token warnings
- 🌐 Global access - Connect from any Claude Desktop
- ⚡ Auto-scaling - Railway handles the infrastructure
- 📊 Built-in monitoring - Logs and metrics included
Quick Setup:
- Click the "Deploy on Railway" button above
- Sign in to Railway (or create a free account)
- Configure your deployment (project name, region)
- Click "Deploy" and wait ~2-3 minutes
- Copy your deployment URL and auth token
- Add to Claude Desktop config using the HTTPS URL
📚 For detailed setup instructions, troubleshooting, and configuration examples, see our Railway Deployment Guide
Configuration file locations:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json - Linux:
~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Restart Claude Desktop after updating configuration - That's it! 🎉
🔧 n8n Integration
Want to use n8n-MCP with your n8n instance? Check out our comprehensive n8n Deployment Guide for:
- Local testing with the MCP Client Tool node
- Production deployment with Docker Compose
- Cloud deployment on Hetzner, AWS, and other providers
- Troubleshooting and security best practices
🏢 Multi-Tenant Deployments
For SaaS platforms and multi-tenant environments, Caipher MCP supports session persistence with zero-downtime deployments. See the Session Persistence Guide for:
- Export/restore API for session migration
- Security best practices (encryption required for API keys)
- Multi-tenant architecture patterns
- Automatic session expiration handling
- MAX_SESSIONS limit configuration (default: 100)
Key Features:
- Zero-downtime deployments for SaaS platforms
- Secure session state export/restore
- Dormant sessions recreate on first request
- Automatic cleanup of expired sessions
💻 Connect your IDE
n8n-MCP works with multiple AI-powered IDEs and tools. Choose your preferred development environment:
Claude Code
Quick setup for Claude Code CLI - just type "add this mcp server" and paste the config.
Visual Studio Code
Full setup guide for VS Code with GitHub Copilot integration and MCP support.
Cursor
Step-by-step tutorial for connecting n8n-MCP to Cursor IDE with custom rules.
Windsurf
Complete guide for integrating n8n-MCP with Windsurf using project rules.
Codex
Complete guide for integrating n8n-MCP with Codex.
Antigravity
Complete guide for integrating n8n-MCP with Antigravity.
🎓 Add Claude Skills (Optional)
Supercharge your n8n workflow building with specialized skills that teach AI how to build production-ready workflows!
Learn more: n8n-skills repository
🤖 Claude Project Setup
For the best results when using n8n-MCP with Claude Projects, use these enhanced system instructions:
You are an expert in n8n automation software using n8n-MCP tools. Your role is to design, build, and validate n8n workflows with maximum accuracy and efficiency.
## Core Principles
### 1. Silent Execution
CRITICAL: Execute tools without commentary. Only respond AFTER all tools complete.
❌ BAD: "Let me search for Slack nodes... Great! Now let me get details..."
✅ GOOD: [Execute search_nodes and get_node in parallel, then respond]
### 2. Parallel Execution
When operations are independent, execute them in parallel for maximum performance.
✅ GOOD: Call search_nodes, list_nodes, and search_templates simultaneously
❌ BAD: Sequential tool calls (await each one before the next)
### 3. Templates First
ALWAYS check templates before building from scratch (2,709 available).
### 4. Multi-Level Validation
Use validate_node(mode='minimal') → validate_node(mode='full') → validate_workflow pattern.
### 5. Never Trust Defaults
⚠️ CRITICAL: Default parameter values are the #1 source of runtime failures.
ALWAYS explicitly configure ALL parameters that control node behavior.
## Workflow Process
1. **Start**: Call `tools_documentation()` for best practices
2. **Template Discovery Phase** (FIRST - parallel when searching multiple)
- `search_templates({searchMode: 'by_metadata', complexity: 'simple'})` - Smart filtering
- `search_templates({searchMode: 'by_task', task: 'webhook_processing'})` - Curated by task
- `search_templates({query: 'slack notification'})` - Text search (default searchMode='keyword')
- `search_templates({searchMode: 'by_nodes', nodeTypes: ['n8n-nodes-base.slack']})` - By node type
**Filtering strategies**:
- Beginners: `complexity: "simple"` + `maxSetupMinutes: 30`
- By role: `targetAudience: "marketers"` | `"developers"` | `"analysts"`
- By time: `maxSetupMinutes: 15` for quick wins
- By service: `requiredService: "openai"` for compatibility
3. **Node Discovery** (if no suitable template - parallel execution)
- Think deeply about requirements. Ask clarifying questions if unclear.
- `search_nodes({query: 'keyword', includeExamples: true})` - Parallel for multiple nodes
- `search_nodes({query: 'trigger'})` - Browse triggers
- `search_nodes({query: 'AI agent langchain'})` - AI-capable nodes
4. **Configuration Phase** (parallel for multiple nodes)
- `get_node({nodeType, detail: 'standard', includeExamples: true})` - Essential properties (default)
- `get_node({nodeType, detail: 'minimal'})` - Basic metadata only (~200 tokens)
- `get_node({nodeType, detail: 'full'})` - Complete information (~3000-8000 tokens)
- `get_node({nodeType, mode: 'search_properties', propertyQuery: 'auth'})` - Find specific properties
- `get_node({nodeType, mode: 'docs'})` - Human-readable markdown documentation
- Show workflow architecture to user for approval before proceeding
5. **Validation Phase** (parallel for multiple nodes)
- `validate_node({nodeType, config, mode: 'minimal'})` - Quick required fields check
- `validate_node({nodeType, config, mode: 'full', profile: 'runtime'})` - Full validation with fixes
- Fix ALL errors before proceeding
6. **Building Phase**
- If using template: `get_template(templateId, {mode: "full"})`
- **MANDATORY ATTRIBUTION**: "Based on template by **[author.name]** (@[username]). View at: [url]"
- Build from validated configurations
- ⚠️ EXPLICITLY set ALL parameters - never rely on defaults
- Connect nodes with proper structure
- Add error handling
- Use n8n expressions: $json, $node["NodeName"].json
- Build in artifact (unless deploying to n8n instance)
7. **Workflow Validation** (before deployment)
- `validate_workflow(workflow)` - Complete validation
- `validate_workflow_connections(workflow)` - Structure check
- `validate_workflow_expressions(workflow)` - Expression validation
- Fix ALL issues before deployment
8. **Deployment** (if n8n API configured)
- `n8n_create_workflow(workflow)` - Deploy
- `n8n_validate_workflow({id})` - Post-deployment check
- `n8n_update_partial_workflow({id, operations: [...]})` - Batch updates
- `n8n_test_workflow({workflowId})` - Test workflow execution
## Critical Warnings
### ⚠️ Never Trust Defaults
Default values cause runtime failures. Example:
```json
// ❌ FAILS at runtime
{resource: "message", operation: "post", text: "Hello"}
// ✅ WORKS - all parameters explicit
{resource: "message", operation: "post", select: "channel", channelId: "C123", text: "Hello"}
```
### ⚠️ Example Availability
`includeExamples: true` returns real configurations from workflow templates.
- Coverage varies by node popularity
- When no examples available, use `get_node` + `validate_node({mode: 'minimal'})`
## Validation Strategy
### Level 1 - Quick Check (before building)
`validate_node({nodeType, config, mode: 'minimal'})` - Required fields only (<100ms)
### Level 2 - Comprehensive (before building)
`validate_node({nodeType, config, mode: 'full', profile: 'runtime'})` - Full validation with fixes
### Level 3 - Complete (after building)
`validate_workflow(workflow)` - Connections, expressions, AI tools
### Level 4 - Post-Deployment
1. `n8n_validate_workflow({id})` - Validate deployed workflow
2. `n8n_autofix_workflow({id})` - Auto-fix common errors
3. `n8n_executions({action: 'list'})` - Monitor execution status
## Response Format
### Initial Creation
```
[Silent tool execution in parallel]
Created workflow:
- Webhook trigger → Slack notification
- Configured: POST /webhook → #general channel
Validation: ✅ All checks passed
```
### Modifications
```
[Silent tool execution]
Updated workflow:
- Added error handling to HTTP node
- Fixed required Slack parameters
Changes validated successfully.
```
## Batch Operations
Use `n8n_update_partial_workflow` with multiple operations in a single call:
✅ GOOD - Batch multiple operations:
```json
n8n_update_partial_workflow({
id: "wf-123",
operations: [
{type: "updateNode", nodeId: "slack-1", changes: {...}},
{type: "updateNode", nodeId: "http-1", changes: {...}},
{type: "cleanStaleConnections"}
]
})
```
❌ BAD - Separate calls:
```json
n8n_update_partial_workflow({id: "wf-123", operations: [{...}]})
n8n_update_partial_workflow({id: "wf-123", operations: [{...}]})
```
### CRITICAL: addConnection Syntax
The `addConnection` operation requires **four separate string parameters**. Common mistakes cause misleading errors.
❌ WRONG - Object format (fails with "Expected string, received object"):
```json
{
"type": "addConnection",
"connection": {
"source": {"nodeId": "node-1", "outputIndex": 0},
"destination": {"nodeId": "node-2", "inputIndex": 0}
}
}
```
❌ WRONG - Combined string (fails with "Source node not found"):
```json
{
"type": "addConnection",
"source": "node-1:main:0",
"target": "node-2:main:0"
}
```
✅ CORRECT - Four separate string parameters:
```json
{
"type": "addConnection",
"source": "node-id-string",
"target": "target-node-id-string",
"sourcePort": "main",
"targetPort": "main"
}
```
**Reference**: [GitHub Issue #327](https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp/issues/327)
### ⚠️ CRITICAL: IF Node Multi-Output Routing
IF nodes have **two outputs** (TRUE and FALSE). Use the **`branch` parameter** to route to the correct output:
✅ CORRECT - Route to TRUE branch (when condition is met):
```json
{
"type": "addConnection",
"source": "if-node-id",
"target": "success-handler-id",
"sourcePort": "main",
"targetPort": "main",
"branch": "true"
}
```
✅ CORRECT - Route to FALSE branch (when condition is NOT met):
```json
{
"type": "addConnection",
"source": "if-node-id",
"target": "failure-handler-id",
"sourcePort": "main",
"targetPort": "main",
"branch": "false"
}
```
**Common Pattern** - Complete IF node routing:
```json
n8n_update_partial_workflow({
id: "workflow-id",
operations: [
{type: "addConnection", source: "If Node", target: "True Handler", sourcePort: "main", targetPort: "main", branch: "true"},
{type: "addConnection", source: "If Node", target: "False Handler", sourcePort: "main", targetPort: "main", branch: "false"}
]
})
```
**Note**: Without the `branch` parameter, both connections may end up on the same output, causing logic errors!
### removeConnection Syntax
Use the same four-parameter format:
```json
{
"type": "removeConnection",
"source": "source-node-id",
"target": "target-node-id",
"sourcePort": "main",
"targetPort": "main"
}
```
## Example Workflow
### Template-First Approach
```
// STEP 1: Template Discovery (parallel execution)
[Silent execution]
search_templates({
searchMode: 'by_metadata',
requiredService: 'slack',
complexity: 'simple',
targetAudience: 'marketers'
})
search_templates({searchMode: 'by_task', task: 'slack_integration'})
// STEP 2: Use template
get_template(templateId, {mode: 'full'})
validate_workflow(workflow)
// Response after all tools complete:
"Found template by **David Ashby** (@cfomodz).
View at: https://n8n.io/workflows/2414
Validation: ✅ All checks passed"
```
### Building from Scratch (if no template)
```
// STEP 1: Discovery (parallel execution)
[Silent execution]
search_nodes({query: 'slack', includeExamples: true})
search_nodes({query: 'communication trigger'})
// STEP 2: Configuration (parallel execution)
[Silent execution]
get_node({nodeType: 'n8n-nodes-base.slack', detail: 'standard', includeExamples: true})
get_node({nodeType: 'n8n-nodes-base.webhook', detail: 'standard', includeExamples: true})
// STEP 3: Validation (parallel execution)
[Silent execution]
validate_node({nodeType: 'n8n-nodes-base.slack', config, mode: 'minimal'})
validate_node({nodeType: 'n8n-nodes-base.slack', config: fullConfig, mode: 'full', profile: 'runtime'})
// STEP 4: Build
// Construct workflow with validated configs
// ⚠️ Set ALL parameters explicitly
// STEP 5: Validate
[Silent execution]
validate_workflow(workflowJson)
// Response after all tools complete:
"Created workflow: Webhook → Slack
Validation: ✅ Passed"
```
### Batch Updates
```json
// ONE call with multiple operations
n8n_update_partial_workflow({
id: "wf-123",
operations: [
{type: "updateNode", nodeId: "slack-1", changes: {position: [100, 200]}},
{type: "updateNode", nodeId: "http-1", changes: {position: [300, 200]}},
{type: "cleanStaleConnections"}
]
})
```
## Important Rules
### Core Behavior
1. **Silent execution** - No commentary between tools
2. **Parallel by default** - Execute independent operations simultaneously
3. **Templates first** - Always check before building (2,709 available)
4. **Multi-level validation** - Quick check → Full validation → Workflow validation
5. **Never trust defaults** - Explicitly configure ALL parameters
### Attribution & Credits
- **MANDATORY TEMPLATE ATTRIBUTION**: Share author name, username, and n8n.io link
- **Template validation** - Always validate before deployment (may need updates)
### Performance
- **Batch operations** - Use diff operations with multiple changes in one call
- **Parallel execution** - Search, validate, and configure simultaneously
- **Template metadata** - Use smart filtering for faster discovery
### Code Node Usage
- **Avoid when possible** - Prefer standard nodes
- **Only when necessary** - Use code node as last resort
- **AI tool capability** - ANY node can be an AI tool (not just marked ones)
### Most Popular n8n Nodes (for get_node):
1. **n8n-nodes-base.code** - JavaScript/Python scripting
2. **n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest** - HTTP API calls
3. **n8n-nodes-base.webhook** - Event-driven triggers
4. **n8n-nodes-base.set** - Data transformation
5. **n8n-nodes-base.if** - Conditional routing
6. **n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger** - Manual workflow execution
7. **n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook** - Webhook responses
8. **n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger** - Time-based triggers
9. **@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent** - AI agents
10. **n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets** - Spreadsheet integration
11. **n8n-nodes-base.merge** - Data merging
12. **n8n-nodes-base.switch** - Multi-branch routing
13. **n8n-nodes-base.telegram** - Telegram bot integration
14. **@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatOpenAi** - OpenAI chat models
15. **n8n-nodes-base.splitInBatches** - Batch processing
16. **n8n-nodes-base.openAi** - OpenAI legacy node
17. **n8n-nodes-base.gmail** - Email automation
18. **n8n-nodes-base.function** - Custom functions
19. **n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote** - Workflow documentation
20. **n8n-nodes-base.executeWorkflowTrigger** - Sub-workflow calls
**Note:** LangChain nodes use the `@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.` prefix, core nodes use `n8n-nodes-base.`
Save these instructions in your Claude Project for optimal n8n workflow assistance with intelligent template discovery.
🚨 Important: Sharing Guidelines
This project is MIT licensed and free for everyone to use. However:
- ✅ DO: Share this repository freely with proper attribution
- ✅ DO: Include a direct link to https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp in your first post/video
- ❌ DON'T: Gate this free tool behind engagement requirements (likes, follows, comments)
- ❌ DON'T: Use this project for engagement farming on social media
This tool was created to benefit everyone in the n8n community without friction. Please respect the MIT license spirit by keeping it accessible to all.
Features
- 🔍 Smart Node Search: Find nodes by name, category, or functionality
- 📖 Essential Properties: Get only the 10-20 properties that matter
- 💡 Real-World Examples: 2,646 pre-extracted configurations from popular templates
- ✅ Config Validation: Validate node configurations before deployment
- 🤖 AI Workflow Validation: Comprehensive validation for AI Agent workflows (NEW in v2.17.0!)
- Missing language model detection
- AI tool connection validation
- Streaming mode constraints
- Memory and output parser checks
- 🔗 Dependency Analysis: Understand property relationships and conditions
- 🎯 Template Discovery: 2,500+ workflow templates with smart filtering
- ⚡ Fast Response: Average query time ~12ms with optimized SQLite
- 🌐 Universal Compatibility: Works with any Node.js version
💬 Why n8n-MCP? A Testimonial from Claude
"Before MCP, I was translating. Now I'm composing. And that changes everything about how we can build automation."
When Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, tested n8n-MCP, the results were transformative:
Without MCP: "I was basically playing a guessing game. 'Is it scheduleTrigger or schedule? Does it take interval or rule?' I'd write what seemed logical, but n8n has its own conventions that you can't just intuit. I made six different configuration errors in a simple HackerNews scraper."
With MCP: "Everything just... worked. Instead of guessing, I could ask get_node() and get exactly what I needed - not a 100KB JSON dump, but the actual properties that matter. What took 45 minutes now takes 3 minutes."
The Real Value: "It's about confidence. When you're building automation workflows, uncertainty is expensive. One wrong parameter and your workflow fails at 3 AM. With MCP, I could validate my configuration before deployment. That's not just time saved - that's peace of mind."
📡 Available MCP Tools
Once connected, Claude can use these powerful tools:
Core Tools (7 tools)
tools_documentation- Get documentation for any MCP tool (START HERE!)search_nodes- Full-text search across all nodes. Usesource: 'community'|'verified'for community nodes,includeExamples: truefor configsget_node- Unified node information tool with multiple modes (v2.26.0):- Info mode (default):
detail: 'minimal'|'standard'|'full',includeExamples: true - Docs mode:
mode: 'docs'- Human-readable markdown documentation - Property search:
mode: 'search_properties',propertyQuery: 'auth' - Versions:
mode: 'versions'|'compare'|'breaking'|'migrations'
- Info mode (default):
validate_node- Unified node validation (v2.26.0):mode: 'minimal'- Quick required fields check (<100ms)mode: 'full'- Comprehensive validation with profiles (minimal, runtime, ai-friendly, strict)
validate_workflow- Complete workflow validation including AI Agent validationsearch_templates- Unified template search (v2.26.0):searchMode: 'keyword'(default) - Text search withqueryparametersearchMode: 'by_nodes'- Find templates using specificnodeTypessearchMode: 'by_task'- Curated templates for commontasktypessearchMode: 'by_metadata'- Filter bycomplexity,requiredService,targetAudience
get_template- Get complete workflow JSON (modes: nodes_only, structure, full)
n8n Management Tools (13 tools - Requires API Configuration)
These tools require N8N_API_URL and N8N_API_KEY in your configuration.
Workflow Management
n8n_create_workflow- Create new workflows with nodes and connectionsn8n_get_workflow- Unified workflow retrieval (v2.26.0):mode: 'full'(default) - Complete workflow JSONmode: 'details'- Include execution statisticsmode: 'structure'- Nodes and connections topology onlymode: 'minimal'- Just ID, name, active status
n8n_update_full_workflow- Update entire workflow (complete replacement)n8n_update_partial_workflow- Update workflow using diff operationsn8n_delete_workflow- Delete workflows permanentlyn8n_list_workflows- List workflows with filtering and paginationn8n_validate_workflow- Validate workflows in n8n by IDn8n_autofix_workflow- Automatically fix common workflow errorsn8n_workflow_versions- Manage version history and rollbackn8n_deploy_template- Deploy templates from n8n.io directly to your instance with auto-fix
Execution Management
n8n_test_workflow- Test/trigger workflow execution:- Auto-detects trigger type (webhook, form, chat) from workflow
- Supports custom data, headers, and HTTP methods for webhooks
- Chat triggers support message and sessionId for conversations
n8n_executions- Unified execution management (v2.26.0):action: 'list'- List executions with status filteringaction: 'get'- Get execution details by IDaction: 'delete'- Delete execution records
System Tools
n8n_health_check- Check n8n API connectivity and features
Example Usage
// Get node info with different detail levels
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
detail: "standard", // Default: Essential properties
includeExamples: true // Include real-world examples from templates
})
// Get documentation
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
mode: "docs" // Human-readable markdown documentation
})
// Search for specific properties
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
mode: "search_properties",
propertyQuery: "authentication"
})
// Version history and breaking changes
get_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
mode: "versions" // View all versions with summary
})
// Search nodes with configuration examples
search_nodes({
query: "send email gmail",
includeExamples: true // Returns top 2 configs per node
})
// Search community nodes only
search_nodes({
query: "scraping",
source: "community" // Options: all, core, community, verified
})
// Search verified community nodes
search_nodes({
query: "pdf",
source: "verified" // Only verified community integrations
})
// Validate node configuration
validate_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
config: { method: "POST", url: "..." },
mode: "full",
profile: "runtime" // or "minimal", "ai-friendly", "strict"
})
// Quick required field check
validate_node({
nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
config: { resource: "message", operation: "send" },
mode: "minimal"
})
// Search templates by task
search_templates({
searchMode: "by_task",
task: "webhook_processing"
})
💻 Local Development Setup
For contributors and advanced users:
Prerequisites:
- Node.js (any version - automatic fallback if needed)
- npm or yarn
- Git
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp.git
cd n8n-mcp
# 2. Clone n8n docs (optional but recommended)
git clone https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n-docs.git ../n8n-docs
# 3. Install and build
npm install
npm run build
# 4. Initialize database
npm run rebuild
# 5. Start the server
npm start # stdio mode for Claude Desktop
npm run start:http # HTTP mode for remote access
Development Commands
# Build & Test
npm run build # Build TypeScript
npm run rebuild # Rebuild node database
npm run test-nodes # Test critical nodes
npm run validate # Validate node data
npm test # Run all tests
# Update Dependencies
npm run update:n8n:check # Check for n8n updates
npm run update:n8n # Update n8n packages
# Run Server
npm run dev # Development with auto-reload
npm run dev:http # HTTP dev mode
📚 Documentation
Setup Guides
- Installation Guide - Comprehensive installation instructions
- Claude Desktop Setup - Detailed Claude configuration
- Docker Guide - Advanced Docker deployment options
- MCP Quick Start - Get started quickly with n8n-MCP
Feature Documentation
- Workflow Diff Operations - Token-efficient workflow updates (NEW!)
- Transactional Updates - Two-pass workflow editing
- MCP Essentials - AI-optimized tools guide
- Validation System - Smart validation profiles
Development & Deployment
- Railway Deployment - One-click cloud deployment guide
- HTTP Deployment - Remote server setup guide
- Dependency Management - Keeping n8n packages in sync
- Claude's Interview - Real-world impact of n8n-MCP
Project Information
- Change Log - Complete version history
- Claude Instructions - AI guidance for this codebase
- MCP Tools Reference - Complete list of available tools
📊 Metrics & Coverage
Current database coverage (n8n v2.2.3):
- ✅ 1,084 total nodes - 537 core + 547 community
- ✅ 301 verified community nodes from n8n Strapi API
- ✅ 246 popular npm community packages indexed
- ✅ 470 nodes with documentation (87% core coverage)
- ✅ 265 AI-capable tool variants detected
- ✅ 2,646 pre-extracted template configurations
- ✅ 2,709 workflow templates available (100% metadata coverage)
- ✅ AI Agent & LangChain nodes fully documented
- ⚡ Average response time: ~12ms
- 💾 Database size: ~70MB (includes templates and community nodes)
🔄 Recent Updates
See CHANGELOG.md for complete version history and recent changes.
🧪 Testing
The project includes a comprehensive test suite with 2,883 tests ensuring code quality and reliability:
# Run all tests
npm test
# Run tests with coverage report
npm run test:coverage
# Run tests in watch mode
npm run test:watch
# Run specific test suites
npm run test:unit # 933 unit tests
npm run test:integration # 249 integration tests
npm run test:bench # Performance benchmarks
Test Suite Overview
- Total Tests: 2,883 (100% passing)
- Unit Tests: 2,526 tests across 99 files
- Integration Tests: 357 tests across 20 files
- Execution Time: ~2.5 minutes in CI
- Test Framework: Vitest (for speed and TypeScript support)
- Mocking: MSW for API mocking, custom mocks for databases
Coverage & Quality
- Coverage Reports: Generated in
./coveragedirectory - CI/CD: Automated testing on all PRs with GitHub Actions
- Performance: Environment-aware thresholds for CI vs local
- Parallel Execution: Configurable thread pool for faster runs
Testing Architecture
Total: 3,336 tests across unit and integration test suites
-
Unit Tests (2,766 tests): Isolated component testing with mocks
- Services layer: Enhanced validation, property filtering, workflow validation
- Parsers: Node parsing, property extraction, documentation mapping
- Database: Repositories, adapters, migrations, FTS5 search
- MCP tools: Tool definitions, documentation system
- HTTP server: Multi-tenant support, security, configuration
-
Integration Tests (570 tests): Full system behavior validation
- n8n API Integration (172 tests): All 18 MCP handler tools tested against real n8n instance
- Workflow management: Create, read, update, delete, list, validate, autofix
- Execution management: Trigger, retrieve, list, delete
- System tools: Health check, tool listing, diagnostics
- MCP Protocol (119 tests): Protocol compliance, session management, error handling
- Database (226 tests): Repository operations, transactions, performance, FTS5 search
- Templates (35 tests): Template fetching, storage, metadata operations
- Docker (18 tests): Configuration, entrypoint, security validation
- n8n API Integration (172 tests): All 18 MCP handler tools tested against real n8n instance
For detailed testing documentation, see Testing Architecture.
📦 License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details.
Attribution appreciated! If you use n8n-MCP, consider:
- ⭐ Starring this repository
- 💬 Mentioning it in your project
- 🔗 Linking back to this repo
🤝 Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please:
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Run tests (
npm test) - Submit a pull request
🚀 For Maintainers: Automated Releases
This project uses automated releases triggered by version changes:
# Guided release preparation
npm run prepare:release
# Test release automation
npm run test:release-automation
The system automatically handles:
- 🏷️ GitHub releases with changelog content
- 📦 NPM package publishing
- 🐳 Multi-platform Docker images
- 📚 Documentation updates
See Automated Release Guide for complete details.
👏 Acknowledgments
- n8n team for the workflow automation platform
- Anthropic for the Model Context Protocol
- All contributors and users of this project
Template Attribution
All workflow templates in this project are fetched from n8n's public template gallery at n8n.io/workflows. Each template includes:
- Full attribution to the original creator (name and username)
- Direct link to the source template on n8n.io
- Original workflow ID for reference
The AI agent instructions in this project contain mandatory attribution requirements. When using any template, the AI will automatically:
- Share the template author's name and username
- Provide a direct link to the original template on n8n.io
- Display attribution in the format: "This workflow is based on a template by [author] (@[username]). View the original at: [url]"
Template creators retain all rights to their workflows. This project indexes templates to improve discoverability through AI assistants. If you're a template creator and have concerns about your template being indexed, please open an issue.
Special thanks to the prolific template contributors whose work helps thousands of users automate their workflows, including: David Ashby (@cfomodz), Yaron Been (@yaron-nofluff), Jimleuk (@jimleuk), Davide (@n3witalia), David Olusola (@dae221), Ranjan Dailata (@ranjancse), Airtop (@cesar-at-airtop), Joseph LePage (@joe), Don Jayamaha Jr (@don-the-gem-dealer), Angel Menendez (@djangelic), and the entire n8n community of creators!
Making AI + n8n workflow creation delightful